The Savvy Students’ Guide to Food and Nutrition
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Introduction Knowing how to prepare delicious and nutritious food is a fundamental part of being healthy, living independently and providing you with important tools that will stay with you for life. This Savvy Students guide to food and nutrition will give you easy to digest nutrition advice and a selection of recipes and tips to get you started on your culinary journey.
Nutrition Wherever you look in the world, the basic pillars of evidence based ‘good nutrition’ remain the same. Whether it is from official bodies in the UK, France, and Australia; the World Health Organisation, The World Cancer Research Fund or the American Heart Association. We all sing from the same basic hymn sheet. In the UK, our own evidence-based nutrition guidance ultimately filters down from the Department of Health via for example the executive agency Public Health England, which employs over 5,000 staff most of whom are scientists, researchers and public health professionals Whichever way you look at it, healthy eating essentially comes down to some key points which involve; eating plenty of vegetables and fruit; basing meals around wholegrains and having lean sources of animal protein and/or vegetable protein at each meal. It also involves eating these foods in sensible servings and in a regular pattern without adding excess salt, animal fats and sugar. Why It Matters Eating in a balanced way can affect our mood, how we feel and our health in both the short and long term. In the short term it can lead to lower levels of stress and improve cognition or of an individual whether at work, in school or in day-to-day leisure and home life. In long term, eating a balanced and healthy diet can help people to achieve and maintain a body weight within a normal range. In turn this lowers the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, raised blood pressure and stroke as well as bringing down the risk of certain cancers. Making meals balanced and nutritious over the long term can also help with everything from creating and preserving healthy teeth and bones to reducing the risk of low moods or age related blindness. What we eat and drink and eat over time affects our bodies physically, emotionally and psychologically throughout life.
Healthy Eating Guidelines The Eatwell Guide highlights the different types of food that make up our diet, and is a visual illustration of the types and proportions of foods that contribute to a healthy, well-balanced and sustainable style of eating. It’s a good idea to try to get this balance right every day, but you don’t need to do it at every meal. You might find it easier to get the balance right over a longer period, like a week. Eating healthily is also about eating the right amount of food for your energy needs. In England, most adults are either overweight or obese. This means many of us are eating more than we need.
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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide
Energy: 2,000kcal, Protein 50g, Fat 70g, Saturated Fat 20g, Carbohydrate 260g, Total Sugars* 90g, Salt 6g. * Total sugars in the context of labelling include milk and fruit sugars (lactose and fructose) as well as ‘free sugars’ such as those added to products in the form of sugar, honey, fruit nectars and syrups, treacle and molasses for example. The UK government recommends no more than 30g a day of these free sugars for children over 11 and adults, no more than 24g daily for children age 7-11 and no more than 19g for children age 4-6 years. More on this later.
Eating Healthily - Why Bother? Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you and your family to both feel and do your best whether that is at work, in the classroom or in your leisure time. Tasty, enjoyable and balanced meals and snacks each day can help to:
Shed excess body weight if needed. Gain weight if underweight. Provide the recommended intakes for vitamins and minerals as well as for protein, fat, saturated fat, salt and fibre and help in hitting the recommendations for ‘free sugars’. Lower the risk of health issues such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, joint problems and some forms of cancer.
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These practical tips help to provide an overall balance to meals: 1. Base your meals around wholegrains Complex carbohydrate foods should make up around one third of the foods you eat and include potatoes, and wholegrain cereals, pasta, rice and bread. They provide energy along with a range of vitamins and minerals. Choosing wholegrain varieties and where possible, eating potatoes with their skins on also boosts fibre, which is good for gut health and can help you feel fuller than refined versions. Opting for complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly, can also help to control hunger. These options are described as being low glycaemic index, more on which later. The idea is to try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Starchy foods are sometimes seen as ‘fattening’, but gram for gram carbohydrates provide 4kcal per gram compared with fat, which provides 9kcal per gram. 2. Eat lots of fruit and veg It’s recommended that we eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and vegetables a day. This can be easier than it may first appear, as a portion is 80g of fresh, frozen or canned vegetables or fruit. In addition, 30g of dried fruit counts as a portion and so too, a 150ml glass of smoothie or unsweetened 100% fruit juice (150ml). Vegetables and fruits count towards your five a day when they are cooked as part of a dish, for example the tomatoes and onions in a Bolognese sauce. 3. Add lean sources of protein Protein rich foods include eggs, milk, soya milk, lean red meat, fish, pulses, tofu and Quorn. Protein is needed for growth and development in children and young adults and for maintaining health of every cell in the body for adults including muscles, skin and bones. Having a serving at each meal can also help to fill you up and feel satisfied after eating. Gram for gram, protein provides the same number of calories as carbohydrates, with each gram giving you 4kcal. If you are not following a vegan diet or a style of vegetarianism that excludes fish, then aim to eat at least two, 140g portions of fish a week, including at least one portion of oily fish to give you omega-3 essential fats, which may help to prevent heart disease.
