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Healthy eating pattern

Related terms: Australian Dietary Guidelines, Mediterranean diet, Balanced diet, Healthy diet, Five food groups

EstablishedTextbook physiology, or consistent findings reflected in national guidance.
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Eating a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five food groups every day, and drinking plenty of water.

  • Drink plenty of water, according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
  • Soluble fibre from foods such as oat bran, barley and legumes helps lower LDL cholesterol.
  • People who eat more vegetables and fruit have lower risks of several chronic diseases.

How it works

The Australian Dietary Guidelines encourage you to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five food groups every day. The groups include vegetables and legumes or beans, fruit, grain foods (mostly wholegrain or high in cereal fibre), and milk, yoghurt, cheese or alternatives (mostly reduced fat).

An unhealthy diet is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, and a poor diet is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Eating less saturated and trans fat and more soluble fibre and plant sterols helps lower cholesterol, and eating more foods containing resistant starch is one way to encourage a healthy gut microbiome.

Connections

4 connections on the map. Select a topic to read its page.

Healthy eating pattern can lower High cholesterolHigh cholesterolHealthy eating pattern can lower Type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetesHealthy eating pattern supports Gut microbiomeGut microbiomeHealthy eating pattern supports Heart and blood vesselsHeart andblood vesselsHealthy eating pattern can lower High cholesterolHigh cholesterolHealthy eating pattern can lower Type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetesHealthy eating pattern supports Gut microbiomeGut microbiomeHealthy eating pattern supports Heart and blood vesselsHeart andblood vessels

Healthy eating pattern supports

Healthy eating pattern can lower

Sources

  1. The five food groupsEat for Health (Australian Government)
  2. Coronary heart diseasehealthdirect Australia, last reviewed June 2024
  3. Type 2 diabeteshealthdirect Australia, last reviewed October 2024
  4. Cholesterolhealthdirect Australia, last reviewed April 2026
  5. Fibre in foodBetter Health Channel (Victorian Government), last reviewed 11 December 2025
  6. Antioxidants: in depthNIH NCCIH, last reviewed July 2023
  7. Gut bacteria: the inside storyAustralian Academy of Science

Each connection above names its own source. See every source AskBioMap uses.

Summarised from Eat for Health, healthdirect, the Better Health Channel, the NIH and the Australian Academy of Science. Sources read on 13 and 16 October 2026. General education only, not medical advice. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us through the HuBu-Intel contact page.

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