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Session 5

Parents and Carers – Body Image and Healthy Eating

Session 5

Balanced diet

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The Eat Well Plate

Session 5 - Balanced Eating

Do you know the 5 food groups? Have a go at labelling them...

Drag the food group to the colour you think it represents on the chart.

Dairy
Protein
Fruit & Veg
Carbohydrates
Sugars & Fats

Objectives

To provide an overview of balanced eating (focus on food inclusion, rather than exclusion).

To Identify the key role of foods for the body.

To identify the food groups essential to the body.

To challenge myths around food.

The Eat Well Plate

Why do we need each food group?

Drag the benefits below to the food
group you think provides them
(you can use more than 1).

Fruit & Veg
Carbohydrates
Dairy
Protein
Sugars & Fats

Drag the food benefit to the food group you think it represents (you can use more than 1).

Vitamins and minerals
Rich in calcium
For bones and teeth
Fibre
Growth and repair
Rich in iron
Energy
Enjoyment and social
Answers

The REAL food guide shows the same food groups as the Eat Well Plate, but some aspects are further broken down into sections of a pyramid.

The 'fun food' section promotes inclusion of all foods. It is permission to eat all foods. It is also a reminder that food is an important part of our social interactions, it isn’t just about eating to survive.

The base emphasises the food groups that are essential to meet nutrient needs as the foundation to a diet.

The REAL food guide

Take care.

They fill you up and push nutritious
foods from the diet.

Include every day.

Have fun with food!
Eat out socially with friends and family.

Have some
every day.

Especially for
vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Eat recommended
amounts daily.

5 food groups
(and water)
every day.

The REAL food guide

Take care.

They fill you up and push nutritious
foods from the diet.

Include every day.

Have fun with food!
Eat out socially with friends and family.

Have some
everyday.

Especially for
vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Eat recommended
amounts daily.

5 food groups
(and water)
everyday.

The body requires a solid nutritious foundation to work to its best potential.

If a young person adopts an intake that misses the foundations and focuses on dieting.

The body will be missing
essential nutrients.

The body is then less strong and may become physically unstable, much like an inverted pyramid.

How much?

Can you guess the recommended number of servings for each food group?

WATER: 6-8 CUPS

What does a portion look like from each food group?

Can you match the food group to the 'handy' portion size equivalent?

Drag the hand types to the below food types you think are correct!

Fist size

Whole hand

Palm or what
fits in a cupped
hand

Finger to first
crease

Two cupped
hands

Answers
Drag hand types into the boxes

Carbohydrates

Drag hand types into the boxes

Oils and spreads

Drag hand types into the boxes

Fruits

Drag hand types into the boxes

Vegetables

Drag hand types into the boxes

Dried fruit and nuts

Drag hand types into the boxes

Protein (meat and beans)

Drag hand types into the boxes

Protein (chicken and fish)

Drag hand types into the boxes

Dairy (pot of yoghurt, 200ml milk, slice of cheese)

Eating patterns and plate proportions

Patterns:

Young people need a regular intake of varied food and fluid across the day to meet their nutritional needs.

A typical intake pattern may consist of:

- 3 main meals per day and 2-3 snacks.

- Intake may be roughly every 3-4 hours, when energy levels start to dip in the body or young person starts to feel hungry.

- Eating is flexible and variable, so on some days intake may be spontaneous and sporadic.

- Having some days of over eating and others of undereating, is normal!

General fluid needs for an adolescent is: 1.5-2 Litres.

Example pattern:

Example plate proportions:

- Main meals are a good opportunity for intake of nutrient rich foods.

- Aiming for more than one food group at main meals can be a good way to ensure you meet nutrient needs.

- The proportions on the plate may vary
depending on how active your young person is.

Some
days

eats mostly
processed foods

Other
days

eats mostly
‘whole’ foods

Most
days

eats a mix
of both

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables supply us with important nutrition that our body needs! Some of the benefits are listed below.

Vitamins and minerals

Energy

Fibre

True or false...

1. Fruit juice should be avoided as it's just sugar.

FALSE

Have in moderation - it is full of vitamins and minerals; and some fibre.

2. Fresh fruits and vegetables are better for you.

FALSE

Fresh, frozen, tinned, dried and juiced all contain vitamins and minerals!

3: Organic fruits and vegetables are more nutritious.

FALSE

There is no evidence.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, like potatoes, pasta, rice, bread and grains, should be included in all meals.

Fibre

Energy

Vitamins and minerals

True or false...

1. Carbohydrates cause weight gain.

FALSE

1g of carbohydrates has the same energy content as 1g of protein.

2. Wholegrains keep you fuller for longer.

TRUE

Fibre in wholegrains helps to slow the release of energy and fill you up for longer.

3: High protein, low carbohydrate diets are best for building muscle.

FALSE

Protein is used as energy in low carbohydrate diets or when there is energy deficiency...meaning less protein for building muscle.

Protein

Protein is a key for repair and hormones.

Body's building blocks

Good for growth and repair

Fibre

Vitamins and minerals

Eat 2-3 portions per day

True or false…

1. You only need protein if you want to grow or gain muscle.

FALSE

Protein is needed for every cell in the body. It is used to repair muscles, skin, bones and blood; grow hair and nails; make enzymes and hormones.

2: Red meat is bad for you.

FALSE

Red meat contains a good source of iron that is easily absorbed and is part of a balanced diet. It is recommended to eat a variety of protein sources across the week including plant and animal protein options.

Dairy

Dairy is an important food benefit that should be
included in any diet.

