Level 1 TuckIN Nutritional Training Course: Eating a balanced diet
You should read the information below and then take the test at the bottom of this page.
Carbohydrates
We need carbohydrates, which include pasta, potatoes, bread, rice, cereals and cous cous.
Carbohydrates should make up just over a third of the food we eat. Every main meal should contain a portion of carbohydrate.
Wholegrain carbohydrates provide dietary fibre, which are much better for us and help us to feel full for longer.
Fruit and vegetables
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced all count). We should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
A portion is 80g. A portion of dried fruit is 30g, and should only be eaten at mealtimes to reduce the impact of sugar on teeth.
Fish
Eat more fish, at least two potions a week, including a portion of oily fish each week. this could be salmon, trout, herring, sardines, mackerel or pilchards.
Fish provide a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.
Fat
Cut down on saturated fat We should be reducing the fat we eat, particularly saturated fat such as butter, lard, palm oil, cream, fatty meat and ghee. Men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat per day, and women no more than 20g.
Unsaturated fats are healthier and include fat from oily fish, olive oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil. Always use these fats for cooking. All fats contain a large amount of calories, so you should still limit intake of any fats.
Sugar
On average, we all eat too much sugar. Sugar provides no nutrients, just calories. Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain and tooth decay.
Sugar is found in fizzy drinks, sugary breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits, confectionery, desserts and alcoholic drinks.
Check the labels. More than 22.5g of sugar per 100g is high in sugar. 5g or less per 100g is low in sugar. Adults should eat no more than 30g of sugar per day.
Salt
We all eat too much salt. Salt can raise blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke or developing heart disease.
We should eat no more than 6g of salt per day, and children should have even less. It is challenging to achieve this, as much of the food we buy (such as cereals, bread, sauces and soups) has salt added by the manufacturers. It accounts for around 75% of the salt we eat.
Do no add salt and look for lower salt products. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g is high in salt.
Drink
Most of us don't drink enough. We should have around six to eight glasses a day. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, tea, coffee low fat milk and low sugar drinks are healthier choices.
Sugary soft and fizzy drinks are high in calories and can cause tooth decay.
Fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies are also high in sugar. You should drink no more than 150ml per day.
You can now take our quiz to see what you have learnt about about healthy eating.