Healthy Eating Week Assembly

Monday: Eat well!

Aim: To teach about the importance of eating well for health.

To start the assembly, ask the children what healthy eating means to them. Encourage them to think about:

 eating 5 a day

 eating breakfast every day

 drinking 6-8 glasses each day

 being active for 60 minutes a day

Eating well is important to be healthy and strong.

The eatwell plate

The eatwell plate is the UK’s healthy eating guide which sets out the types and proportions of food and drinks which make up a healthy, varied diet. It applies to most people over 2 years of age and those of all ethnic backgrounds. The balance does not need to be achieved at every meal, but can be over a few days or up to a

The eatwell plate is divided into 5 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 two largest food groups are Fruit and vegetables and Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods, making up a third of The eatwell plate respectively.

The remaining third of The eatwell plate comprises of Milk and dairy foods, Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-daury sources of protein and Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar.

Fruit and vegetables

One-third of The eatwell plate should be made up of fruit and vegetables.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2013 Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals (especially vitamin C) for good health. Most of them are low in fat. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables can help us achieve/keep a healthy weight.

We should all eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day (5 a day). Ask the children what counts:

Fresh, frozen, dried, canned and juiced options all count towards 5 a day. The key message is to eat a variety of different types because they offer a range of different nutrients.

A portion of fruit or vegetables is around the amount you can place in the palm of your hand. This may be:

 1 apple, orange or banana

 2 plums or satsumas

 ½ an avocado

 1 slice of melon

 1 handful of berries

 1 heaped tablespoon of dried fruit, e.g. sultanas or apricots

 1 glass of 100% juice (150ml)*

 2 broccoli spears or 4 heaped tablespoons of kale, spinach, spring greens or green beans

 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables

 3 heaped tablespoons of beans or pulses*

* One 150ml glass of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice can count as a portion, but further glasses of juice do not count towards the total 5 a day portion. Smoothies can be counted as a maximum of 2 portions, if it is made with at least 2 different kinds of whole fruit and/or vegetables, or at least 1 portion of whole fruit and/or vegetables and 150ml of juice.

Beans and pulses can only be counted as a maximum of 1 portion per day.

Ask the children to raise their hands if they eat 5 a day. What is their favourite fruit or vegetable?

Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods

© British Nutrition Foundation 2013 One third of The eatwell plate should be made up from foods from this group. These foods provide starchy carbohydrate, which gives us energy. They also provide some B vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron.

Choosing whole grain varieties gives us extra dietary fibre which is important for gut health.

Starchy foods form the staples of many traditional diets around the world. For example, rice in India and China, yam and cassava in Africa and pasta in Italy. Ask the children to name other types of starchy foods.

Include some starchy foods at every meal. Ask the children to suggest how they include starchy foods at every meal and name their favourite.

Milk and dairy foods

Milk and dairy foods provide us calcium, which is an important mineral to keep our bones strong.

They also provide protein, some B vitamins such as vitamins B2 and B12 and other minerals.

Try different kinds - milk, cheese, yogurt and calcium-fortified soya drinks all count. Choose lower fat versions whenever possible.

Ask the children what their favourite dairy food is.

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

These foods are great sources of protein, which is important for growth and development. They also provide some vitamins and minerals, such as iron.

There are plenty of foods to choose from in this group – try a variety, go for leaner cuts of meat or removing visible fat, and use healthier ways when cooking these foods, such as poaching, steaming or baking.

We are recommended to eat two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. This is because oily fish is a good source of the omega-3 fatty acids which are important to keep the heart healthy. Oily fish also provides vitamin A and D. Ask the children to name some examples of white and oily fish:

White fish:  Haddock

 Cod  Plaice

 Coley  Pollock

 Canned tuna**  Salmon

Oily fish:  Sardines

 Herring  Trout

 Pilchards  Fresh tuna**

** Only fresh tuna counts as oily because canning removes much of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to levels similar to those of white fish.

Beans and pulses, nuts and seeds also belong to this group.

Ask the children to name a food from this group.

Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar

These foods add enjoyment to our diet, but we should keep these in small amounts. Foods high in fat are high in energy. Eating too many foods high in fat will increase our energy intake and may lead to weight gain, if the extra energy is not used up through activity. Having too many foods high in saturated fat can increase blood cholesterol levels and be bad for our hearts.

Too many sugar-containing food and drinks consumed between meals is linked with an increased tendency towards tooth decay.

Ask the children to suggest ways to limit having foods from this group.

Sorting out these foods

Challenge the children to put the foods and drinks into each food group:

Fruit and vegetables:

• Figs, cabbage, orange juice, blueberries, avocado

Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods:

• Yam, potato, pasta, bagels, rice

Milk and dairy foods:

• Milk, yogurt, cheese

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

Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar:

• Muffin, oil

Most dishes are made up of foods from different food groups. Challenge the children to name the main ingredients for these dishes and where they belong to on The eatwell plate.

Beans on toast:

Fruit and Bread, rice, Milk and dairy Meat, fish, eggs, Foods and vegetables potatoes, pasta foods beans and other drinks high in fat and other non-dairy and/or sugar sources of starchy foods protein

Baked beans 

One portion counts as 5 a day Toast 

Bean stew:

Fruit and Bread, rice, Milk and dairy Meat, fish, eggs, Foods and vegetables potatoes, pasta foods beans and other drinks high in fat and other non-dairy and/or sugar sources of starchy foods protein

Onions,  carrots, tomatoes, peppers and Counts as 5 a celery day Kidney beans 

One portion counts as 5 a day Vegetable oil 

Fruit and Bread, rice, Milk and dairy Meat, fish, eggs, Foods and vegetables potatoes, pasta foods beans and other drinks high in fat and other non-dairy and/or sugar sources of starchy foods protein

Frozen berries  and banana Counts as 5 a day Milk and  yogurt

Spaghetti bolognese

Fruit and Bread, rice, Milk and dairy Meat, fish, eggs, Foods and vegetables potatoes, pasta foods beans and other drinks high in fat and other non-dairy and/or sugar sources of starchy foods protein

Tomatoes and  onions Counts as 5 a day Spaghetti  Cheese  Minced beef  Vegetable oil 

To conclude, remind children to:

• keep hydrated, drinking 6 to 8 glasses of fluid each day - more when the weather is hot and when you have been active; • be active - at least 60 minutes each day.

Introduce the target tracker chart

To help the class/school achieve:

 eating 5 a day

 eating breakfast every day

 drinking 6-8 glasses each day