The Dietary Guidelines for Australians are currently being updated. They will now incorporate the latest research which shows that eating more than100-120g/d red meat is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

To meet your requirements for iron and zinc but minimize cancer risk the new advice is for Australian adults to not have more than 455g lean red meat per week which is the same as saying 1 serve of just 65grams per day. You can read the draft Dietary Guidelines at http://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/open_public_consultations/dietary-guidelines.

You can meet your iron and protein requirements not eating red meat at all, just as vegetarians do. You need to include legumes as part of your daily eating pattern though. These include lentils, red kidney beans, chickpeas and soy beans.

If you’re not eating red meat, chicken or fish, you do need to be consuming legumes regularly in order to meet your nutrient needs.

Are you Australia's healthiest eater? Try the Healthy Eating Quiz developed by the School of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Health at the University of Newcastle.

Dr Clare Collins is a Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle and consultant for The Biggest Loser