The eatwell plate

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Learning Objectives
The key learning objectives for this section are
that you will:

• Recognise and describe The eatwell plate;

• Identify each of the five groups of The eatwell

plate and provide examples of food and/or
drink in each group.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 A healthy varied diet
Apart from breastmilk as a food for babies, no
single food contains all the essential nutrients
the body needs to be healthy and function
efficiently.

The nutritional value of a person's diet depends

on the overall balance of foods that is eaten over
a period of time, as well as on the needs of the
individual.

A healthy diet is likely to include a variety of

foods, from each of the main food groups, as this
allows us to get all the nutrients that we need.
All food and drinks can be part of a healthy diet
but it is important to get the balance right!
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
 The eatwell plate

The UK healthy eating model is called the eatwell plate.

The eatwell plate is a guide to the proportion of foods we should eat from
each food group to have a healthy, varied diet.

The eatwell plate is appropriate for most healthy people over two years of
age including: vegetarians; people of all ethnic origins; people who are a
healthy weight for their height as well as those who are overweight; and
pregnant women. Children between the ages of two and five years can
make a gradual transition towards the type of diet shown in the eatwell
plate. People under medical supervision or with special dietary
requirements may want to check with their doctor/dietitian if the eatwell
plate applies to them.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 The eatwell plate
The eatwell plate is made up of five food
groups:
• Fruit and vegetables;
• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and
other starchy foods;
• Milk and dairy foods;
• Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other
non-dairy sources of protein;
• Foods and drinks high in fat
and/or sugar.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 The eatwell plate
Look at the size of each of
the food groups.

What does this tell you

about the proportions of
each group?

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 The eatwell plate
Most of what we eat should come from the two
biggest food groups:
• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other
starchy foods;
• Fruit and vegetables.

We should consume smaller amounts from the Milk

and dairy foods group and the Meat, fish, eggs,
beans and other non-dairy sources of protein group.

Only a small amount from the foods and drinks

high in fat and/or sugar group should be included.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 The eatwell plate
Even within a single group, different foods
provide a different selection of nutrients, so
variety is important to ensure we get the many
nutrients we need to be healthy.

It is not necessary to follow the model rigidly at

every single meal; instead aim to get the
balance between the different food groups
right; over the course of a day or even a week.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables should make up
approximately 1/3 of our daily food intake.
Try to include some at every meal and for
snacks.

Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and

vegetables each day. Choose a wide
variety of fruits and vegetables as they all
have different proportions of vitamins and
minerals that help to keep us healthy.

Different fruit and vegetables contain:

vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, fibre,
potassium and magnesium.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 What counts towards your 5 a day?
• Fresh, frozen, dried, canned and juiced types;
• Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups,
stews or pasta dishes, or present in ready meals and
shop bought sauces, soups and puddings;
• A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or
vegetable juice counts as a maximum of one portion a
day;
• Smoothies containing at least 80g of pulped fruit
and/or vegetables and 150ml juice can count as up to
a maximum of two portions per day;
• Beans and pulses count as a maximum of one portion
a day no matter how many you eat as they don't
contain the same mixture of vitamins, minerals and
other nutrients as fruit and vegetables.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 What is a portion?
One adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g.

For example:
• One medium sized piece of fruit such as a
banana, apple, pear, orange or nectarine;
• Two or more small fruits such as plums,
satsumas, kiwi fruit or apricots;
• A large handful of berries, cherries or grapes;
• One heaped tablespoon of dried fruit such as
raisins, cranberries or sultanas (you only need
30g of dried fruit because the portion size is
based on the weight of the fresh fruit);
• One dessert bowl of salad;
• Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables or
pulses (beans, lentils, chick peas).
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
 Do you eat 5 a day?
With just a little planning, we can make sure we
get our 5 A DAY. Think about the following meal
occasions, how could you include a portion of fruit
or vegetables?
Breakfast Dried or fresh fruit with cereal,
glass of juice
Mid morning Piece of fruit
snack
Lunch Beans on toast or a bowl of
salad
Mid afternoon Vegetable sticks with hummus
snack
Dinner Mixed vegetables and canned
fruit in juice
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
 Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy
foods
Approximately one third of our total
daily food intake should be from this
group. This group also includes
breakfast cereals, couscous, yam,
quinoa, cassava and other types of
starchy foods.

Try to include them at every meal by

basing your meals on starchy foods
such as potatoes, breads, pasta, rice,
noodles or cereals.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy
foods
Choose high fibre or wholegrain
varieties as much as possible as these
usually contain more fibre, vitamins and
minerals than refined versions.

This group can provides carbohydrate,

fibre, B vitamins, iron, calcium and
folate.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy
foods
What examples can you think of?

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

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 Milk and dairy foods
A moderate amount of these foods is needed in
the diet.

We should have some milk and dairy food such

as cheese, yoghurt and milk every day. Try to use
lower fat versions such as skimmed, 1% fat or
semi skimmed milks and reduced fat cheese
products.

Butter, eggs and cream are in other food groups,

can you think why?

This group provides protein, calcium, iodine,

vitamin B12 and vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy
sources of protein
A moderate amount of these foods is needed in
the diet.

Try to eat some food from this group every day

and aim for at least two portions of fish a week,
including a portion of oily fish.

This group provides a range of nutrients including

protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3
fatty acids.

This group also includes nuts, seeds, beans and

pulses, tofu and mycoprotein.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Foods high in fat and/or sugar
It is important to have some fat in your diet, but
you don’t need to eat any of the food in the ‘foods
and drinks high in fat/and or sugar’ group as part
of a healthy diet.

Foods containing a lot of fat are high in energy.

Foods such as cakes, pastries, biscuits, chocolate,

crisps, fried foods and non-diet fizzy drinks should
be considered as treats and only eaten
occasionally. For oils, spreads, low-fat spreads and
butters, use sparingly, especially if eaten every
day.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Foods high in fat and/or sugar
Sugar adds flavour and sweetness to
foods, but frequent consumption of
sugar-containing foods and drinks is
associated with an increased risk of
tooth decay especially in those with
poor dental hygiene.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Salt
Salt does not appear on the eatwell plate.

Eating too much salt is associated with an

increased risk of developing high blood pressure.
People with high blood pressure are more likely to
develop heart disease or have a stroke.

Most of our salt intake comes from processed

foods rather than salt added during cooking or at
the table, so use food labels to help you reduce
salt intake.

Adults and children over 11 should eat no more

than 6g of salt a day. Younger children should have
even less.

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Composite dishes
A lot of the dishes and meals we eat are
made up of foods from more than one
group of The eatwell plate.

These are called composite dishes.

What examples can you think of?

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Composite foods
Suggest which food groups should be added to
each recipe to make a balanced meal.

Creamy Thai red beef

Beef, Stout and
peppered beef curry
Mushroom pie

www.food4life.org.uk - recipes

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

 Acknowledgement

For further information, go to: www.food4life.org.uk

© LMC 2015

© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015