© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 What’s on the plate?

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

What’s on the plate?

Learning outcomes

Students should be able to:

• explain how the ‘Eat Well Plate’ (Food Standards Agency) helps consumers achieve a healthy and well-balanced diet;

• identify the main nutrients provided by each food group.


A healthy, varied diet

Apart from breastmilk as a food for babies, no single food contains all the essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and function efficiently.

The nutritional value of a person's diet depends on the overall balance of foods that is eaten over a period of time, as well as on the needs of the individual.

A healthy diet is likely to include a variety of foods, from each of the main food groups, as this allows us to get all the nutrients that we need.

All food and drinks can be part of a healthy diet but it is important to get the balance right!


The eatwell plate


The eatwell plate

There are many different models for food based dietary recommendations used around the world.

The UK healthy eating model is called The eatwell plate.

The eatwell plate is a guide to the proportion of foods we should eat from each food group to have a healthy, varied diet.


Who is The eatwell plate for?The eatwell plate is appropriate for most healthy people over two years of age including: vegetarians; people of all ethnic origins; people who are a healthy weight for their height as well as those who are overweight; and pregnant women.

Children between the ages of two and five years can make a gradual transition towards the type of diet shown in The eatwell plate.

People under medical supervision or with special dietary requirements may want to check with their doctor/dietitian if The eatwell plate applies to them.


Who is the eatwell plate for?

1. I am vegetarian, how do I use The eatwell plate when planning my diet?

2. My child is 1 year old and has an allergy to cows milk, do I use The eatwell plate to help me plan his diet?

3. My sister is pregnant, should I advise her to use The eatwell plate?

4. My friend is coming to stay with me for a week, she is Jewish. Can I use The eatwell plate guidelines to help me plan our meals?


The eatwell plateThe eatwell plate is made up of five food groups:

• Fruit and vegetables;

• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods;

• Milk and dairy foods;

• Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein;

• Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar.


The eatwell plate

Look at the size of each of the food groups. What does this tell you about the proportions of each group?

Most of what we eat should come from the two biggest food groups:• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other

starchy foods;• Fruit and vegetables. We should consume smaller amounts from the Milk and dairy foods group and the Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein group. Only a small amount from the foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar group should be included.


The eatwell plate

Even within a single group, different foods provide a different selection of nutrients, so variety is important to ensure we get the many nutrients we need to be healthy.

It is not necessary to follow the model rigidly at every single meal; instead aim to get the balance between the different food groups right; over the course of a day or even a week.


Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables should make up approximately 1/3 of our daily food intake. Try to include some at every meal and for snacks.

Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Choose a wide variety of fruits and vegetables as they all have different proportions of vitamins and minerals that help to keep us healthy.

Different fruit and vegetables contain: vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, fibre, potassium and magnesium.


What counts towards 5 A DAY? Fresh, frozen, dried, canned and juiced types.

Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes, or present in ready meals and shop bought sauces, soups and puddings.

A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day.


What counts towards 5 A DAY? Smoothies containing at least 80g of pulped fruit and/or vegetables and 150ml juice can count as up to a maximum of two portions per day.

Beans and pulses count as a maximum of one portion a day no matter how many you eat as they don't contain the same mixture of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as fruit and vegetables.


What is a portion?

One adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g.

For example:• one medium sized piece of fruit such as a

banana, apple, pear, orange or nectarine;• two or more small fruits such as plums,

satsumas, kiwi fruit or apricots;• a large handful of berries, cherries or

grapes;• one heaped tablespoon of dried fruit such

as raisins, cranberries or sultanas (you only need 30g of dried fruit because the portion size is based on the weight of the fresh fruit);

• one dessert bowl of salad; • three heaped tablespoons of vegetables or

pulses (beans, lentils, chick peas). © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Do you eat 5 A DAY?

With just a little planning, we can make sure we get our 5 A DAY. Think about the following meal occasions, how could you include a portion of fruit or vegetables?


Breakfast

Mid morning snack

Lunch

Mid afternoon snack

Dinner

Dried or fresh fruit with cereal, glass of juice

Piece of fruit

Add a bowl of salad

Vegetable sticks with hummus

Mixed vegetables and canned fruit in juice

How we prepare fruit and vegetables can affect the nutrients they provide. What examples can you think of?

Some vitamins can be lost in cooking water – can you name them?

