Important nutrients for men

Your body needs a wide range of nutrients and nutrition needs for men can vary slightly depending on your life stage, but there are 4 main nutrients to focus on that are important at every age! 

1. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are important as they provide much-needed energy for our hardworking brain and body,    They’re measured on a scale based on how the energy they provide is released - aka the Glycaemic Index (GI). Low GI carbohydrates are digested and released slowly, which provides us with sustained energy. 

Some low GI carbohydrates to try to include in your diet include legumes (think lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans), wholegrain bread and cereals, and sweet potato. More on this later!

2. Healthy fats

Fats play an important role in our body including helping to absorb fat-soluble nutrients  (Vitamins A, D, E & K), helping to make hormones, brain health and our cholesterol levels. Dietary fat is definitely not the enemy but not all fats are the same.

Saturated and trans fats are the fats we want to try to reduce in our diet. Saturated and trans fats are high in processed meats, pastries (pies), butter, coconut oil, palm oil and untrimmed meats. These types of fats may increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. 

You can try swapping them with healthy unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats are often called ‘good’ fats because they can help to lower your cholesterol. 

Some sources of these include oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines etc.) avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds. There is a lot of research that is ongoing into the benefits of omega 3 polyunsaturated fats (found in oily fish) that has found they may contribute to reduced blood pressure and reduced inflammation.

3. Protein 

Protein is essential for building and repairing muscles and the cells of your body. Protein is found in a wide variety of foods and you can get your daily protein requirements simply by following the Australian Dietary Guidelines. So, do you need those extra protein shakes?

This all depends on your protein requirements, which are based on your body weight where around 0.75-1g of protein is needed per kilogram (depending on age, composition goals/athletes, health status and gender). For example, for a male who weighs 80kg this works out to be 60-80g of protein a day. 

This can be easily achieved through a balanced diet including the recommended serves from each food group. Aiming to have a portion of protein in each meal and snack will help you meet your protein needs. 

This could look like:

• Greek yoghurt with wholegrain cereal, berries and milk for breakfast
• A chicken, cheese and salad sandwich for lunch
• Tuna, brown rice and lots of veggies for dinner
• With snacks ranging from boiled eggs, raw nuts, beans, yoghurt or a milky smoothie

4. Fibre

Fibre is found in plant foods ranging from fruits and vegetables to grains and cereals. It’s important for us to get enough fibre to help support proper functioning of our digestive system.

Men need 30g of fibre each day. So what does this look like?

• 2 slices of wholemeal bread with grains and seeds (6g) 
• 50g of granola with nuts and seeds (3.8g) 
• 100g of baked beans (4.8g) 
• 100g of raw leafy green vegetables (2g)  
• 100g of mixed frozen vegetables (carrot, corn and peas) (5.9g) 
• 100g of cooked brown rice (1.7g)
• 1 pink lady apple (4.9g) 
• 50g of fresh raspberries (2.8g) 

Note: If you are currently not getting enough fibre, that’s ok! But don’t go from 0-100... build it up slowly to avoid stomach upset.

Simple meal combinations to try

Take a look at our easy ways to get in quality carbs, healthy fats, protein and fibre at each meal.

Breakfast: baked beans on toast

• Carbs/fibre: wholegrain toast
• Fats: avocado
• Protein/fibre: baked beans
• Colour: spinach

Lunch: chicken and salad wrap

• Carbs: wholemeal wrap
• Protein/fats: chicken breast cooked in extra virgin olive oil
• Fibre & colour: salad mix, tomatoes, carrot, capsicum

Snack: yoghurt bowl

• Carbs: granola
• Fats: pumpkin seeds
• Protein: greek Yoghurt
• Fibre: berries 

Dinner: spaghetti bolognese

• Carbs: pasta
• Protein/fats: lean mince beef (heart smart) cooked in extra virgin olive oil 
• Fibre & colour: carrot, tomato, spinach, zucchini, onion

Looking to improve your health? Our free Ways To Eat For Men's Health program helps you build balanced eating and lifestyle habits and outlines the important health checks to put on your radar. Sign up today!

Related reads:

• Building (holistic) healthy habits for men
• Australian men’s health facts: how healthy are Aussie men – really?

Content prepared by Nutrition Australia for healthylife.

Reviewed by the healthylife health experts, September 2022.