A healthy diet is required to grow, get energy and stay healthy. Food not only eases hunger but also gives us satisfaction. Therefore the maintenance of a correct food pattern is essential for your physical and mental well-being.
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In grade 6 you learned the necessity for a healthy diet, good food habits and nutritional issues.
Nutrients received from food are divided into two main parts.
1. Macronutrients - Carbohydrates, protein and lipids (oils and fat)
2. Micronutrients - Vitamins and minerals
Given below is how macronutrients and micronutrients contribute to health.
Given below is how macronutrients and micronutrients contribute to health.
The amount of energy you receive from food is measured in calories.
One gram of carbohydrate gives 4 calories, one gram of protein gives 4 calories and one gram of fat gives 9 calories of energy. The macronutrients are needed in substantial quantities for growth and good maintenance of the body.
Vitamins and minerals are required only in minute or small quantities for the growth and functioning of the body. Both types of nutrients are required for the well being of the body
The importance of macro nutrients and micronutrients
The importance of macro nutrients and micronutrients
Micronutrients
Micronutrients
Vitamins
Vitamins
Fibre is the indigestible part of plant food. This undigested material passes through the intestines and helps in the formation and passing of faeces.
Some food rich in fibre are given below.
• Grains with bran
• Green leaves, fruits, vegetables
• cashew-nuts, peanuts
• Soya, gram, cowpea, green gram, dhal
The amount of fibre varies according to the nature and the type of the
food. Therefore we should select food types rich in fibre.
eg: Mango pieces - rich in fibre
Mango drink - less fibre
Water is an essential component for our body. Pure water is a colourless, odourless liquid which does not have any externally visible pollutants. According to the World Health Organization, water with a pH value in the range of 6.6-7 is suitable for drinking.
The use of impure water can infect you with diseases such as cholera, dysentery, yellow fever (jaundice) and typhoid. Therefore boiling the water before drinking is important.
Why is water necessary for us?
1. To control the body temperature
2. To remove the waste matter from the body
3. To avoid dehydration
4. To properly maintain the digestive, circulatory, excretory and absorption processes.
Water balance
An ordinary person requires 1.5 - 2 Litres (7 - 8 glasses) of water every day. But according to the body weight the water requirement could differ.
The body gets water not only in the form of pure drinking water but also from other sources as well. Water also passes out of the body.
The balance of the amount of water consumed and the amount of water lost is referred to as water balance.
In certain special situations such as participation in sports and in dry weather, more water is lost from the body. In such situations the correct water balance can be maintained by drinking more water.
Water requirement can be fulfilled in different ways.
A food pyramid or a diet pyramid is a pyramid shaped diagram representing the optimal number of servings to be taken each day from various groups of food to maintain a healthy body.
In grade 6 you learned about the food plate. Food groups are shown on a plate to understand better the proportions of food that should be taken from each group.
Half of this consists of food containing carbohydrates while the other half consists of other foods.
Things you have to keep in mind when planning your meal
Things you have to keep in mind when planning your meal
• The food must have a certain level of nutrition
• Colour, odour, taste
• Using different methods of cooking
• Variety in food items
• Selecting food items that are freely available during that season
Let us avoid unhealthy food
Let us avoid unhealthy food
Food containing excessive amounts of oil, sugar and salt as well as food containing harmful flavours and colourings and unclean food can pose a threat to your health.
1. Food having excessive amounts of oil, sugar and salt
This increases the risk of getting non-communicable diseases.
• The maximum amount of sugar one should take per day is 6 teaspoons. This includes the sugar we get from food. So you can have only two teaspoons of sugar per day in addition to what you get from food.
• The maximum salt intake per day is 1 teaspoon (5 grams).
2. Food that contains artificial colouring agents and flavours
To improve the colour and taste of food, manufacturers use various flavours and colouring agents to food during production. Some of them are natural and some are artificial.
Long term consumption of food containing even permitted additives can cause harmful health effects. Therefore it is safer to use only natural additives.
3. Unsanitary food
You have to be mindful about the cleanliness of the food you select. Nevertheless, the personal hygiene of the person who prepares the food affects its quality.