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You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned: but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt. Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines and pilchards. Nonoily fish include haddock, plaice, coley, cod, tinned tuna, skate and hake. If you regularly eat a lot of fish, try to choose as wide a variety as possible. 4. Be mindful about fat We all need some fat in our diet to provide essential fatty acids found in oily fish, nuts and seeds. But it’s important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we’re eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. For most people, too much saturated fat increases the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of developing heart disease. Saturated fats are found in many foods, such as hard cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, cream, butter, lard, tropical oils like palm and coconut oil. Unsaturated fats are found in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados. For a healthier choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When you’re having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. It is important to remember however that all fat whether it is a ‘healthy’ oil like olive oil or perceived as ‘unhealthy’ like lard provides 9 calories per gram and too much of any type is going to quickly push the total calorie content of your meal or snack up. When you look at nutrition labels on foods if you see it has more than 17.5g of fat per 100g then you know it is ‘high’ in fat. If it less than 3g of fat per 100g, this is ‘low’ in fat.
5. Sugar Most people in the UK eat and drink too much sugar. Sugary foods and drinks, including alcoholic drinks, are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories), and if eaten too often, can contribute to weight gain, which increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals. Sugary fizzy drinks, fruit juices and squashes, alcoholic drinks, sugary breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits and pastries, plus sweets contain added sugars: this is the kind of sugar we should be cutting down on, rather than sugars that are found in whole fruit and milk. Food labels can help: use them to check how much sugar foods contain. More than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g means that the food is high in sugar, while 5g of total sugars or less per 100g means that the food is low in sugar.
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6. Think carefully about salt intakes Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you may still be eating more than the 6g recommended maximum for the day because about three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Using food labels can be a helpful way to help cut down your own salt intake and the salt in your cooking. If a product has more than 1.5g of salt per 100g, this means the food is high in salt. While adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt a day, babies under a year should have no more than 1g daily. Children 1-3 no more than 2g a day; 4-6 year olds no more than 3g daily and 7-10 year olds no more than 5g a day. 7. Be aware of hydration We need to drink about 1.6 to 2 litres of fluid every day to remain hydrated. This is in addition to the fluid we get from the food we eat. It’s vital to maintain good levels of hydration as even mild forms of dehydration can lead to disruption to concentration and focus, increased perceived levels of stress and more chance of losing your temper. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water and lower-fat milk are healthier choices. Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugars and calories, and are also bad for teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice is sugary, so try to limit how much you drink to no more than one glass (about 150ml) of fruit juice each day. When the weather is warm, or when we get active, we may need more fluids. Children and older people have less ability to detect feelings of thirst and need to be encouraged to drink regularly through habit to maintain adequate hydration levels.
8. Create regular meal patterns Eating regular meals is an important part of eating well. For people who are active and working in a ‘normal’ daytime pattern, this means having something to eat at breakfast time, stopping again to eat at lunchtime and eating again at dinnertime.
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An individual’s mealtimes can vary due to preferences for eating - some prefer an early breakfast and/or dinner, others a later breakfast and/an earlier dinner. It’s getting into the habit of having regular meals, which can help us to keep blood sugar and energy levels topped up along with the other nutrients and fluids we need to optimise the way we feel, think and behave throughout the day. Eating in a regular pattern may also help us to control energy intakes and therefore body weight.
