A comparison of dietary quality and nutritional adequacy of popular energy-restricted diets against the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the Mediterranean Diet

There is limited information regarding the nutrition profile and diet quality of meal plans from currently popular weight loss (WL) diets in Australia. This includes the energy content (kilojoules), the macronutrient distribution and the micronutrient composition. Further, these diets have not been compared with current government guidelines and healthy eating principles (HEP) for nutritional adequacy. Popular diets were identified through grey literature, trending searches and relative popularity in Australia. Meal plans for each diet were analysed using Foodworks Dietary Software to determine food group intake, micronutrient and macronutrient distribution. The results indicated that all popular diets assessed deviated from government recommended HEP such as the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the Mediterranean diet. In most cases, both popular diets and the HEP had low intakes of multiple food groups, low intakes of essential micronutrients and a distorted macronutrient distribution. Popular diets may not provide adequate nutrition to meet needs, particularly in the long term and potentially resulting in micronutrient deficiency. When energy restricting for WL, meal plans should be highly individualised in conjunction with a qualified nutrition professional to ensure adequate dietary intake.