Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mr. Balum.

Thanks for choosing this lesson.

This is all around plant-rich and diverse.

Let's get started.

So what are you going to learn by going through this lesson today? Well, you'll be able to identify ways in which the diet can be healthier and more sustainable.

Let's look at some key words that we're going to cover in today's lesson.

So the first one is plant-rich, and this is a diet that comprises lots of fruits and vegetables as well as cereals, beans, legumes, seeds, and nuts.

The second word is the word diverse, and this means a wide range of variety.

The third one is sustainable, and this is all around using resources to meet the needs today without adversely impacting on the needs of tomorrow.

And the fourth one is food system.

And this is the complex web of activities needed for the production, processing, transport and consumption of our food.

Okay, so let's get started looking at the food system first of all.

So a healthy sustainable diet is one that has a low impact on the environment, but it's still good for us.

And sustainability is a very complex topic and we must consider both the planet and people.

And balance is really important to think about.

So for example, a food might be affordable but not nutritious or not produced in a way that cares for the environment.

Or alternatively, a food might be produced with care and nutrition but might not be affordable.

So it's about balance with people and the planet.

So to improve our health and to combat the effects of the current food system on the environment, we need to think about changing that food system itself.

And the food system is a complex web of activities all around the production of our food right the way through to the consumption.

And at present, our food system is responsible for roundabout one fifth to one third of all greenhouse gases, this is globally.

And these gases are released by our activity and contribute to climate change.

Also, our food system is responsible for round about two thirds of global fresh water use.

And lastly, round about one third of land is used to produce our food.

So we can see that the food system is very complex and that the impact of climate change is increasing the global temperatures and extreme weather events.

And there are many different impacts of these on our food production.

So for example, it might be longer dry periods which can cause waters to dry up and crops to die, or perhaps where there's lots of wet periods and fields are flooded and soil just washes away, or perhaps it harms animals and damages the grass that they feed on.

Or perhaps there's different types of diseases to the crops and the animals.

And also crops may collapse or animals may need to be kept inside more often due to the weather.

In addition to climate change as well as our use of different resources such as land and water, we also know that we've got an increase in global population, which is estimated to be around 10 billion by 2050.

And this increase in population will also mean an increase in the demand for food, especially animal-based food like meat and milk, especially as populations become more prosperous.

So this higher demand for food will place even more pressure on our food system, which has already been affected by climate change.

So let's just check you've been listening shall we? So true or false.

In the future, the increase in population will decrease the pressure on the global food system.

Yes.

That's false isn't it? And why is that? Well, as the population's increasing, this will place a higher demand for food and an increasing pressure on our food system, which is already being affected by climate change.

Well done if you got that correct.

So we need to make sure there's enough food for everyone and it's produced in a sustainable way that protects our planet by also improving our own health.

And it's important to note that our understanding is still developing on this area.

However, there are some changes that we can make which will benefit our own health as well as the planet.

For healthy and sustainable diets, we should do these three things.

The first one is that we should all follow "The Eatwell Guide." You've probably heard of "The Eatwell Guide," before.

Secondly, we should have a plant-rich diet.

And thirdly, we need to diversify the sources of protein in our diets.

Let's look at the first one, "The Eatwell Guide." And as we know, this is the recommended healthy eating model in the UK.

And the guide shows the proportions and types of foods that we need to be healthy through five main food groups.

And it really does promote variety.

It also shows us that foods high in fat, salt and sugars are not needed in the diet.

But if we do have them, we should have them less often and in small amounts.

And it's also interesting to note that the Carbon Trust calculated that "The Eatwell Guide," has a 32% lower environmental footprint compared to the current national diet.

So this is something that we can all do, follow "The Eatwell Guide." So let's have a quick check for understanding shall we? Following "The Eatwell Guide," has a blank lower environmental footprint compared to the National Diet.

A, B, or C? Yes, that's right.

It's 32%, isn't it? So the second part was about having a plant-rich diet.

And we can do this by finding ways to have more vegetables, fruits, beans, pulses, nuts, seeds and whole grains in our diet.

And we need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

And these are good for our health and tend to have a lower environmental impact than other types of foods.

And when we look at "The Eatwell Guide," we can see that it's at least two thirds plant-based.

So it's already promoting a plant-rich diet.

So you can see here Izzy's asking whether a plant-rich diet means that she shouldn't eat meat or dairy for a healthier or more sustainable diet.

Well, Alex here is explaining that it's not necessary to cut out meat or dairy from the diet completely for a healthier and more sustainable diet.