9. Portion sizes Think carefully about portion sizes you serve. Generally, portion sizes and therefore the number of calories a food or drinks provides, have gradually crept up since the 1970’s. For the majority of UK adults, who carry excess body weight, reducing portion sizes could be a positive step, helping them to lower their overall calorie intake. There are many ways to achieve this. You may consider for example, gradually lowering an average, standard portion of chips from 250g to 150g. This brings calories down from 693 to 416, with a saving of 277 calories. While a 500g portion of lasagne provides 920 calories, a 350g serving comes down to 644 calories (altering some of the key ingredients such whole milk to skimmed, cheddar to reduced fat cheddar and standard mince to mince that has been cooked, left to cool and skimmed of the fat for instance, could be brought down lower still). Reducing a serving of cooked rice from 250g to 150g brings calories down from 360 to 216, with a saving of 144 calories. Switching from a 100g portion of carrot cake with 380 calories to a 60g portion of sponge with jam and cream with 215 calories saves a further 165 calories.
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While the majority of adults could benefit from habitually eating smaller portions, it is important to remember that there are always exceptions to the rule. A man or woman who regularly trains hard will for instance have a higher than average calorie requirement and quite simply, need more food! Although many people eat more calories than they need, it is still possible for them to be malnourished because they eat too few nutrients within these calories. Equally, other people may eat too few calories and too few nutrients and be malnourished in terms of both energy and certain vitamins and minerals for example. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which is carried out in England, reveals that teenagers, women and older people can be vulnerable to poor intakes of certain vitamins and minerals. Teenage boys and girls for example tend to not meet their recommended intakes of calcium and women and teenage girls fall short on iron. Older people often do not meet their needs for fibre and vitamin D.
10. Body Weight Over the last 40 years the average body weight in the UK of adults has steadily risen, leaving us now with the situation where it is more normal to be carrying extra weight than to be with the normal range of weight for your height. Most adults in the UK therefore need to lose weight and need to eat fewer calories and get more active to do this. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help by naturally lowering the amount of foods that are high in fat and sugar and by encouraging instead plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates and lean protein.
11. Calories Knowing how many calories there are in foods and drinks can be helpful when trying to get to or maintain a healthy body weight. This information will appear under the “Energy” heading on pre-packed foods and is now appearing more and more in coffee shops and on some menus. The calorie content is often given in kcals, which is short for “kilocalories”, and also in kJ, which is short for “kilojoules”. A “kilocalorie” is another word for what is commonly called a “calorie”, so 1,000 calories will be written as 1,000kcals. Kilojoules are the metric measurement of calories. To find the energy content in kilojoules, multiply the calorie figure by 4.2. The label will usually tell you how many calories are contained in 100 grams or 100 millilitres of the food or drink, so you can compare the calorie content of different products. Many labels will also state the number of calories in “one portion” of the food. But remember that the manufacturer’s idea of “one portion” may not be the same as yours, so there could be more calories in the portion you serve yourself.
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5 Meals Out of 1 Basic Beef or Quorn Ragu Recipe This simple ragu/ sauce can form the base of many dishes. Once this has been made it will last in the fridge for 3 days or it can be frozen in portions and reheated when needed to make any of the following dishes. All these recipes come in under 500 calories per portion and the beef can be changed to quorn or soy mince if you wish to make vegetarian. Ingredients • 1 tbsp olive oil • 500g packet of extra lean beef mince (Quorn mince for vegetarian) • 2 onions (finely chopped) • 2 celery sticks (finely chopped) • 2 carrots (finely chopped) • 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) • 1 tbsp oregano • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 tins of tomatoes • 500ml beef or chicken stock (cube or fresh) • Salt & pepper ½ tsp each (or to taste)
Method 1. Put a large heavy based pan on a medium heat and add oil. 2. Place the beef in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. 3. When browned, place the cooked meat in a bowl to the side while keeping any remaining fat in the pan. 4. Add all the chopped vegetables to the pan and cook on a low gentle heat for 5-10 minutes. 5. Add the cooked meat back to the pan with the vegetables and all the other remaining ingredients. 6. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a low heat and cook slowly for 1-1.30 hours or until the water is reduced and the consistency has thickened.
