Men's Nutrition: A Practical Guide for Australian Men

Most Australian men need 5 to 6 serves of vegetables, 2 serves of fruit, around 6 serves of mostly wholegrain foods, 2.5 to 3 serves of lean protein foods and 2.5 serves of dairy every day, according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines (Better Health Channel). Very few get there. About 9 in 10 Australians fall short on vegetables alone (Healthy Male). This guide covers the daily targets, the nutrients men most often miss, and how to hit both without weighing every meal.

What should men eat each day?

The Australian Dietary Guidelines set out daily serves for adult men (Better Health Channel):

• Vegetables: 5 to 6 serves. One serve is 75 grams, about half a cup of cooked vegetables or a cup of salad.
• Fruit: 2 serves. One serve is 150 grams, roughly a medium apple or banana.
• Grain foods: around 6 serves for most adult men, dropping to 4.5 serves past 70. Choose wholegrain where you can.
• Lean meats and alternatives: 2.5 to 3 serves. Fish, eggs, legumes and tofu all count.
• Dairy and alternatives: about 2.5 serves, rising to 3.5 for older men.

The average adult needs about 8,700 kilojoules a day, though your build and activity level move that figure (Better Health Channel).

You do not need to weigh anything to follow this. Fill half your dinner plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein and a quarter with wholegrains and you are most of the way there.

How much protein do men need?

Around 0.84 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (Better Health Channel). For an 80 kilogram man that works out near 67 grams, which is two or three palm-sized portions of meat, fish, eggs or legumes across the day.

Most Australian men already eat this much or more. Protein above your needs is not converted into extra muscle. If a large share of yours comes from red meat, keep it under 500 grams a week in line with World Health Organization advice, and trim the visible fat (Dietitian Approved).

Fibre is the target most men miss

Men need about 30 grams of fibre a day (Healthylife). Wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds carry most of it. Higher wholegrain intake is linked with lower rates of heart disease, bowel cancer and type 2 diabetes (Healthy Male).

A practical day might be wholegrain toast at breakfast, an apple and a handful of nuts between meals, and half a cup of legumes with dinner. If your current intake is low, build up over a couple of weeks and drink more water as you go.

Which nutrients do men commonly fall short on?

Magnesium

Australian men consume on average only about 80 per cent of the recommended magnesium intake (Better Health Channel). It matters for muscle and nerve function. Nuts, leafy greens and wholegrains are the easiest ways to close the gap.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, and long-term low levels reduce bone density and can cause muscle weakness and fatigue (Healthdirect). Sunlight is the main source in Australia and food alone rarely covers it. Ask your GP for a blood test before reaching for supplements.

Zinc

Zinc status and testosterone appear connected. In one clinical study, healthy young men on a zinc-restricted diet for 20 weeks showed a marked fall in testosterone, and levels rose in older men once a mild deficiency was corrected (Prasad et al., 1996). That does not mean zinc supplements lift testosterone in men who are not deficient. Oysters, red meat and pumpkin seeds are strong food sources.

Omega-3 fats

These are found mainly in oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel. Eating fish twice a week covers a protein serve and these fats at the same time, and oily fish is also one of the few useful food sources of vitamin D.

How do nutrition needs change with age?

Through your 20s to 40s, energy needs are at their peak and the standard serves apply. From your 50s, energy needs start to fall while nutrient needs do not, so there is less room in the day for beer, chips and dessert.

Past 70, the guidelines shift again: fewer grain serves and more dairy serves for bone health (Better Health Channel). Appetite often drops with age, which makes every meal count.

A sample day on a plate

• Breakfast: rolled oats with milk, a sliced banana and a spoonful of peanut butter.
• Lunch: wholegrain wrap with tinned tuna, cheese and salad.
• Snacks: Greek yoghurt, a piece of fruit, a boiled egg or a small handful of nuts.
• Dinner: a palm-sized piece of lean meat or fish, half a plate of vegetables, a cup of cooked rice, pasta or potato.

Swap ingredients freely. The pattern is what counts: vegetables at two meals, protein at each, wholegrain over white, water as the default drink.

