Food Fact Friday - Did you know pumpkin is technically a fruit?

Picture: https://www.taste.com.au/healthy/articles/pumpkin-2/fdszjny5

This may not be a surprise to some, but pumpkin is technically a fruit given it contains seeds. This also goes for foods like tomato, zucchini and cucumber which to most people you would assume they are a vegetable. Again, technically they are a fruit, however we don’t categorise them as such due to their lower concentration of fructose (a carbohydrate) which is found in categorical fruits such as apples, pears, mandarin and watermelon in higher amounts.
 
So, what’s the deal with food groups then? I have seen the food pyramid but now it’s a circle or a plate?
 
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) is the attached image. Originally the food pyramid it has now changed shape to help people distinguish what a general day of eating should look like. It is NOT a plate; it is not a recommendation of what your plate should look like rather a representation and recommendation of the VARIETY of foods to consume for optimal health. The main points regarding this guide:

- There are 5 major food groups
Fruit, Vegetables, Grains and Cereals, Meat/ Meat alternatives and Dairy/ Dairy alternatives. With the addition of fats and oils/ foods to consume in small amounts

- We put foods into groups as each group often contains specific nutrient(s), plural because there may be many. The key is variety and not excessive amount or restriction of one or multiple groups.

- There are recommendations for the number of serves per day one should have from each of the 5 food groups and this differs for age and gender because your requirements change. If interested I have attached a pamphlet below which outlines it for you.

- There are 4 major nutrient profiles
Protein, Carbohydrate, Fats as well as Vitamins and Minerals

​- Some of the food groups above may have foods which are made up of 1 or more of the 4 nutrients. However, we place them in a food group based on what they are made up of the most.

Take home about the AGHE:
 There are 5 Food groups with the addition of fats and oil and foods to consume in small amounts which help us distinguish between certain foods and recommend how much of each group to consume for good health. However, this differs to the nutrients which are found in them. We categorise foods predominately by their nutrient profiles, so even though it has seeds it may be categorised as a vegetable due to the nutrients it provides not the type of food it is. If you wish to learn more visit: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/
 
*General take home message:
We could get bogged down with the numbers and portions, some people find it helps them to navigate the world of nutrition and it is a great guide to do so. We could also simply acknowledge variety and moderation is key. A variety of different foods, in particular ones you love and being wise with your intake of highly processed foods will ensure you are taking the right steps to improving your nutrition and general wellbeing.

AGHE Pamphlet
File Size:	2524 kb
File Type:	pdf

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