EAT WELL GUIDE Flashcards
What are the 5 sections of the Eatwell guide?
The Eatwell Guide divides the foods and drinks we consume into 5 main groups:
fruit and vegetables.
potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates.
beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins.
dairy and alternatives.
oils and spreads.
Why eat fruit and vegetables ?
Fruit and vegetables
You should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. They contain important vitamins and minerals that help prevent disease as well as fibre which can lower cholesterol, keep the bowel healthy and help digestion.
Fruit and vegetables are low in fat, so they’re great for bulking out meals and making you feel full without adding too many calories.
It’s easy to get your five a day if you spread your portions through the day. Try:
adding chopped bananas to your cereal or toast at breakfast
enjoying a piece of fruit as a mid-morning snack
including a bowl of salad or vegetable soup with your lunch
snacking on a bowl of raw carrots, peppers and cucumbers mid-afternoon
adding a portion of veg to your evening meal.
What counts as a portion of fruit and ve
Why starchy foods ?
Starchy food
Starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice and pasta should make up around a third of what you eat. They’re a good source of energy and essential fibre, calcium, iron and vitamins.
Gram for gram, starchy foods contain less than half the calories of fat. Try not to add extra fat to starchy food by adding butter, oil, spreads, cheese or jam – that’s just adding more calories. know
It’s a good idea to base each meal around starchy foods. Try:
starting your day with a wholegrain breakfast cereal
having a sandwich made with wholemeal bread for lunch
including potatoes, pasta or rice with your evening meal.
Why dairy and alternatives ?
Dairy
Dairy and dairy alternatives are good sources of protein and vitamins. They also contain calcium, which helps keep our bones healthy and strong. Semi-skimmed, skimmed, and 1% fat milk all contain less fat than full-fat milk, but still give you protein, vitamins and calcium.
Dairy-free milk alternatives include soya milk and nut milks – if you chose dairy-free milk then go for unsweetened varieties which have been fortified with calcium.
Some dairy products like cheese and yoghurts can be high in salt, sugar or fat (especially saturated fat), so always check the label.
Why Protein and Pulses ?
Protein
Pulses
Pulses are things like beans, peas and lentils. They’re a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals and are naturally very low in fat. They count towards your five a day but only as one portion, no matter how much you eat.
Pulses are great for bulking out things like soups, casseroles and meat sauces. They add extra flavour and texture and mean you can use less meat. This reduces the amount of fat you’re eating and also means your money will go further too, as pulses are usually cheaper than meat.
Other vegetable protein
Other vegetable-based sources of protein include tofu, bean curd and mycoprotein and Quorn. They are full of protein, low in fat and can be used in place of meat in most recipes.
Why Fish ?
Fish
Fish is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, aswell as omega-3 fatty acids; these essential nutrients keep our heart and brain healthy. It is also important for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, because it can help a baby’s nervous system to develop. Aim to eat at least two portions of fish every week, one of which should be oil-rich (one portion is around 140g). Choose from fresh, frozen or tinned fish.
Good to know
It’s best to steam, bake or grill fish. Fried fish, especially battered fish, has more fat.
Why Eggs ?
Eggs
Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. They’re a good choice as part of a healthy balanced diet and there’s no recommended limit on the number of eggs you can eat in a week. Eggs are great for making healthy, quick dishes. Try to avoid adding too much fat to eggs when cooking – poaching, scrambling or boiling is best. If you do fry eggs, don’t add too much oil to the pan and choose healthier unsaturated oils like vegetable, rapeseed or olive oil. Our food safety pages have more information about cooking eggs.
Quiches and flans contain eggs but can be high in fat and salt so eat them less often.
Why Meat ?
Meat
Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. It’s one of the main sources of vitamin B12, an important vitamin which is only found in food from animals like meat and milk. It’s important to know how to cook and handle meat safely.
Red and processed meat
Red meat includes beef, lamb, venison and pork, all of which can form part of a healthy diet. Processed meat is meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives. Processed meat includes things like sausages, bacon, burgers, ham, salami, other cured meats and pâté.
Eating too much red and processed meat can increase the risk of bowel cancer. Aim to eat no more than 70g of red and processed meat a day – that’s around two slices of roast meat or two sausages. Try to cut back if you eat more than 90g (around 3 slices of roast meat) of red and processed meat a day.
Some types of meat are higher in fat, especially saturated fat. Eating lots of saturated fat can increase blood cholesterol levels which increases the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Always try to choose lean cuts of meat with less visible white fat.
Tips to help you cut the amount of fat in meat dishes:
Swap some of the meat for beans, peas and lentils – this will help your meal go further
Grill meat rather than frying it
If you’re roasting meat, place it on a metal rack above the roasting tin so the fat can run out
Choose lean cuts and leaner mince - check the label or ask your butcher.
Cut off excess fat before or after cooking
Add as little fat as possible before or during cooking
Substitute some of the meat in your recipe for vegetable sources of protein.
Why Fat ?
Fat
Oils and spreads
Some fat in our diet is essential but most of us eat too much. Plant-based oils like vegetable, rapeseed and olive oil are rich in unsaturated fat, so they can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Lower fat unsaturated spreads are a good alternative to butter.
Good to know
Some fats are healthier than others but all fats have a lot of calories – limit them in your diet to help stay at a healthy weight.
Hydration
The body constantly loses fluid through breathing, sweating or going to the toilet and therefore this needs to be replaced. Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of fluid each day to help keep the body hydrated.
Water, lower fat milk and sugar free drinks, including tea and coffee all count. Choose sugar free options instead of sugary drinks.
Limit consumption of fruit juices and smoothies to no more than a combined total of 150ml per day, because they are high in sugar.
Alcohol contains lots of calories, however the amount of calories an alcoholic drink contains depends on the type of alcohol, the amount served and what mixers are added. As an example, 1 pint of lager or a 175ml glass of wine contains around 135 calories while a 25ml shot of spirit contains around 56 calories.
To minimise the health risks associated with drinking alcohol, consumption should be limited to no more than 14 units per week for men and women. One unit is the same as one small single measure of spirits, while a 175ml glass of wine or a pint of standard strength lager or cider contains 2 units.
Dehydration
We get dehydrated when we don’t drink enough fluid. One of the first signs of dehydration is feeling thirsty but you may notice other signs:
darker urine than usual or not passing much urine when you go to the toilet
headaches
feeling confused or irritable, or finding it hard to concentrate.
Why Minerals
What are minerals in food?
We need minerals to help us do three main things:
build strong teeth and bones
control body fluids inside and outside cells
turn the food we eat into energy.
Which foods contain minerals?
Minerals are found in foods like cereals, bread, meat, fish, milk, dairy, nuts, fruit (especially dried fruit) and vegetables.
We need more of some minerals than others. For example, we need more calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride than we do iron, zinc, iodine, selenium and copper.
Vitamin A has a number of important functions.
helps maintain the health of skin and mucus linings (in the nose for example)
helps strengthen immunity from infections
helps vision in dim light.
Vitamin D
It’s important that people get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D has a number of important functions and is needed to support bone and muscle health.
