Download Getting the Balance Right

Getting the Balance Right
The key to a healthy diet.
Try the quiz and see how you do!
1. To have a healthy balanced diet people should
be eating… (Put as many as you think apply)
• A. More fruit and vegetables.
• B. More sweets and chocolate.
• C. More starchy foods such as rice, pasta and
bread.
• D. More fizzy drinks.
• E. Less fat, salt and sugar.
• F. Moderate amounts of protein-rich foods like
meat, fish and eggs.
• G. Calcium containing foods like cheese, yogurt
and milk.
The answer is…
• All except B and D.
• It is important that we eat a variety of foods to help
keep our bodies healthy.
• The exception to this rule is foods high in fat, salt and
sugar. These should be kept to a minimum.
This model shows how our diet should be
divided, each meal, each day and over the
week.
2. Can you name the five food groups?
The answer is…
• 1. Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other
starchy foods.
• 2. Fruit and Vegetables.
• 3. Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other protein.
• 4. Milk and dairy.
• 5. Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar.
It is important that we get the correct balance of
these food groups to keep us healthy!
3. How much food should we eat from
the bread and starchy foods group?
• A. All of our energy should come from these
foods.
• B. Most of our energy should come from these
foods.
• C. A little of our energy should come from
these foods.
• D. None of our energy should come from
these foods.
The answer is…
• B. Most of our energy should come from these
foods. Children and young people need lots of
energy to grow and live active lives.
• We should be getting this energy from starchy
foods. In fact starchy foods should make up
about a third of what we eat and should be
included with each meal.
• These foods also contain valuable nutrients
like iron and calcium.
4. How many different kinds of fruit and
vegetables can you name? (Give yourself a
point for each one)
5. How much food should we eat from
the fruit and vegetables group?
• A. At least 1 portion per day.
• B. At least 2 portions per day.
• C. At least 5 portions per day.
• D. At least 10 portions per day.
The answer is…
• C. At least 5 portions per day. Fruit and veg give
us lots of vitamins and minerals to keep our
bodies healthy.
• Fruit and veg are low in fat and may reduce our
risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
• The tricky ones: Fruit juices, beans and dried
fruits only count as one portion no matter how
many we eat.
• Potatoes don’t count as one of your 5-a day.
6. How many protein-rich foods can you
name? (Give yourself a point for each one)
• Here is a clue… protein rich foods are usually
things that come from something that moved
or once were something that moved… but
there are other sources for vegetarians too…
Here are some of the high-protein
sources you may have found…
• Lean mince, low-fat sausages, beef steak,
chicken breast, ham, bacon, salmon and other
fish, baked beans, other beans and lentils,
eggs, seeds and nuts.
• Which of these are vegetarian?
7. How much food should we eat from the
meat, fish, eggs and other protein group?
• A. Our diet should have lots of these foods in
it.
• B. We should have a moderate amount of
these foods.
• C. We should have very few of these foods.
• D. We don’t need these foods at all.
The answer is…
• B. A moderate amount is best for a healthy diet.
• These foods provide lots of nutrients such as
protein (for growth and repair) and long chain
omega 3 fatty acids (to help prevent hearth
disease), as well as essential vitamins and
minerals including iron.
• We should eat at least 2 portions of oily fish a
week such as mackerel, salmon, kippers and tuna.
8. How much milk and dairy food
should we have in our diet?
• A. Lots.
• B. Moderate amounts.
• C. Very little.
• D. None at all.
The answer is…
• B. We need moderate amounts of dairy
products in our diet.
• These foods contain lots of calcium and
vitamin D which is important for strong bones
and teeth.
• It is best to eat low-fat versions of these foods
where possible, such as semi-skimmed milk
and low-fat yogurt.
9. How much food should we eat from
the sugary or high-fat food group?
•
•
•
•
A. Lots.
B. Moderate amounts.
C. Very little/occasionally.
D. Never.
The answer is…
• C. These foods should only be eaten
occasionally as they can imbalance the blood
sugar, cause tooth decay and stop the body
absorbing other important vitamins.
• Foods containing fat include: Chips, burgers,
sausage rolls, butter, cream and cooking oils.
• Foods containing sugar include: fizzy drinks,
sweeties, honey, jam and biscuits.
How did you do?
Total up your points and we will see who has got
the balance right!!