Australian dietary targets in 1995: their feasibility and pertinence to dietary goals for 2000

Abstract: To ascertain whether the diet of young students in health-related courses conformed to Australian dietary targets for 1995 and to identify nutritional needs in view of dietary targets for 2000, 246 undergraduate students analysed their weighed diet for three or five days. Eight often male participants were meeting the dietary goals for 1995 for fibre and fat intake and six of ten were meeting the goals for 2000. More female participants were meeting the goals for fat, but less than half of the females were meeting the 1995 goals for fibre. Some 84 per cent of females, but only 29 per cent of males, were meeting the 1995 dietary goals for sodium. Few participants derived 10 per cent or less of their energy from saturated fat or 10 per cent of their energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids. Substantial numbers of participants failed to meet the recommended daily intakes of zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron (females). Education of specific subgroups and modifications to food production and processing are proposed.