KS2 · Cooking and nutrition · Year 4
My meals the Eatwell Guide way
The Eatwell Guide: for me and you
Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.
IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/37
Your learning goal
I can sort meals and snacks into the Eatwell Guide food groups.
1 of 37
My meals the Eatwell Guide way: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
Original teaching resources
The original illustrated PowerPoint is available as well as the IllumED text slides. It retains the publisher’s design and credits.
Download original PowerPoint ↓What you’ll learn
I can sort meals and snacks into the Eatwell Guide food groups.
Key learning points
- Our diet (the food and drink consumed) can be mapped against the Eatwell Guide food groups for improvements.
- We need a little fat in our diet, such as oil and spreads.
- Foods such as crisps, ice cream, biscuits, cake and chocolate should be eaten less often and in small amounts.
- Meals and snacks can be sorted into the Eatwell Guide food groups.
Words to know
- diet
- all the food and drink we consume
- oil
- a liquid fat pressed from the seeds and nuts of a plant
- spreads
- a replacement for butter made from vegetable oils
- snacks
- food eaten between meals
Common mistakes
A diet means to lose weight.
The word ‘diet’ describes all the food and drink we consume.
Read the teaching transcript
Hello, I'm Mr. Ballam. Thanks very much for choosing this lesson. Today's lesson is all about my meals the Eatwell way. Let's get started. So what are we going to learn? Well, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to sort meals and snacks into the different Eatwell Guide food groups. And here are some keywords which you're gonna go through now, and you'll see them in the lesson. The first keyword is diet, and a diet means all the food and drink we consume, the food and drink we have every day. The next word is oil, and this is a liquid fat pressed from the seeds and nuts of a plant. You may have seen it, things like vegetable oil or perhaps olive oil. The next keyword is spreads, and this is a replacement from butter made from vegetable oils. You might put spread on your toast in the morning. And the last keyword is snacks, and these are foods that are generally eaten between meals. Okay, so let's get started with the first part of the lesson, which is all around meals. So this is the Eatwell Guide. You may have seen it before, and it shows us the proportions and types of foods that we need to eat to be healthy. And it has five main food groups. Can you see them? So we count together. There's the green one, there's the yellow one, there's the pinky one, there's the blue one, and there's a very, very small purple group. So those are the five main food groups. And we need to eat some of these foods from each group every day. Okay, so now, let's look at the five groups together, shall we? So this is the fruit and vegetables group. And what food can you see here? Have a look closely at the picture. What can you see? Can you tell me? Well, there's lots of different types of fruits and vegetables, aren't there? There's things like mushrooms, cucumber, and carrots, but also things like raisins, which are dried grapes, and canned chopped tomatoes, so they're tomatoes which are in a can, and there's also things like frozen peas. So there are lots of different types of fruits and vegetables. Well done for the ones that you come up with. And there are lots of others that are not in this picture too. And how much do you think we need to eat from this food group? I'm sure some of you will know it. Yes, that's right. We need to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. That's five a day. Well done. Next, this is the potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, another starchy carbohydrates food group. Wow, that's a long title, isn't it? But this group, you can see here, contains lots of different foods. What foods can you see here? Have a really close look. Can you tell me? Can you shout them out? Well, there's lots on the screen, aren't there? There's things like, I can see potatoes. I can see couscous, porridge, and pasta, rice, and spaghetti, as well as lots of others too. Now, how much do you think we need to eat from this food group? It's a bit more tricky, this one. Well, the advice is to eat foods from this food group at each mealtime. So I wonder what that could mean. Well, I suppose, at breakfast, it could be things like a breakfast cereal, couldn't it? Or at lunchtime, I might have a sandwich made from bread. Perhaps in the evening, I've got noodles or rice with a stir-fry. So this is how we have these types of foods with each meal. This is the next group. This is the beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, and other proteins food group. Wow, another big group. And what foods can you see here on the screen? Have a close look. Can you tell me? Yeah, there's lots of different foods, aren't there? We start from the top, there are things like lentils or baked beans, or lean beef mince, or perhaps canned tuna fish. And there's eggs, and there's even things like mackerel and chicken too. So there are lots of different types of foods in this food group. And we need to eat a variety of these types of foods, not just one of them. So how much do you think we need to eat from this food group? That's more tricky, isn't it? Let's see what Jacob says. Well, Jacob is saying, "We need to eat some of these foods every day. Things like beans on toast, for example." What about this one? This one's called dairy and alternatives. And what foods can you see here? Well, there's just a few, aren't there? But there are things like milk, things like cheese and yogurt. And there's also