Healthy Diet
Learning objectives:
Understand the need for a healthy diet
Identify the food on the eatwell plate
The eatwell plate highlights the different types of food
that make up our diet, and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have
a well balanced and healthy diet.
It's a good idea to try to get this balance right every day, but you don't need to do it at every meal. And you might find it easier to get the balance right over a longer period, say a week. Try to choose options that are lower in salt when you can.
Eating healthily is about eating the right amount of food for your energy needs. In England, most adults are either overweight or obese. This means many of us are eating more than we need, and should eat and drink fewer calories in order to lose weight.
Based on the eatwell plate, try to eat:
Plenty of fruit and vegetables
Did you know that we should be eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day?
It's a good idea to try to get this balance right every day, but you don't need to do it at every meal. And you might find it easier to get the balance right over a longer period, say a week. Try to choose options that are lower in salt when you can.
Eating healthily is about eating the right amount of food for your energy needs. In England, most adults are either overweight or obese. This means many of us are eating more than we need, and should eat and drink fewer calories in order to lose weight.
Based on the eatwell plate, try to eat:
Plenty of fruit and vegetables
Did you know that we should be eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day?
Plenty of potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods
Choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can, or eat potatoes with their skins on for more fibre.
Choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can, or eat potatoes with their skins on for more fibre.
Recipe for Sticky Chicken noodle
1chicken breast
Tablespoon soya sauce
1onion
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 red or greed pepper
150 g broccoli
2 tablespoon honey
150g noodles of choice.
Tablespoon oil.
5 a Day
Fruit and vegetables are part of a balanced diet and can help us stay healthy. That's why it's so important that we get enough of them.
The 5 A DAY message highlights the health benefits of getting five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day. That's five portions of fruit and veg in total, not five portions of each.
5 A DAY is based on advice from the World Health Organization, which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Five reasons to eat five portions of fruit and veg
1) Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium.
2) They're an excellent source of dietary fibre, which helps maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems. A diet high in fibre can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
3) They can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
4) Fruit and vegetables contribute to a healthy and balanced diet.
5) Fruit and vegetables taste delicious and there's so much variety to choose from.
Fruit and vegetables are also usually low in fat and calories (provided you don't fry them or roast them in lots of oil). That's why eating them can help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your heart healthy.
To get the most benefit out of your 5 A DAY, your five portions should include a variety of fruit and vegetables. This is because different fruits and vegetables contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or pure juices. Potatoes and cassava don't count because they mainly contribute starch to the diet.
What counts towards 5 A DAY?
As well as fresh fruit and vegetables, the following all also count towards your 5 A DAY.
Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes.
Beans and pulses. These only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat. That's because although they are a good source of fibre, they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.
Frozen and canned fruit and veg
Frozen fruit and vegetables.
Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables. Buy the ones tinned in natural juice or water with no added sugar or salt.
Dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs.
Fruit and veg in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings. Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts. You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label. For more information, see Food labels.
Drinks and 5 A DAY
One glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, even if you have more than one glass. This is mainly because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables. Crushing fruit into juice also releases the sugars contained in the fruit, which can cause damage to teeth.
A smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how it’s made.
Do potatoes count towards 5 A DAY?
No. Potatoes are a starchy food and a great source of energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium.
In the UK we get a lot of our vitamin C from potatoes. Although they only contain between 11-16mg of vitamin C per 100g of potatoes, we generally eat a lot of them.
When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, pasta or rice. Because of this, they don't count towards your 5 A DAY.
Other vegetables that don't count towards your 5 A DAY are yams, cassava and plantain. They are also usually eaten as starchy foods.
Sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count towards your 5 A DAY, because they are usually eaten in addition to the starchy food part of the meal.
Potatoes play an important role in your diet, particularly if they aren't cooked with salt or fat, even if they don't count towards your 5 A DAY.
They're also a good source of fibre, so leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. For example, if you're having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, make sure you eat the skin too!
Q1 Why do we need a balanced diet?
Q2 What is the Eatwell Plate?
Q3 What are the are the 2 main food groups that should take up the majority of what we eat?
Q4 Why do we need a small amount of milk and dairy products?
Q6 How much fruit and vegetables should we eat a day?
Q7 What is the advantage of eating '5 a day'
Q8 Why should you eat a variety of fruit and vegetables?
Q8 Apart from fruit and vegetables, what else can count for one of your 5 a day?
Q9 Explain if a potato is or is not one of your 5 a day.
Q10 What forms can your fruit or vegetable take as part of your 5 a day.