Do you remember, we need to follow "The Eatwell Guide." We need to have a plant-rich diet and we need to diversify the sources of protein.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So true or false.

A plant-rich diet means not eating any meat or dairy foods.

That's right.

It's false isn't it? And why is that? Well, a plant-rich diet contains lots of fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds.

And it's not necessary to cut out meat or dairy completely from the diet for it to be more healthy and sustainable, it's about balance and variety.

And the third part was about having a diversity of different sources of protein in the diet.

So for example, we should choose a range of protein foods like beans and pulses as well as eggs and meat.

And also we should choose sustainably sourced fish.

So I've got a task for you here and I want you to give at least two practical tips for how the diet could be healthier and more sustainable for these three areas.

The first one, follow "The Eatwell Guide," second one, have a plant-rich diet.

And the third one, diversify sources of protein.

So good luck, pause the video and we'll come back and look at some examples together very soon.

Brilliant work.

How did you get on? Let's have a quick look at some examples shall we? So let's look at "The Eatwell Guide," First of all shall we? So some of the practical tips you could have put, are for example, eat the five food groups in the right proportions, not too much of one thing, and have a variety of different foods within that group.

Also, you might have talked about limiting the amount of foods that are high in fat, salts and sugars in the diet too, well done.

The next one was about having a plant-rich diet.

So going for five a day, for example, do you remember it's at least five a day and having more beans and pulses in a diet or perhaps you might swap to whole grain cereals at breakfast time.

So there were lots of different practical tips you could do to have a plant-rich diet.

And the last one, diversify sources of protein.

You could have had things like at mealtime, perhaps having beans and pulses more, not just meat, or perhaps eating fish that is sustainably sourced.

I'm sure you come up with some really great ideas.

Well done to you.

So now let's move on to the second part of the lesson, which is all about healthier and more sustainable.

So our diets, the food that we eat, and the recipes we cook can be modified to be healthier and more sustainable.

And while the environmental impact, the different foods can vary, there are some general principles that we can follow to be healthier and more sustainable.

The first one is to have more of a plant-rich diet, which we've already talked about in this lesson.

The second one is to get your five a day.

Remember it's the least five a day.

The third one is to choose sustainably sourced fish.

The fourth one is to choose more plant-based sources of protein.

Remember that's diversity of protein sources.

And then to limit foods high in fat, salt and sugars.

So let's look at the first one.

To eat a more plant-rich diet.

So research shows that eating a diet that is plant-rich has benefits to our health as well as environmental impact too.

And this includes in our diet having more vegetables, fruit, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds, as well as whole grain foods too.

So how can our diets be modified to be more plant-rich? Take a few moments and think about what your answer might be.

Okay, let's have a look at some examples together, shall we? So these could be things like including fruits and vegetables at every mealtime, which is something that we should do anyway.

Include vegetables in things like wraps, curries, soups and stews.

So when you're looking at recipes, try and include these things all the time.

Or perhaps mixing beans and pulses into meat dishes.

So if you're making a lasagna, you slightly less meat and put some beans and pulses in as well.

Also, going from more whole grain foods to, as well as having fruits and vegetables for a snack.

Take a few moments to think about any other ideas that you've got though you can make your diet more plant-rich.

The next one was all around getting your five a day.

And we know that fruits and vegetables tend to have a lower environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, land use, than other types of foods.

But currently only about one third of UK adults are actually reaching the five a day recommendation.

So there's quite a lot of work that we need to do.

So again, how can our diets be modified to help achieve five a day? So take a few moments to think about what you could do or what you could suggest to others.

So let's look at some examples.

So for example, you could have more fruits or snacks and vegetables too, or perhaps you could add extra fresh canned or frozen vegetables when you're cooking to things like curries, soups and stews, or perhaps sprinkling some dried fruits or chopped banana on top of your breakfast cereal in the morning, that's a really easy way to help you towards your five a day.

Any other ideas? Remember five a day includes all different types of fruits and vegetables.

Plus it could be fresh, canned, frozen juice or dried.

There are lots of different options.

So let's have a quick check shall we? As a population, we should have a plant-rich diet and achieve five a day for healthier and more sustainable diet.

Yes, that's true isn't it? And why is that? Well, research shows that a diet that is plant-rich, which includes five a day, can have benefits for our health as well as reduce the environmental impact of what we eat.

Well done to you.

So the next one was all around choosing sustainably sourced fish.

And government advice is that we should all eat two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily.

And it's interesting to note that in the UK we probably only eat about half of this, about one portion a week.

However, globally the fish consumption has increased dramatically over the last 50 years.

And this increase in demand means about one third of global fish stocks and now classified as overfished.

