1995 National Nutrition Survey

1995 National Nutrition Survey

The 1995 National Nutrition Survey, conducted from February 1995 to March 1996, is the most recent Australian dietary survey. It provides a useful insight into the role of grains and pulses in the Australian diet.

How popular are grains and pulses in the Australian diet?

The relative popularity of foods is represented by the percentage of people (19 years and over) eating these foods on the day of the 1995 National Nutrition survey.

Percentage of people (19+ years) eating grain and pulse-based foods on the day of the survey:

Various types of bread (93%), particularly regular breads and rolls (80%)
Different types of breakfast cereals (50%)
Rice and rice products (14%)
Pasta and noodles (12%)
Pulse products and dishes such as pappadum, baked beans, tofu and vegetarian sausages (7%)

The data clearly suggests that grain-based foods, particularly bread, are staple foods in the Australian diet because 95% of Australians aged 19+ years reported eating cereal foods every day. Breakfast cereals are also eaten by most Australians every day.

Because they are eaten so frequently, both in Australia as well as in most countries around the world, grains play a major role in the diet. Pulses and pulse-based foods are eaten less frequently and hence play a much smaller part in the Australian diet.

How much grains and pulses do Australians eat?

The average daily intake of cereals represents the average intake of all the people surveyed in Australia in 1995, i.e. both those eating cereals and not eating cereals on the day of the survey. Table 2 suggests women aged 19 years and over are not eating enough cereal foods.

The amount and type of grain- and pulse-based foods eaten varies according to factors such as age, gender, geographical location, country of birth, socio-economic status, day of the week and the season.

Table 2. Average daily intake of cereals in different population groups compared to recommended amounts*

Age group (years)	Intake of cereals in males (grams)	Intake of cereals in females (grams)	Recommended amount of cereals* (grams)
4–7	168.1 g	140.4 g	120 g
8–11	208.1 g	175.7 g	180 g
19 +	250.2 g	181.2 g	210 g

* NHMRC, Core Food Groups, 1995

Table 3. Average and median intake of grain- and pulse-based foods by Australians (aged 19+ years) on the day of the 1995 National Nutrition Survey

Food	Average intake of consumers and non-consumers (grams)	Median intake of consumers (grams)
Bread
Regular bread and rolls	91 g	96 g
Fancy breads, flat breads, English muffins and crumpets	10 g	65 g
Breakfast cereal
Plain breakfast cereal	10 g	30 g
Mixed breakfast cereal	13 g	59 g
Hot porridge type breakfast cereal	18 g	260 g
Pasta and pasta products	30 g	213 g
Rice and rice products	40 g	195 g
Pulses	10 g	94 g

Contribution of grains and pulses to nutrient intake in the Australian diet

Grains and pulses are nutrient-dense foods, containing a wide range of nutrients. Since grain-based foods, such as bread and breakfast cereals, are eaten frequently, they make a substantial contribution to total nutrient intake in the Australian diet.

Cereal and cereal products, particularly bread and breakfast cereals, are an important low-fat source of energy, dietary fibre, carbohydrate and protein in the Australian diet.

Cereal and cereal products made the following contribution to total nutrient intake across all population groups (i.e. different ages and gender groups) on the day of the survey:

20% of total energy intake (10% from bread);
33% of total carbohydrate intake;
~16% of total protein intake (10% from bread);
About one-third of dietary fibre, mainly from bread (19%) and breakfast cereals (10%);
Only around 6% of total fat intake, mainly from polyunsaturated fat (~13% of total intake and only 3% of total saturated fat).

Bread and breakfast cereals provide a wide range of vitamins, particularly thiamin and folate, in the Australian diet:

~40% of total thiamin intake (bread-making flour is fortified with thiamin and thiamin is added to most breakfast cereals in Australia);
12 to14% of total natural folate* intake from bread and 4 to 5% from breakfast cereals;
~18% of total riboflavin intake, mainly from breakfast cereals (which is added to most breakfast cereals in Australia);
~ 8% of total niacin intake from regular bread and 7% to 10% from breakfast cereals (higher in younger age groups);
From 1-6% of total vitamin A intake, mainly from breakfast cereals (higher in children and adolescents and lower in adults).

Cereal and cereal products, especially regular bread and breakfast cereals, are an important source of minerals, particularly iron and magnesium, in the Australian diet:

From 29% to 40% of total iron intake, depending on the intake of breakfast cereals. Breakfast cereals provided a quarter of total iron intake in males 2 to 18 years, a fifth of total iron intake in females aged 2 to 18 years and around 15% in persons aged 19 years and over;
~25% of total magnesium intake from regular bread (about 11%) and breakfast cereals (about 8%);
14% of total zinc intake, mainly from regular bread (7%);
10 to13% of total calcium intake, mostly from regular bread (7-9%).

Legumes and pulse products and dishes are eaten less frequently and hence make a smaller contribution to total nutrient intake in the Australian diet. They made the following contribution to total nutrient intake across all population groups on the day of the survey:

~2% to total dietary fibre intake
~1% of total natural folate* intake
From 0.8 to 1.5% of total iron intake (1.5% in males aged 12 to 18 years and 0.8% in females aged 2 to 11 years).

*Survey estimates are based on the natural folate content of foods and beverages and do not include additional folate from food and beverages fortified with folate.

For More Detailed Information

For Further Research

Additional links

Dietary fibre

Folate