Healthy Eating

By the end of the session learners will be able to: 1.Define healthy and unhealthy foods 2.State the calories in a meal 3.Identify all food groups and their location on the food pyramid 4.Explain why certain foods should be avoided 5.List the key rules for a healthy diet 6.Create a healthy menu for a day years

Calories A calorie is a unit of energy. Calories are essential for human health People need different amounts of energy per day depending on their age, size and activity levels "Empty calories" are foods that are high in energy but low in nutritional value

Calories and weight Calories in Calories out Calories in Calories out Calories in Calories out Weight maintained Isocaloric balance Energy in = Energy out Weight loss Negative caloric balance Energy in < Energy out Weight gain Positive caloric balance Energy in > Energy out

Nutrition Food provides nutrients to help the body work properly. No single food contains them in the amounts needed, so a mixture of foods has to be eaten.

Balanced diet These food groups that make up a balanced diet are: Bread, cereals and potatoes Fruit and vegetables Milk and dairy Meat, fish and alternatives Fat and sugar

Fats To stay healthy we need some fat in our diets. There are two main types of fat: Saturated fat Unsaturated fat A high level of fat is more than 20g fat per 100g and a low level is 3g fat or less per 100g.

Saturated fat Having too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the chance of developing heart disease. Try to eat these sorts of foods less often or in small amounts: meat pies, sausages, meat with visible white fat hard cheese butter and lard pastry cakes and biscuits cream, soured cream and crème fraîche coconut oil, coconut cream or palm oil

Unsaturated fat Try to eat foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead. Such foods are: Vegetable oils (including sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil) Oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds

Sugar Having sugary foods and drinks too often can cause tooth decay, especially if you have them between meals. Many foods that contain added sugar can also be high in calories so cutting down could help you control your weight. We should all be trying to eat fewer foods containing added sugar, such as sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drinking fewer sugary soft and fizzy drinks.

Salt Try to eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure.

Alcohol Alcohol is also high in calories, so cutting down could help you control your weight. For good health, it's a good idea to spread your drinking throughout the week and avoid binge drinking. Drinking heavily over a long period of time can damage the liver.

Food pyramid

Vegetarian food pyramid

Healthy eating tips 1.Base your meals on starchy foods and whole grains 2.Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day 3.Eat more fish 4.Cut down on saturated fat and sugar 5.Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day 6.Drink plenty of water 7.Don't skip breakfast

Healthy Eating