1 EAT GOOD, FEEL GOOD

HEALTHY EATING

WARM UP
  • Do you think you eat...?
    ☐ A balanced diet, with enough fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, and fibre
    ☐ Too much sugar / fat / salt / junk food / ...
    ☐ Other...

- How could you improve your diet?

  • By eating less …
    (junk food/sweets/fatty foods/fried foods/highly processed foods/meat/etc.)
  • By eating more …
    (real food/fish/veggies/fruits/nuts and seeds/etc.)
  • I wouldn’t change a thing!
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A healthy balanced diet

A healthy balanced diet1 means eating the right amount of a wide variety of foods and the right amount of energy to keep you healthy and maintain a healthy body weight. It also includes water, minerals, vitamins, and fibre.

Food properties

A diet based on starchy foods with plenty of fruit and vegetables, some protein-rich foods, some milk and dairy foods, and not too much fat, salt or sugar, will give you all the nutrients you need. Starchy foods such as bread, cereals, potatoes, and pasta are a good source of energy.

Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals.
Meat, fish, eggs, pulses, nuts, and seeds are all good sources of protein, which is essential for growth and repair of the body. They are also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals.
Milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps to keep healthy bones.

Fats and sugar are both sources of energy for the body. Saturated fat1 can raise blood cholesterol level and increase the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, can help to lower cholesterol and provide us with the essential fatty acids needed to help us stay healthy.

DO

1 Do you know which is the most recent graphic representation of a healthy diet: the Food Pyramid or MyPlate? What are the major differences? Use the Net to get information.

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1 Unsaturated fats contain a lot of double bonds in their chemical structure which make them more reactive. On the other hand, saturated fats – which do not have double bonds – are considered unhealthy and the main culprit in the diet responsible for heart disease.