This week, in Living and Learning, we’ve been learning all about how to keep our bodies healthy and strong. One of the most important things we’ve talked about is eating a balanced diet and making sure we get our 5 a day.
What is a healthy diet?
A healthy diet means eating a variety of foods so our bodies get everything they need to grow, learn and play. We’ve been discussing different food groups and why they’re important.
Here’s what we’ve learnt:
- Fruit and vegetables help keep us healthy and full of energy
- Carbohydrates like bread, rice and pasta give us energy to learn and play
- Protein foods like eggs, beans, fish and meat help our bodies grow strong
- Dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt help build strong bones and teeth
- We should only have small amounts of sugary treats and fizzy drinks
The Eatwell Guide is a great visualisation of a balanced diet.
Thinking like scientists
We’ve also linked our learning to science by exploring what fruits and vegetables actually are. Fruits grow from flowers and contain seeds like apples, tomatoes and cucumbers while vegetables are other parts of the plant such as roots, stems and leaves, like carrots, broccoli and lettuce. It’s been great fun sorting foods and thinking like scientists, and it’s helped us understand where our food comes from as well as why it’s good for our bodies.
Have a go a this eating the seasons quiz.
What is 5 a day?
5 a day means we should try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. We’ve learned that this helps our bodies stay healthy and fight off illness.
Some examples we talked about:
- An apple, banana or orange
- A handful of grapes or berries
- Carrot sticks or cucumber slices
- Peas, sweetcorn or broccoli with dinner
- A small glass of fruit juice or a smoothie
We’ve also learned that fresh, frozen, tinned and dried fruit and vegetables all count.
Packed lunches at school
We’ve also been talking about how to make healthy choices in our packed lunches, too. Our guidance encourages children to include a variety of foods such as a starchy food like a sandwich or pasta, some fruit or vegetables, and a source of protein like cheese, eggs or meat. We also encourage water, milk or pure fruit juice instead of sugary drinks and ask that sweets and fizzy drinks aren’t included.
Help at home by trying a 5 a day challenge. See if your child can spot how many portions they’ve eaten in a day. You could:
- Add fruit to breakfast cereal
- Pack veggie sticks for a snack
- Let your child help choose fruits and vegetables at the shop
- Try a new fruit or vegetable each week