Food, Nutrition and a Balanced Diet
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Nutrition and Healthy Eating in Care Settings
When planning meals in a care setting, it’s essential to ensure the food contains the right nutrients in the correct balance. The body requires various nutrients to produce energy, support the immune system, promote healing, and maintain all its vital functions.
Key Terms in Nutrition
Before we explore this further, let’s define three key terms:
Food
Food refers to any substance, solid or liquid, that provides the body with energy and the materials it needs to grow and repair itself. It’s the physical product that we prepare and consume.
Nutrition
Nutrition is the science of how food affects the body. It focuses on ensuring the food we eat contains the right balance of nutrients needed for health, growth, and normal body functioning. Everyone has different nutritional needs, depending on factors such as age, medical conditions, activity levels, and dietary restrictions. A food that is nutritious for one person may be unsuitable for another.
Diet
Diet refers to the total amount of food and drink we consume. It considers both the type and amount of food. A healthy diet is enjoyable, varied, and balanced, providing all the essential nutrients without too much or too little of any one thing.
Understanding the Impact of Diet on Health
Eating too much can lead to weight gain and increase the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and joint problems. On the other hand, eating too little can result in malnutrition, weight loss, fatigue, and other serious health risks.
Building a Healthy, Balanced Diet
A healthy, balanced diet should:
- Include plenty of fruit and vegetables
- Contain starchy foods high in fibre, such as wholegrain bread, rice, and pasta
- Include moderate amounts of protein, such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, or pulses
- Provide dairy or alternatives for calcium and other nutrients
- Be low in fats, salt, and added sugars
- Avoid sugary drinks and limit alcohol to safe levels
The Eatwell Guide
To help people understand how to eat healthily, the Food Standards Agency and the NHS promote the Eatwell Guide. This model breaks the diet into five main food groups and recommends the proportion that each should make up in your daily intake:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and other starchy carbohydrates
- Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, and other proteins
- Dairy and alternatives
- Oils and spreads
Foods and drinks high in fat, salt, and sugar should be eaten less often and in small amounts.
You can find more information about the Eatwell Guide in the resources section of this course.
When to Eat
When we eat is just as important as what we eat. Eating very little during the day and then having one large meal late at night is not ideal. The body functions best when it receives regular fuel throughout the day. Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day, as it breaks the overnight fast and gives your body the energy it needs to start the day.
Staying hydrated is essential. Water is the best choice for hydration and helps the body process and use the nutrients from our food.
Conclusion
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is crucial to supporting good health, particularly for individuals in care settings. By ensuring that meals are nutrient-rich and suited to each individual's needs, you can help promote well-being, prevent malnutrition, and reduce the risk of chronic health issues.