IDEA 1: SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE (serves 1) To make a quick and easy bolognaise, mix 200g of the meat sauce with 150g of freshly boiled wholemeal spaghetti, 1tbsp grated parmesan and a few freshly torn basil leaves to garnish. Per serving: Energy 404kcal | Fat 9.4g | Carb 48g Protein 27g | Salt 0.98g | 1½ of your 5-a-day | Fibre 10g 9
Good source of: Vit A, B1, B3, B6, B12, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron zinc, manganese, selenium. IDEA 2: BEEF PIE WITH SWEET POTATO AND CHEDDAR CRUST (serves 2) To make a hearty beef pie with a sweet potato and cheddar crust, place 400g of meat sauce into an oven proof pie dish. Peel and boil 4 sweet potatoes until tender and mash with 1tbsp of butter and 1tbsp of grated mature cheddar. Layer the mash on top of the meat inside the pie dish and then glaze the top of mash with a beaten egg. Bake the pie in a 180C oven until piping hot in the centre and crispy on top. Serve with a side salad. Per serving: Energy 433kcal | Fat 15g Carb 48g | Protein 21g | Salt 1.2g3 of your 5-a-day | Fibre 10g Good source of: Vit A, C, B1, B3, B6, folate, B12, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium.
IDEA 3: MIXED BEAN BEEF CHILLI (serves 4, or 2 with lots of leftovers; see meals 4 & 5) To make a quick mixed bean beef chilli, heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a large heavy based pan on a medium-high heat. Open and drain 2 cans of kidney beans, chickpeas or pinto beans (whichever you can get hold of), and add to the pan. Fry for 2 minutes, then add 1tsp each of smoked paprika, cumin and chilli powder then fry for a further 2 minutes. Add 800g of the meat sauce, ½ tsp of salt and a splash of water, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Serve with ½pack of microwavable brown rice each and chopped coriander. Per serving: Energy 492kcal | Fat 12gCarb 62g | Protein 28g | Salt 1.4g 2 of your 5-a-day | Fibre 13g Good source of: Vit A, B1, B3, B6, folate, B12, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese.
IDEA 4: CHILLI BEEF, BEAN AND AVOCADO WRAP (serves 1) Using leftover mixed bean chilli, warm a large tortilla wrap and spread 1tsp of natural yogurt evenly on the base. Slice ½ an avocado, ½ a red pepper and a handful of lettuce then layer on top of the yogurt. Scatter on 80g of the bean chilli and fold in the sides and roll the bottom flap tightly to make a burrito style sandwich. Either place in a sandwich toaster to warm or enjoy cold. Per serving: Energy 483kcal | Fat 19gCarb 59g | Protein 15g | Salt 2.6g2½ of your 5-a-day | Fibre 10g Good source of: Vit A, C, B6, folate, potassium.
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IDEA 5: CHILLI BEEF STUFFED PEPPERS WITH HARISSA COUSCOUS (serves 2) Using leftover mixed bean chilli, slice the tops off 2 large peppers, reserving the tops and remove the seeds. Stuff in any leftover beef chilli (approx 80g each) into the peppers and place the tops back on so they act as a lid. Secure with tooth picks, then drizzle with 1tbsp of olive oil, ½tsp salt and roast in a 180C oven for 15 minutes until the peppers are soft and caramelised. To make the couscous, in a bowl, mix 100g of couscous with 1tsp of harissa pasta 200ml of hot water (or stock) and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Once the all the liquid has been absorbed, run a fork through the couscous to fluff up the grains. This can be eaten hot or cold. Per serving: Energy 481kcal | Fat 13g Carb 67g | Protein 19g | Salt 1.5g 1½ of your 5-a-day | Fibre 10g Good source of: Vit A, C, B1, B3, B6, folate, potassium, phosphorus, copper, manganese.
One final note. Good health and good study is built on a good heart. Getting your heart pumping hard (called ‘cardio work’) regularly, for example for15 minutes of being out of breath every day, will help enormously.
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