What you can do about this:
• People who prepare food must always wear suitable head ware, gloves, shoes, masks and protective dresses.
• Use hand wash or disinfectant after using the toilet or before handling food.
• If you have a wound in the hand, you must not touch food unless it is properly covered.
• You should not touch food if you have an infectious disease such as diarrhoea or a skin infection.
• You must not wear jewellery, watches, pins etc. when preparing food.
Things to remember when buying food
Things to remember when buying food
1. Check the production and expiry dates.
2. Look at the ingredients including flavours and colouring agents
3. Make sure that the SLS logo (Sri Lanka Standards) is there.
4. Be mindful about the freshness of food .
5. Consider the requirements of the family.
6. See whether there are animal bites or other damage.
7. Should be suitable for the person who is eating it.
eg: patients, pregnant mothers, infants.
Traditional foods
Traditional foods
The use of traditional condiments in food preparation
From ancient times people have been using condiments to improve the taste, nourishment,colour and smell of food. condiments;
• improve appetite
• help digestion
It is traditionaly believed that there are medicinal value in certain natural additives.
eg:
1. ginger - for indigestion
2. dill seeds - reduce cholesterol in blood
3. turmeric - act as a disinfectant and improve mental functions
4. cinnamon - increase the function of insulin, act as an anti oxidant, reduce body fat.
5. garlic - help kill cancer cells, help the immune system
Preservation of food according to traditional methods
Preservation of food according to traditional methods
From ancient times people have used different methods of preserving excess food after bountiful harvests.
Traditional food produced in our country with high nutritional value
Traditional food produced in our country with high nutritional value
• Mixed green Malluma
• Seven vegetable curry (Hath Maluwa)
• "Diya bath" - rice with water
• "Thalapa" - thick porridge
How you can contribute to find nutritional food
How you can contribute to find nutritional food
1. Advertisements and promotional media campaigns should be viewed discerningly. You should not get misled by puffery used in advertising.
2. Taking nutritional food at the correct time.
3. Eat home made food whenever possible.
4. Selection of short eats full of nutrients (healthy snacks)
• boiled gram(chick peas), cowpea, sago.
• "Aggala" - sweet meats made of rice flour.
• Food made of Ata flour.
• Rice flour "Aluwa", "Helapa", other rice flour or ''Kurakkan" products.
5. Proper selection of packeted and tinned food items
Instances when packeted food must not be used
• When it is damaged or crushed
• When it has passed its expiry date
• When there is discolouration
Instances when tinned food should not be used
• When the can or lid is bulging
• When the can is dented
• When the tin is damaged or leaking
• When it has passed its expiry date
6. Nutritional problems can be avoided by knowing your nutritional levels.
For this purpose the BMI and the waist circumference that you learnt in
Grade 6 can be used.
At the same time you must be aware of different nutritional problems.
Using the home garden and school compound for food production
Using the home garden and school compound for food production
By cultivating food crops in the home or school garden as needed for daily consumption, one can have fresh food. While it is good for health, it will also save your money.
Let's see how we can effectively use the home garden and the school compound
Management of space
• Use rain water as far as possible for your cultivation
• Use carbonic fertilizer for your cultivation
• Use natural methods to minimize attacks from insects.
eg:
Grow "Daspethiya" plants (chrysanthemums) - insect repellent
Remove weeds by hand
Keep the cultivated area clean
Food is necessary for our physical development, energy and the protection of health. The nutrients we get from food are divided into two parts called macronutrients and micronutrients. Both these nutrients are necessary for the proper maintenance of health.
These nutrients are present in different proportions in different food items. Therefore meals should be prepared in such a way that all nutrients are received in due proportion and sufficient quantity. The food pyramid and the food plate will help to understand the food types and the proportion of the food types one should eat.
It is unhealthy to consume food having a high content of sugar, oil and salt and food containing artificial flavours and colouring. Unsanitary food is also harmful to health.
You must be mindful of hygiene when you buy and prepare food. Natural flavours are used in many traditional foods that have been popular for generations. Many traditional methods are also being used to preserve food and enhance their nutritional value.
You should also take the initiative in choosing a nutritious meal and using home and school gardens for foods cultivation to have fresh and clean food.
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