So what can we do to modify our diet to use more sustainable fish? Any thoughts? Let's look a few examples together, shall we? But we need to make sure we choose fish when we're buying it, that has ecolabels, a bit like the one on the screen, and this shows us that the fish have come from more sustainable stocks.

Also, we need to choose a wider variety of different types of fish.

Traditionally in the UK we eat the big five, so we have lots of cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns.

But there are lots of different types of species of fish.

So we need to really try and eat a wider variety of different types of fish.

And we really do need to try and cook with other different types of fish.

And these might be more abundant or sourced in a more sustainable way.

And these are things like mussels, for example, or mackerel or European hake.

How else do you think diets and recipes could include more fish? The next one was about choosing more plant-based sources of protein.

But this doesn't mean that if you eat meat you suddenly have to stop, or milk too.

Because for example, meat is a good source of protein and provides essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

So it's not necessary to cut out meat or dairy from our diet completely to have a more sustainable diet.

However, we all need to include a greater variety of plant-based sources of protein in our diet from things like beans and pulses for example.

So how can our diets be modified to include more plant-based proteins? Take a few moments to think about what you would suggest.

Okay, let's look at some examples together, shall we? Well, eating more beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, for example, quite a simple way, but in a much more effective too, or using plant-based meat alternatives.

For example, soya or tofu.

Like you can see on the screen here.

Or perhaps replacing some or all of the meat in recipes like you're making a cottage pie.

So how else could diets and recipes include more plant-based sources of protein? Let's have a quick check, shall we? So which of these is a plant-based protein source? A, B, C, D.

Yes, that's right.

It's A, isn't it tofu? Anything else? Yes, that's right, C, lentils, tofu and lentils are plant-based protein sources, well done.

The last one is about limiting foods high in fat, salt and sugars.

And this includes foods like cakes, biscuits, crisps, and pastries, which are not healthy choices.

And these foods can also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions connected to our diet as well as land and water use too.

So limiting these foods is a good way to reduce our environmental footprint, especially if we eat these foods often or in large amounts.

So again, how can our diets be modified to limit foods high in fat, salt and sugars? Take a few moments to think about this.

Okay, let's look at some examples, shall we? So the first one is that if you do have these foods, which are not needed in the diet, but if you do have them, we should have them only occasionally and in small amounts.

And also we need to be aware of the portion size that we're eating.

So we should just take out what we want.

Also, we should look at replacing snacks with healthier alternatives.

For example, fruit and vegetables, toast, with yoghourt or a slice of fruit loaf.

Also, we should check labels and go for healthier options.

Using labels like on the screen here.

Can you see the traffic light? How else can diets and recipes be modified to limit foods high fat, salt and sugars.

Right, let's have a quick check, shall we? So which of these food labels is the healthiest choice? Look carefully.

Yes, that's right.

It's C, isn't it? Be it very carefully, particularly around the energy and fat.

It's the lower one of the three.

Well done.

So I've got a task for you here and I want you to answer the following questions from these pupils all around making their diets healthier and more sustainable.

So pause the video, good luck and we'll come back and look at some examples very soon together.

Okay, so how'd you get on? So let's look at the first one together, shall we? This is Jacob, so he's saying, "How can I make my meals for one day more plant-rich?" So what ideas did you come up with? There's so many.

Let's just look at a few examples.

So Jacob could for example, include more fruits and vegetables at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Or perhaps he should get at least his five a day.

We could have fruit and vegetables as a snack.

And also he should go for beans and pulses in meals such as a bean soup or a lentil bake.

How about Aisha? What did she say? So she was asking, "I need to eat more fish in my diet in a week, how can I do this responsibly, any ideas?" But what did you come up with? Well, for example, it could be about helping her to plan her meals over a week, just to make sure that she has two portions of fish, one of which is oily.

She could also check that the fish is from sustainable source.

For example, using the MSC food label.

She could also pick fish other than the big five, such as mackerel.

And lastly, she can make some delicious dishes, for example, like fish tacos or perhaps homemade fish fingers.

Well done if you've got any of these and I bet you've come up with some great ideas too.

And the last one, Sam, "I love cakes and crisps, but also know I need to have different proteins.

What can I do?" What did you come up with? Well, for a first one, it really is about cutting down on cakes and crisps and having them less often and in smaller amounts.

Also that she needs to check the food labels, the things in lower in fat salts and sugars.

Next, she could have beans or lentils more in her diet.

So for example, she could have a bean burger or perhaps a veggie lentil pasta bake.

And lastly, she could replace some of the meat recipes, for example, having a beefy bean pie.