Contains some protein

Energy

Vitamins

and minerals

Eat 3 portions per day

True or false…

1. Dairy-free milks (soya, coconut, almond etc.) are better for you than normal cow’s milk.

FALSE

Dairy alternative milks are lower in protein and B vitamins compared to cow’s milk. They also do not contain the natural minerals found in cow’s milk of calcium, B12 or iodine. Dairy alternative milks need these minerals to be artificially added back into them (fortified) to be nutritionally similar to cow’s milk.
Note: Organic alternative milks will NOT be fortified at all and so are not a good alternative to milk.

2: Full fat milk is high in fat.

FALSE

All types of milk are mostly water. Full fat or whole milk is less than 4% fat – this is amber on the food traffic light labelling system.

Fats, sugars and treats

Fats and sugars have important food benefits that should
be included in any diet.

Energy
enjoyment
& social

Nutrients
e.g. fibre
vitamins

Eat ALONGSIDE the other food groups

True or false…

1. Sugar is very high in calories.

FALSE

Sugar is a carbohydrate - 1g of sugar is the same as 1g of any other carbohydrate. Sugar alone is not high calorie and does not contribute directly to weight gain.

2: Too much sugar gives you diabetes.

FALSE

Sugar doesn’t directly cause Type 2 diabetes, but you are at a higher risk of getting Type 2 diabetes if you are overweight. Excessive (unhealthy) weight gain comes from taking in more calories than you need to be healthy, and high energy foods containing sugar can contribute to this…but so can other foods!

True or false...

1. Eating fat makes you fat.

FALSE

Fat is a source of fuel for the body, and burned off as energy like carbohydrates; only any leftover energy is stored as fat in the body.

2. Wholegrains keep you fuller for longer.

TRUE

Dietary fats contain essential fatty acids (omega 3 & 6) which the body can’t make itself – they are needed to survive and support inflammation, heart health, and brain function.

AND without dietary fat, we would not get our fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and would suffer from symptoms of vitamin deficiencies.

1. Body fat has no purpose.

FALSE

Fat is essential for protecting organs, keeping you warm and storing energy. Too low body fat has many health consequences.

Water: True or false…

1: Water contains calories.

False: Water contains no calories. Tap water does have some minerals (e.g. calcium, magnesium, sodium), with mineral content depending on where the water has come from and the types of river systems or lakes it flowed through.

2. Drinking water can make you gain weight.

False: Weight gain from water is not a ‘true’ fat mass gain as the fluid content in the body will constantly change and is a part of natural weight fluctuations in the body.

Water in the body will fluctuate day to day/ hour to hour/ minute to minute based on your hydration status, frequency of urination, sweat, evaporation from skin and even from water vapour in our breath.

It is considered part of our ‘fat-free’ mass, much like cells, organs, tissues, blood, bone, which are also vital parts of the body. Just 2% dehydration can cause cognitive impairment, therefore water is essential to your bodies health.

Exercise and metabolism: True or false…

You need to exercise to burn off the food that you eat.

False: Our bodies require a minimum amount of energy just to function at rest. This amount is determined by our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), but is approximately 60-70% of your total daily energy needs. Our RMR is the energy required to perform processes such as growing, pumping our heart, pumping our lungs, using our brain, running the immune system, running the digestive system, and all other physiological systems in the body.

If you do not eat enough to cover these basic processes the body reduces the pace at which these systems work or starts to shut down less essential processes to conserve energy for the immediate essential processes.  You can begin to feel tired, irritable, have poor concentration,or feel out of breath with short tasks. (It is similar to turning your iPhone on low power mode.)

A person’s metabolic needs stay the same throughout their whole life.

False: Our metabolism fluctuates day to day, based on many factors including intake, activity levels and the environment.

In times of rapid growth (e.g. infancy and adolescence) a person’s metabolic rate is higher. As adults age and become elderly, their metabolic needs gradually reduce, often due to reduction of protein synthesis and muscle mass as well as general decline in activity levels.

Both these topics will be covered in more detail in the next module on energy balance and intuitive eating.

People should only eat when they are hungry? True or false…

False: We should listen to our body and eat when we start to feel hungry, however, we eat food for many different reasons not just hunger.

These can include, but are not limited to:

Eating to treat ourselves.

Eating out of boredom, craving or as comfort.

Eating in social settings with others or as part of cultural gatherings.

Can you think of any other reasons why we eat food?

Reasons we eat treats

Can you think of some reasons to eat treats?

As a reward for
achieving something

Enjoyment

Because you
want it

Cultural events

In social settings
e.g. movies

At a party or
celebration

The meaning of food

What does food mean in your family and culture? What role does it play in social occasions?

It can be helpful to remind young people of the many social events they may be missing out on or avoiding, if certain foods are excluded. Does food avoidance mean they are missing out on other aspects of life or activities that they previously enjoyed or valued?

What can impact food choices? Are any of the below a barrier for your young person?

Food
beliefs

Rules placed on foods
that one 'should' and
'shouldn’t' eat

Time of
the day

Culture

Access
to food

Weather

Cooking skills

Family

Socio economic
status

Time to eat

Knowledge on
foods to eat

Illness

Holidays

Social
setting e.g. movie

Reflections

image
image
image

Well Done!

- Completed
You have

References or Creators Credit

My Notes

Supporting Videos

youtube ID jEHwB1PG_-Q

The Fight, Flight, Freeze Response

youtube ID f0tEcxLDDd4

If you could change one thing about your body, what would it be?

youtube ID u1jRaHrpokA

Mindful Eating