Healthy eating habits/Researching Nutritional Information & Australian Serving Sizes

Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is expanding every day and is being more readily accessed as technology is advancing. There are a variety of internet sources and more recently mobile "apps" that provide nutritional material to the general public. However some sources of nutritional information can contain material that may or may not be reliable and accurate.

On The Internet

There are many websites that present nutritional information however there are only some which contain credible sources of information. A credible source of information is evidence-based, validated, and up to date. It’s important to check that the web page has:
 * a credible author (origin of work, qualification, credentials)
 * trustworthy references and citations
 * a date of publication
 * site functionality (ease of use, current and functional links)
 * domain on the web address

These are three examples of the domains of websites that are considered more reliable (The domains of websites are found on the website links eg. www.latrobe.edu.au):


 * .edu websites – educational institution
 * .gov websites – government agency
 * .org websites* – non-profit organization

These types of domains are frequently used by health professionals in hospitals, universities and government agencies to gather and provide information to the public. These websites contain accurate science based material which ensure the reliability of the nutritional information.

Note: Validating sources of information to ensure correct material is an important skill. Although websites may contain the .org, .edu and .gov domains there may still be incorrect information and verifying this information with other credible websites is important.

Apps on mobile devices

Apps, which is short for applications, are small downloadable programs on mobile devices that can be used for entertainment, educational or for social purposes. Many nutrition apps exist and are used frequently in the present time. Validating the database and source of nutritional information on the app helps to determine the accuracy of the nutritional information. These are a few examples of apps that are efficient and reliable for use:
 * Food Switch - (made by Bupa and the data has been collated from The George Institute ). The app provides easy-to-understand nutritional information about packaged foods and provides the user with healthier food alternatives, gluten free alternatives and healthier salt alternatives. This app allows you to scan barcodes on food products and make informed choices when purchasing foods.


 * Better Health Channel App (provided by the Better Health Channel and the Victorian government) . This app provides general health advice, health service options, treatments and healthy living suggestions.


 * Foodle - Nutrition Facts (provided by the USDA National Nutrient Database ) lets users discover the micronutrient and macronutrient content in various types of foods.


 * 8700 (produced by the NSW Food Authority ) is an app that provides fun facts about nutrition and calculates total daily energy requirements. It also provides information about kilojoules (KJ), the amount of energy exerted  while performing activities and nutrition information about fast foods outlets in Australia.

Australian Serving Sizes
The Australian Dietary Guidelines provide up-to-date information about the recommended types of foods that need to be consumed for health and well-being. . The food types reflect everyday foods consumed by Australians and this helps to ensure that the serving sizes supply sufficient nutrients to our diets. To help understand how serving sizes and nutrient reference values (daily nutrient requirements) provide adequate micro and macronutrients, view the video of Calcium Man as a guide.



Recommended Daily Serves

A 'serve' is a fixed food amount set by the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Below are the serve recommendations for adult male and females.

Serving Sizes

Below are standard serving sizes for each food group.

Further Reading & Notes

 * Nutrient Reference Values – Daily recommendations
 * Eat for Health – serving sizes - Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
 * Better Health Channel – Basic health information
 * Australian Institute of Sport - Sports nutrition