Well done to you.

I'm sure you come up with lots of great ideas.

So now let's move on to the next part of lesson, which is all around waste less food.

So reducing food waste is key to making our diets more sustainable, whatever types of food that we choose to eat.

And it's been estimated that food waste contributes around 10% of greenhouse gases globally.

And it's important to note that food waste happens at all stages from farm to fork.

And this is the production and processing of food to being sold in shops, cafes, and restaurants as well as in the home.

Also reducing the amount of food wasted at each of these stages has financial as well as environmental benefits.

So in the UK, roughly about one quarter of all the food that's produced is wasted every year.

And this includes about 6.

4 million tonnes of edible food worth around 21 billion pounds.

And that's enough to feed the entire UK population three meals a day for nearly three months.

That's a lot of food.

So not only is edible food being wasted, but so are the planet's and businesses' resources too.

So let's look at where the food waste happens, shall we? Well in retail when you're buying a supermarket, it's only about 2%.

If we then look at the next, is the hospitality and food service.

So things like cafes and restaurants.

Manufacturing, producing food, about 13%.

Farms about 15%, but the big one is households.

So food waste 60%.

And for all of these areas, there are plans in place to help reduce food waste.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? The largest producer of food waste in the UK is A, B, C, or D? Yes, that's right.

It's C, isn't it? It's in the home.

Remember it's 60%, well done.

So with food waste accounted for 60% in households, we should all aim to waste less food at home.

And food waste costs the average UK home around 720 pounds a year.

And it also contributes to climate change.

But action can be taken.

So for example, over the last three years, the UK has reduced its food waste by 7% and that saved the public 1 billion pounds in food.

So we can reduce the amount of food we throw away by simple actions.

So for example, we should plan meals and snacks in advance and this stops us from overbuying foods helping to reduce food waste.

We should also buy loose fruits and vegetables, so we only buy what we need.

We don't buy a big bag of something and let it go off in the fridge for example.

We should also use leftovers to make other meals.

So for example, if we had a roast chicken, we could make a curry from it or perhaps some sandwiches and we should store leftovers for another time.

For example, freezing past the bake that we've made.

We can also reduce the amount of food that we throw away by serving the right portion size.

So not giving too much, just so you don't throw away any leftovers on the plate.

We also need to make sure that the food is stored properly.

And simple things like making sure the fridge is at the right temperature is really important.

And also we need to check and use the food labels properly, checking the use by dates or best before dates, for example.

And we need to make sure we store food properly too.

So let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we? So which of the following are strategies to reduce food waste at home? A, B, C, D.

Yes, that's right.

A isn't it? Buying loose fruit and veg.

Anything else? Yeah, well done, D.

Using leftovers to make other meals.

Brilliant work well done.

So here's your final task and as we've learned about 60% of food waste occurs in the home.

So what I want you to do is outline four practical ways that food waste could be reduced when preparing and cooking meals.

So good luck to you, think about what we've learned today, pause the video and we'll come back very shortly to see how you've got on.

Okay, so how did you get on? Did you come up some great ideas.

I bet you have.

So here just four examples of what you could have put.

I'm sure you've come up with lots of different things.

So the first one you could have done, for example, is about planning in advance so you know exactly what to buy.

So for example, buying loose fruits and vegetables.

So there isn't any waste to begin with.

The next one is around making meals from leftovers.

And you can plan that in advance and that means wasting less food.

So you could use vegetables in soups or perhaps using potatoes as a topping for a fish pie.

And the third one is about not serving too much 'cause that could lead to food waste.

So we could just freeze any leftovers for another time.

And lastly, we need to check food labels and use foods that are about to go outta date first.

Well done to everybody.

I bet you did a great work.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this lesson today.

It's really interesting isn't it, to explore aspects of healthier and more sustainable diets, plant-rich and diverse.

So let's have a quick summary of what we've learned, shall we? While we know that a healthy sustainable diet is one that has a low impact on the environment, but is still good for our health, that's really important.

And also for healthier and more sustainable diets, we should follow "The Eatwell Guide," have a more plant-rich diet and diversify sources of protein.

We've also learned there are general principles to follow for a healthier, more sustainable diet.

So for example, having a plant-rich diet, having five a day, choosing sustainably sourced fish, choosing more plant-based sources of protein, and then limiting foods to high in fat, salt and sugars.

And lastly, reducing food waste is a really important part in us having more sustainable diets, no matter the type of diet that we have.

Well brilliant, well done, great work today and hope you come back very soon for another cooking and nutrition lesson with me.

Thanks a lot.

Bye.