Year 6 Science: A balanced diet
Part of the Year 6 Science diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
A balanced diet
A balanced diet gives the body all the nutrients it needs in the right amounts. These include carbohydrates for energy, proteins for growth and repair, fats for energy and to protect organs, vitamins and minerals for many body processes, fibre for a healthy gut, and water to keep the body working.
A plate diagram shows roughly what a balanced plate looks like. Fruit and vegetables should be the largest part. Foods with a lot of sugar, salt or fat should be eaten only in small amounts.
The table shows how the slices compare.
| Food group | Roughly how much of the plate |
|---|---|
| fruit and vegetables | about 36 out of 100 parts |
| starchy foods (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes) | about 34 out of 100 parts |
| protein foods (meat, fish, eggs, beans) | about 14 out of 100 parts |
| dairy foods | about 8 out of 100 parts |
| fats and sugars (small amounts) | about 8 out of 100 parts |
Key ideas
- A balanced diet gives all the nutrients the body needs, in the right amounts.
- Fruit and vegetables should make up a large part of the diet.
- Water is needed to keep the body working.
- Foods high in sugar, salt or fat should be eaten only in small amounts.
Method. Look for the largest slice.
- Compare the slices. The fruit and vegetables slice is about 36 out of 100 parts, the largest slice.36
- Name the group. So the largest slice is fruit and vegetables.fruit and vegetables
- Write the answer. fruit and vegetables
Check. Starchy foods are a close second. ✓
Method. Add the portions, then divide by 3.
- Add. The total is 5 + 3 + 4.12
- Divide. Divide 12 by 3 pupils.12 divided by 3 is 4
- Write the answer. 4
Check. The mean is 4 portions for the three pupils. ✓
Method. Recall the job of each nutrient.
- Recall the jobs. Carbohydrates give energy, but proteins are used for growth and repair.proteins
- Write the name. So the nutrient is protein.protein
- Write the answer. protein
Check. Protein foods include meat, fish, eggs and beans. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a diet with a lot of sugar or fat is not balanced, even if it has plenty of energy. Balance means a mix of nutrients in the right amounts.
Exam tip
Exam tip. When you describe a balanced diet, name at least three kinds of nutrient, and say why each one is needed.
Try it (with your teacher, or a grown-up at home). With a grown-up, write down everything you ate and drank for one day. Sort the foods into the slices on the plate. Which slice is the largest? Which slice is missing or small? Talk about one change you could make, and do not skip meals to lose weight.
Exercise 4A A balanced diet
Method. Read the plate table.
- Find the largest number. The fruit and vegetables slice is about 36 out of 100 parts.36
- Write the name. So the largest slice is fruit and vegetables.fruit and vegetables
- Write the answer. fruit and vegetables
Check. Starchy foods are almost the same size. ✓
Method. Count the rows of the plate table.
- Count the rows. The table lists fruit and vegetables, starchy foods, protein foods, dairy foods and fats and sugars.five rows
- Write the number. So there are five food groups.5
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Five slices make up the whole plate. ✓
Method. Recall the job of carbohydrates.
- Recall. Carbohydrates give the body energy.energy
- Name the food. Bread, rice and pasta are starchy carbohydrate foods.carbohydrates
- Write the answer. carbohydrates
Check. Starchy foods are a good source of carbohydrates. ✓
Method. Recall the job of protein.
- Recall. Protein is used for growth and repair of the body.growth and repair
- Write the answer. protein
Check. Meat, fish, eggs and beans are protein foods. ✓
Method. Recall what the body needs every day.
- Recall. Water is needed to keep the body working.water
- Write the answer. water
Check. Drinking water keeps the body hydrated. ✓
Method. Compare the two numbers.
- Read the numbers. Ali ate 5 portions and Priya ate 3.5 and 3
- Decide. Since 5 is more than 3, the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. 5 - 3 = 2, so Ali ate 2 more portions. ✓
Method. Add the two numbers.
- Add. Add 3 and 4 together.3 + 4
- Write the total. The total is 7 portions.7
- Write the answer. 7
Check. 7 - 4 = 3. ✓
Method. Compare Mo with Ali.
- Read the numbers. Ali ate 5 portions and Mo ate 4 portions.5 and 4
- Compare. Mo ate fewer portions than Ali.fewer
- Write the answer. fewer
Check. 4 is less than 5. ✓
Method. Find the mean first.
- Find the mean. The mean of 5, 3 and 4 is 4.mean 4
- Find the difference. The difference between 4 and Priya's 3 is 1.4 - 3 = 1
- Write the answer. 1
Check. Priya is 1 portion below the mean. ✓
Method. Read the protein slice.
- Read the slice. The protein slice lists meat, fish, eggs and beans.meat, fish, eggs, beans
- Pick one. Any one of these is a protein food.one food
- Write the answer. Accept any one of: meat, fish, eggs, beans.
Check. Protein foods are needed for growth and repair. ✓
Method. Think about balance.
- Think about balance. A balanced diet has a mix of nutrients in the right amounts.mix
- Decide. Too much sugar is not balanced, so Ali is not right.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Foods with lots of sugar should be eaten only in small amounts. ✓
Method. Think about the jobs of nutrients.
- Think about the jobs. Carbohydrates give energy; proteins are for growth and repair; vitamins help many processes.different jobs
- Think about the mix. The body needs all of them, so one type alone cannot keep it healthy.mix
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says each nutrient does a different job, so the body needs a mix of them to stay healthy.
Check. Different nutrients do different jobs. ✓
Method. Compare the two slices.
- Look at fruit and vegetables. They give vitamins, minerals and fibre.vitamins
- Look at fats and sugars. These should be eaten only in small amounts.small amounts
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says fruit and vegetables give many vitamins, minerals and fibre, while fats and sugars should be eaten in small amounts.
Check. The plate is a guide to balance. ✓