Eight foods nutritionist experts want you to eat less of

1. Meat

Unless you have an allergy or intolerance, you don't need to cut any food from your life — but there are foods you should eat a lot of, and foods you should eat in moderation. Chief among them is meat, which Australians eat a lot more of than we need (an average 93kg a year, well above the global average of 30kg).

2. Diet soft drink

“These offer very little in terms of nutrients, and unfortunately are often used to suppress hunger or boost energy levels when eating nutritious food will fix both of these situations,” Ali Patterson, accredited practising dietitian and advanced sports dietitian, told Coach.

3. White bread (and some brown breads)

We know white bread is higher in processed carbohydrates and sugar, and lower in nutritional value than other breads. But it turns out not all brown breads are created equal, and some are still high GI and don’t offer much more benefit than white.

4. Turkish bread

Susie Burrell, author and founder of the Shape Me program, says Turkish bread should only be consumed rarely, if ever. “One piece of Turkish bread is the equivalent of three to four regular slices of bread,” Burrell told Coach. “It normally comes in a large serving size, has holes readily filled with butter or margarine, and large amounts of white flour giving it its high GI and carb load.”

5. ‘Health’ products with high amounts of added sugar

“So many ‘natural’ products that are marketed as healthy are absolutely loaded with added sugars,” Landau said. “If the first or second ingredient is derived from dates, date paste, honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar, coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, or anything that is predominantly sugar, choose something else or only consume a very small portion.”

6. Dried fruit

Dried fruits like apricots or dates should only be eaten in small serves, Burrell explained. “Dried fruit are a concentrated source of sugars — an average box of sultanas contains as much carbohydrate or sugar as two pieces of regular fruit.” One banana and just six dried apricots are both around 400 kilojoules, but the banana is the better choice as it offers more fibre, and is more filling.

7. Soy sauce

Soy sauce makes Asian dishes and many other meals taste delicious, But Burrell warns it should be used sparingly due to the high sodium content. “It’s packed full of salt,” Burrell warned. Don’t have soy sauce every day, and measure how much you’re adding to meals.

8. Cheese

In devastating news for cheese lovers, McGuckin says Australians tend to consume far bigger portions of it in one sitting than is healthy. But you can still have your beloved brie, cheddar, blue or gouda… just not too much. “Many people don’t realise that a serving of cheese is only 40g – about the size of a regular matchbox," she said. “Most hard cheeses are extremely energy (calorie/kilojoule) dense and high in fat, particularly saturated fat as they are an animal-based product, so those watching their weight/cholesterol levels should stick to the recommended serving sizes.” (9Honey)