Balanced diet
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the components of a healthy diet and how they contribute to good health.
Key learning points
- Food groups include protein, carbohydrate, lipids/fats, water, minerals, vitamins and fibre.
- Each food group plays a role in maintaining a healthy body.
- A balanced diet is needed to maintain good health.
- People need different amounts of particular nutrients at different times in their lives, depending on their lifestyle.
Keywords
Food group - Foods that share similar nutritional properties will be in the same food group.
Nutrient - Nutrients are essential for a healthy body and mind.
Balanced diet - A balanced diet is comprised of the right amount of each food group.
Common misconception
Proteins are the main source of energy. All fat in the diet can cause ill health.
Protein is used for growth of cells and repair of tissue. Fats are essential for cell membranes and as an energy store.
Teacher tip
During the lesson really encourage students to think about what a balanced diet is. It should be a well proportioned mix of all the food groups. We shouldn't eliminate food groups from our diet.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which food is a good source of calcium?
Q2.True or false? Healthy means you are free from physical pain.
Q3.Which food is not a good source of protein?
Q4.True or false? Fibre helps us to digest our food.
Q5.What is the function of red blood cells?
Q6.Match the food to the nutrients that it is broken down into.
Fatty acids and glycerol
Amino acids
Sugars
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why should you eat fibre?
Q2.Match the food group to its role in the body.
Provide energy for the body.
Provide energy and insulation for the body.
Needed for growth and repair.
Needed in small amounts to maintain a health body.
Helps food move through the digestive system.
Needed for chemical reactions, and to stay hydrated.
Q3.What should a balanced diet be made up of?
Q4.Match the vitamins and minerals to their role in the body.
Needed to make red blood cells.
Keeps our cells healthy and supports wound healing.
Needed for strong bones and teeth and healthy immune system.
Q5.True or false? We should eat lots of saturated fat in our diet.
Q6.Who do you agree with?
To help you plan your 8 science lesson on: Balanced diet, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 science lesson on: Balanced diet, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Diet and exercise unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.