The 5 A DAY message highlights the health benefits of getting five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables every day. That's five portions of fruit and veg in total, not five portions of each.
5 A DAY is based on advice from the World Health Organization, which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Five reasons to eat five portions of fruit and veg
1) Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium.
2) They're an excellent source of dietary fibre, which helps maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems. A diet high in fibre can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
3) They can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
4) Fruit and vegetables contribute to a healthy and balanced diet.
5) Fruit and vegetables taste delicious and there's so much variety to choose from.
Fruit and vegetables are also usually low in fat and calories (provided you don't fry them or roast them in lots of oil). That's why eating them can help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your heart healthy.
To get the most benefit out of your 5 A DAY, your five portions should include a variety of fruit and vegetables. This is because different fruits and vegetables contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 A DAY. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or pure juices. Potatoes and cassava don't count because they mainly contribute starch to the diet.
What counts towards 5 A DAY?
As well as fresh fruit and vegetables, the following all also count towards your 5 A DAY.
Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes.
Beans and pulses. These only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat. That's because although they are a good source of fibre, they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.
Frozen and canned fruit and veg
Frozen fruit and vegetables.
Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables. Buy the ones tinned in natural juice or water with no added sugar or salt.
Dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs.
Fruit and veg in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings. Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts. You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label. For more information, see Food labels.
Drinks and 5 A DAY
One glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, even if you have more than one glass. This is mainly because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables. Crushing fruit into juice also releases the sugars contained in the fruit, which can cause damage to teeth.
A smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how it’s made.
Do potatoes count towards 5 A DAY?
No. Potatoes are a starchy food and a great source of energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium.
In the UK we get a lot of our vitamin C from potatoes. Although they only contain between 11-16mg of vitamin C per 100g of potatoes, we generally eat a lot of them.
When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, pasta or rice. Because of this, they don't count towards your 5 A DAY.
Other vegetables that don't count towards your 5 A DAY are yams, cassava and plantain. They are also usually eaten as starchy foods.
Sweet potatoes, parsnips, swedes and turnips do count towards your 5 A DAY, because they are usually eaten in addition to the starchy food part of the meal.
Potatoes play an important role in your diet, particularly if they aren't cooked with salt or fat, even if they don't count towards your 5 A DAY.
They're also a good source of fibre, so leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. For example, if you're having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, make sure you eat the skin too!
Q1 Why do we need a balanced diet?
Q2 What is the Eatwell Plate?
Q3 What are the are the 2 main food groups that should take up the majority of what we eat?
Q4 Why do we need a small amount of milk and dairy products?
Q6 How much fruit and vegetables should we eat a day?
Q7 What is the advantage of eating '5 a day'
Q8 Why should you eat a variety of fruit and vegetables?
Q8 Apart from fruit and vegetables, what else can count for one of your 5 a day?
Q9 Explain if a potato is or is not one of your 5 a day.
Q10 What forms can your fruit or vegetable take as part of your 5 a day.
Starchy Food
Starchy foods are our main source of carbohydrate, and play an important role in a healthy diet.
Starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, cereals, rice and pasta should make up about a third of the food you eat. Where you can, choose wholegrain varieties, or eat potatoes with their skins on for more fibre.
Starch is the most common form of carbohydrate in our diet. We should eat some starchy foods every day as part of a healthy balanced diet. They are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.
As well as starch, they contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.
Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram they contain fewer than half the calories of fat. Just watch out for the added fats used when you cook and serve them, this is what increases the calorie content.
Starchy foods and fibre
Wholegrain varieties of starchy foods, and potatoes – particularly when eaten with their skins on – are good sources of fibre. Fibre can help to keep our bowels healthy and can help us to feel full, which means we are less likely to eat too much. This makes wholegrain starchy foods and potatoes eaten with their skins a particularly good choice if you are trying to lose weight.
Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. There are two types of fibre:
Starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, cereals, rice and pasta should make up about a third of the food you eat. Where you can, choose wholegrain varieties, or eat potatoes with their skins on for more fibre.
Starch is the most common form of carbohydrate in our diet. We should eat some starchy foods every day as part of a healthy balanced diet. They are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.
As well as starch, they contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.
Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram they contain fewer than half the calories of fat. Just watch out for the added fats used when you cook and serve them, this is what increases the calorie content.
Starchy foods and fibre
Wholegrain varieties of starchy foods, and potatoes – particularly when eaten with their skins on – are good sources of fibre. Fibre can help to keep our bowels healthy and can help us to feel full, which means we are less likely to eat too much. This makes wholegrain starchy foods and potatoes eaten with their skins a particularly good choice if you are trying to lose weight.
Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. There are two types of fibre:
- Insoluble fibre. The body can’t digest this type of fibre, so it passes through the gut, helping other food and waste products move through the gut more easily. Wholegrain bread and breakfast cereals, brown rice, and wholewheat pasta are good sources of this kind of fibre.
- Soluble fibre. This type of fibre can be partly digested and may help reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Oats and pulses are good sources.
Recipe for Cheese Potato and Bacon Bake
3 Large Potatoes
25g Butter
100g Grated Cheese
100g Bacon cut into small pieces
1 Onion
Oven-Proof Dish
3 Large Potatoes
25g Butter
100g Grated Cheese
100g Bacon cut into small pieces
1 Onion
Oven-Proof Dish
Protein in the diet (meat, fish, eggs, beans)
These are important sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, and form part of a healthy balanced diet.
Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals in your diet. However, the Department of Health has advised that people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day cut down to 70g. Making healthy choices can help you eat meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet. But some meats are high in saturated fat, which can raise blood cholesterol levels.
If you eat a lot of red and processed meat, it is recommended that you cut down as there is likely to be a link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer.
Fish
A healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish. That's because fish and shellfish are good sources of many vitamins. Oily fish – such as salmon and fresh tuna – is also particularly high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which may help to keep your heart healthy.
Eggs
Eggs are a good source of protein, but it's important to store, handle and prepare them properly.and are a good choice as part of a healthy, balanced diet. As well as being a source of protein, they also contain vitamins and minerals. They can be part of a healthy meal that's quick and easy to make. However, to avoid any risk of food poisoning, it's important to store, handle and cook eggs properly. This advice especially applies to people in vulnerable groups, including the very young, the unwell, pregnant women and elderly people.
Eggs and your diet
Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B2 and iodine
Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals in your diet. However, the Department of Health has advised that people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day cut down to 70g. Making healthy choices can help you eat meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet. But some meats are high in saturated fat, which can raise blood cholesterol levels.
If you eat a lot of red and processed meat, it is recommended that you cut down as there is likely to be a link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer.
Fish
A healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish. That's because fish and shellfish are good sources of many vitamins. Oily fish – such as salmon and fresh tuna – is also particularly high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which may help to keep your heart healthy.
Eggs
Eggs are a good source of protein, but it's important to store, handle and prepare them properly.and are a good choice as part of a healthy, balanced diet. As well as being a source of protein, they also contain vitamins and minerals. They can be part of a healthy meal that's quick and easy to make. However, to avoid any risk of food poisoning, it's important to store, handle and cook eggs properly. This advice especially applies to people in vulnerable groups, including the very young, the unwell, pregnant women and elderly people.
Eggs and your diet
Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B2 and iodine
Ingredients for Healthy Burger
Small Pack of Minced Beef
1 Medium Onion
50g Bread
1 Egg
Oven-Proof Dish
Small Pack of Minced Beef
1 Medium Onion
50g Bread
1 Egg
Oven-Proof Dish
Cultural Foods
Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Curry
2 Small Chicken Fillets
1 Medium Onion
Small Stem Ginger
2 Cloves (not Bulbs!) of Garlic
150g Tin Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Curry Powder
(School will provide turmeric, chilli powder, masala)
2 Small Chicken Fillets
1 Medium Onion
Small Stem Ginger
2 Cloves (not Bulbs!) of Garlic
150g Tin Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Curry Powder
(School will provide turmeric, chilli powder, masala)
5 a Day Vegetarian Foods
Ingredients for Crunch Carrot Pitta
6 Medium Carrots
A Bunch of Fresh Coriander
2 Tablespoons of Sesame Seed
1 Tablespoon of Poppy Seeds
6 Wholemeal Pittas
1 Orange
2 Lemons
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Medium Carrots
A Bunch of Fresh Coriander
2 Tablespoons of Sesame Seed
1 Tablespoon of Poppy Seeds
6 Wholemeal Pittas
1 Orange
2 Lemons
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 a Day Protein Courses
Ingredients for Quick Bake Macaroni Cheese
400g Macaroni Pasta
150g Soft Processed Cheese
150ml Whipping Cream
1 Spring Onion
4 Slices of Ham - Finely Sliced
1 Handful of Chopped Breadcrumbs
Oven-Proof Dish
400g Macaroni Pasta
150g Soft Processed Cheese
150ml Whipping Cream
1 Spring Onion
4 Slices of Ham - Finely Sliced
1 Handful of Chopped Breadcrumbs
Oven-Proof Dish