GoalSort foods into “eat lots”, “eat some” and “eat a little”, and say why a mix of foods keeps us healthy.
New words
healthy · well and strong, with a body that works properlybalanced diet · eating a mix of different foods, in the right amountsfood triangle · a picture that shows how much of each kind of food to eat
Explanation
Our bodies need food to grow and to have strength for the day. No single food has everything we need, so we eat many different kinds. This is called a balanced diet. A food triangle can help us. At the wide bottom are the foods to eat lots of, such as fruit, vegetables, rice, bread and potatoes. In the middle are foods to eat some of, such as milk, cheese, fish, eggs and beans. At the narrow top are foods to eat only a little of, such as sweets and cake. Treats are fine now and then. A bit of everything, in the right amounts, helps our bodies stay healthy.
Worked examples
Lunch with lots of different colours is a good plan: rice, some chicken and plenty of tomato and cucumber.
Yoghurt and meat belong in the middle of the triangle, with milk, fish and eggs. We eat some of them every day to help our bodies grow and stay strong.
Sweets and lollipops are at the top. They are a treat for now and then, not for every day.
Class activity
Plan a plate (with an adult): look at the food in your kitchen or draw foods on paper. Choose foods for one meal, with some from the “eat lots” group and some from the “eat some” group. Draw your plate and write the name of each food. Then ask: is there a treat on my plate? If so, is it only a small one?
Practice
1
What is a balanced diet?
Eating a mix of different foods in the right amounts.
2
Which food should we eat lots of?
B, the apple (fruit).
3
Put each food in the right part of the triangle: eat lots, eat some or eat a little.
