Dietary guidelines

Dietary guidelines describe healthy food choices and habits which scientific evidence suggests will reduce the risk of developing diet-related diseases in healthy individuals.
They provide advice to the general public about healthy eating. They are used as a basis for nutrition education and a benchmark for setting nutrition standards. Dietary guidelines may not be applicable to people with specific health conditions or in
ill health.

The following dietary guidelines from around the world are relevant to the consumption of grains and pulses.

i. Cereals and pulses (legumes)
Since the development of the first dietary guidelines in 1968 (in Scandinavia), dietary guidelines from around the world have consistently recommended increasing consumption of grains and pulses.

Dietary guidelines reflect the eating patterns of different countries. Rice features more prominently in Asian dietary guidelines, whereas in Australia, more wheat-based foods, such as breads and pasta, are specifically mentioned. In Asia pulses are an important source of protein and are therefore represented in the "meat" food group. In Australia pulses are eaten as an accompaniment and feature in both the "meat" and "vegetable" food groups.

• Australia* (revised draft for Adults and Children/Adolescents - 2001) - "Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta, noodles), preferably wholegrain" and "Eat plenty of vegetables (including legumes) and fruits".
• Australia (Older Australians) - "Eat plenty of cereals, breads and pastas" and "Eat plenty of vegetables (including legumes) and fruit".
• Singapore - "Increase the intake of fruit, vegetables and whole grain cereal products, thereby increasing vitamin A, vitamin C and fibre intakes".
• China - "Eat a wide variety of foods, with cereals as the staple" and "Consume milk and beans and their products every day".
• Thailand - "Consume the five food groups daily" and "Consume foods containing dietary fiber regularly". Grains are included in the "Rice and other cereals" food group and pulses in the "Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, pulse, nuts and seeds" food group.
• USA - "Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruit".

*The Australian dietary guidelines for adults, children and adolescents are currently being reviewed. The final version of the dietary guidelines will be available on the NHMRC website listed in the "Further Research" section.

ii. A wide variety of nutritious foods
Eating a wide variety of foods has been shown to reduce the risk of death. The importance of eating a wide variety of foods is reflected in most dietary guidelines around the world.
To benefit from the differences in the nutrient content and nutritional attributes of different grains and pulses, eating a wide range of grain- and pulse-based foods is recommended. The processing technique can alter the nutritional attributes of a food product, making it slightly different to the original food. For instance, although pasta, bread, breakfast cereals and noodles are all made from wheat, their nutritional attributes (such as the resistant starch content or glycaemic index) can differ depending on the food processing technique used to manufacture and prepare the food.

iii. Low in saturated fat
The importance of having a low-fat diet, especially one which is low in saturated fat, is a common theme in dietary guidelines around the world. A high-fat diet, particularly a high saturated fat intake, is linked to the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease and colon cancer. A high-fat diet may also be more conducive to weight gain.

Grains and pulses are mostly low in fat. The small amount present is low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated fat which is beneficial in terms of lowering blood cholesterol. The addition of fats and oils to grains and pulses during processing at home or by the food industry can increase their fat content.