How much should you drink?

Men need about 2.6 litres of fluids a day, roughly 10 cups (Healthdirect). You need more in hot weather, during exercise and if you work outdoors, and food contributes part of your intake. Tea and coffee count towards the total, but water should do most of the work.

For alcohol, the national guideline is no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day (Alcohol and Drug Foundation). Alcohol is also a significant source of kilojoules, which is easy to forget when you are watching your weight.

Do you need supplements?

Food first. A supplement is useful when it corrects a genuine gap, and a blood test through your GP is how you find out whether you have one.

• Vitamin D, if testing shows you are low, particularly for indoor workers and during winter.
• Zinc, only where a deficiency has been identified.
• Protein powder, as a convenience when whole foods cannot cover your needs rather than a requirement.
• A basic multivitamin can act as a backstop when your diet is inconsistent, but it supplies no fibre and cannot replace the overall pattern.

Skip high-dose or unregulated products, especially anything promising hormonal effects. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting anything new, particularly if you take regular medication.

Where diet fits with weight, energy and hormones

Poor diet is one of the biggest contributors to early death in Australia (Healthy Male). It also feeds the problems men tend to put off dealing with, like gradual weight gain and flat energy.

Nutrition is one lever. If your weight has crept up and diet changes alone have not shifted it, a medical review can identify what else is going on. Menova's doctors assess each patient individually through an online consultation, and medical weight management is recommended only where it is clinically appropriate. A short online assessment is the first step, and not everyone will be suitable. Keep your regular GP informed either way.

For related reading, see our guides on natural ways to support testosterone, lifting daily energy and losing weight without exercise.

Frequently asked questions

Do men need a different diet from women?

The food groups are the same, but most men need more serves of them because of higher average body mass and energy use. Australian men commonly fall short on vegetables, fibre and magnesium, so those three targets deserve attention first, ahead of any thought about supplements.

How much protein should a man eat a day?

About 0.84 grams per kilogram of body weight, so roughly 67 grams for an 80 kilogram man. Most Australian men already reach this through normal meals. Protein above your needs is not stored as muscle, so bigger serves of meat are not better serves.

What is the best diet for men over 40?

There is no single best diet. The pattern with the strongest evidence is plenty of vegetables and wholegrains, lean protein at each meal, oily fish weekly, limited processed food and alcohol within national guidelines. Energy needs fall from your 50s, so portion size matters more than it did at 25.

Can I just take a multivitamin instead?

No. A multivitamin can partly cover an inconsistent diet, but it contains no fibre, no protein and none of the other compounds that come with whole vegetables, fruit and grains. Treat it as a backstop while you fix the diet itself, and ask your GP before starting one.

Which foods increase testosterone?

No individual food reliably raises testosterone. Correcting a genuine zinc or vitamin D deficiency may help, since both are linked to testosterone levels, but supplementing without a deficiency shows little benefit. Overall diet, weight and sleep have a bigger effect. If you suspect low testosterone, ask a doctor about testing.

How much water should a man drink daily?

Around 2.6 litres of fluids a day, or about 10 cups, according to Healthdirect. Needs rise with exercise, heat and outdoor work, and food provides part of your intake. Water is the best default, since sugary drinks add kilojoules without filling you up.

References

• Better Health Channel, Victorian Department of Health. Men's nutrition needs. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Mens-nutrition-needs
• Healthy Male. How to eat for better health. https://healthymale.org.au/health-article/mens-health-nutrition
• Healthylife. Important nutrients for men. https://www.healthylife.com.au/learn/important-nutrients-for-men
• Dietitian Approved. Healthy eating for men. https://www.dietitianapproved.com/blog/healthy-eating-for-men
• Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Alcohol guidelines Australia. https://adf.org.au/reducing-risk/alcohol/alcohol-guidelines/
• Healthdirect. Vitamin D deficiency. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/vitamin-d-deficiency
• Healthdirect. Drinking water and your health. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/drinking-water-and-your-health
• Prasad AS, Mantzoros CS, Beck FW, Hess JW, Brewer GJ. Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults. Nutrition, 1996. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8875519/