How can we minimise the loss of these vitamins?

Oil, butter or creamy sauces should be used sparingly – Why?

Adding fruit and vegetables to meals and dishes is a good way of reducing the energy density. What does this mean?


Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foodsApproximately one third of our total daily food intake should be from this group. This group also includes breakfast cereals, couscous, yam, quinoa, cassava and other types of starchy foods.

Try to include them at every meal by basing your meals on starchy foods such as potatoes, breads, pasta, rice, noodles or cereals.


Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foodsChoose high fibre or wholegrain varieties (e.g. wholemeal bread, brown rice, potatoes with their skins) as much as possible as these usually contain more fibre, vitamins and minerals than refined versions.

This group can provide carbohydrate, fibre, B vitamins, iron, calcium and folate.


Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foodsWe should try to include at least one food from this group at each meal occasion. Starchy foods are often consumed as part of a composite dish.

Can you think of some examples? • Breakfast …

• Lunch …

• Dinner …


Starchy foods are sometimes referred to as staple foods. These foods form the basis of diets around the world.

What do you think the staple food is for:

• Europe?

• Asia?

• South America?

• Some parts of Africa?


Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods

Milk and dairy foodsA moderate amount of these foods is needed in the diet.

We should have some milk and dairy food such as cheese, yoghurt and milk every day. Try to use lower fat versions such as skimmed, 1% fat or semi skimmed milks and reduced fat cheese products.

Butter, eggs and cream are in other food groups, can you think why?

This group provides protein, calcium, iodine, vitamin B12 and vitamin B2 (riboflavin).


Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of proteinA moderate amount of these foods is needed in the diet.

Try to eat some food from this group every day and aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including a portion of oily fish.

This group provides a range of nutrients including protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.

This group includes meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses, tofu and mycoprotein.


What are the government recommendations for this group?The recommendations for this group are:• no more than 70g per day of red and

processed meat;• at least two portions of fish each

week, one of which should be oily (e.g. salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines or fresh tuna). Oily fish provide long chain omega-3 fatty acids important for heart health;

• beans and pulses such as kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils also count towards the 5 A DAY fruit and vegetable target. They can only be counted as a maximum of 1 per day regardless of how much is eaten.© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar

It is important to have some fat in your diet, but you don’t need to eat any of the food in the ‘foods and drinks high in fat/and or sugar’ group as part of a healthy diet.

Foods containing a lot of fat are high in energy.

Foods such as cakes, pastries, biscuits, chocolate, crisps, fried foods and non-diet fizzy drinks should be considered as treats and only eaten occasionally. For oils, spreads, low-fat spreads and butters, use sparingly, especially if eaten every day.


Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar

Sugar adds flavour and sweetness to foods, but frequent consumption of sugar-containing foods and drinks is associated with an increased risk of tooth decay especially in those with poor dental hygiene.

We can reduce our fat and sugar intake by:

• using fat in cooking sparingly;

• using lower fat cooking methods (e.g. grilling rather than frying);

• instead of cakes, chocolate, biscuits and desserts opt for some fruit;


Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar• choosing spreads and oils high in

polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids such as rapeseed, olive, sunflower, soybean, safflower or flaxseed oil;

• comparing food labels and selecting foods/drinks that are lower in fat, saturated fat and sugar;

• being aware of portion sizes and keep these small for high-fat or high-sugar treats.

What other ways can you think of to reduce fat and sugar intake?


Salt

Salt does not appear on The eatwell plate.

Eating too much salt is associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.

Most of our salt intake comes from processed foods rather than salt added during cooking or at the table, so use food labels to help you reduce salt intake.

Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Younger children should have even less.


Composite food

A lot of the dishes and meals we eat are made up of foods from more than one group of The eatwell plate.

These are called composite foods.

Name 5 examples of a composite food which contain red meat.


Which food groups are covered by the following meals? Creamy peppered beefGreen beansSweetcornBaked potato wedges

Fresh pineapple Fromage frais


Beef, stout and mushroom pieMashed potatoesCurly kaleVichy carrots

Oaty plum crumble Custard

Thai red beef currySteamed riceCucumber salad

Fruit kebabs with Coconut dip

www.food4life.org.uk - recipes

http://www.food4life.org.uk/

Acknowledgement

For further information, go to: www.food4life.org.uk © LMC 2015


Documents

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 What’s on the plate?