alternatives as well, things like soya drink, for example. And you can also get things like soya yogurt too. So there are lots of different foods in this group. So how much of this group do we need each day? Well, again, we just need some of these foods every day, like a soya drink or a cheese sandwich, for example. And here's the smallest group, this is the oils and spreads group. Do you remember those words, oils and spreads? And what foods can you see here? Well, there's only a couple, aren't there? There's the oil and the spreads. And how much do you think we need of this? Remember, it's the smallest group. Yes, we just need a little fat in our diets, such as oil and spreads. So we only need to eat this in very small amounts. Well done. And that's the Eatwell Guide, five main food groups. Okay, so let's have a quick check, shall we, see whether you've been listening. So match the food group to how much you should eat. So at the top are the five main food groups from the Eatwell Guide. And down the bottom is how much you should eat each day. So link the different boxes together. Good luck. Okay, let's have a quick look. See if you're right, shall we? Let's do the first one. Fruits and vegetables, that's right, at least five a day. How about the potatoes and bread group? Yes, we should eat these ones with each meal. The beans and pulses, we should eat some every day. The dairy or alternative, yes, again, we should eat some every day. And very lastly, oils and spreads is eat in small amounts. Well, that was really tricky. Well done to you. So outside the five main food groups, there are other foods that we should eat less often and in small amounts. And these are foods which are high in fat, salt, and sugars. And these foods are not really needed in the diet. And if we do have them, we should eat them less often and in small amounts. Can you point them out to me? Can you see them on the Eatwell Guide? Where are they? Yes, that's right. There they are. They're the foods which are high in fat, salt, and sugars. So the diet is all the food and drink that we consume. And our diet can be mapped against the different Eatwell Guide food groups. And this can help us have a better diet, for example, showing us that we might need more fruits and vegetables. So what does the word diet mean to you? Does it mean anything different? Let's see what Alex and Sam say. Well, Alex says, "I thought a diet was about losing weight." Oh, is that true? I'm not sure. Let's see what Sam says, shall we? "Some people do say that, but the word diet describes all the food and drink we have." So a diet isn't about losing weight, it just describes the food and drink that we have every day. So true or false, a diet means to lose weight? That's right, it's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, it's because a diet describes all the food and drink we consume. Well done to you. So meals that we eat can be sorted into the different Eatwell Guide food groups. Sometimes we only eat a single food, like an apple or a yogurt, and we can easily find these on the Eatwell Guide. But sometimes we eat different foods together for meals. So things like, in this photo, as you can see, things like salmon with potatoes and French beans. And we can find these fairly easily on the Eatwell Guide in the different food groups. But sometimes we eat foods that are really mixed together or put together for meals, things like lasagna, cottage pie, or a chicken and vegetable stir-fry, for example. And we can find these on the Eatwell Guide if we know what the meals are made from. So the food and meals that we eat are made from food from the different food groups. So let's look at some examples together, shall we? So this is porridge with a banana. So what foods can you see in this meal? Have a close look. What do you think? Let's have a look together, shall we? Well, the first one will be oats because porridge is made from oats. And porridge is made, and it's mixed together with milk, and that makes the porridge. And then on top, that's right, we've got a banana. So in this meal, the foods are oats, milk, and banana, porridge with banana. So where do these foods belong in the Eatwell Guide? Can you show me? So where do oats go, which group? Yes, that's right. It goes in the yellow group, doesn't it, the starchy group. How about milk? Yes, that's right. It's in dairy and alternatives. Well done. And lastly, where does banana go? Yes, that's right. It goes in the fruit and vegetables group. Brilliant. You've done really well. Let's look at another example, shall we? So this is a hummus and tomato open sandwich. It means it doesn't have a piece of bread on the top. So what foods can you see in this meal? Yes, that's right. Hummus, isn't it? Tomato, yes, and bread. So these are the three foods which make up this meal, the hummus and tomato sandwich. So where are these on the Eatwell Guide? So where does hummus go, do you think? That's right. It goes into this group, the beans and pulses group. Well done. How about tomato? Yes, fruits and vegetables. Well done. That was an easy one, wasn't it? And lastly, where does the bread go? That's right. It goes into the starchy group, doesn't it? You've done really well. Have you done this before? Let's do another one, shall we, sounding a little bit more tricky. So this is jollof rice, chicken, and coleslaw. So what foods can you see in this meal? Yes, that's right. Rice, brilliant, well done, chicken, and then vegetables, which make the coleslaw, which are things like cabbage, carrots, and onion, for example. So where do these go on the Eatwell Guide? So where does rice go, do you think? Yes, that's right. It goes into the starchy group, doesn't it? How about chicken? Yes, that's right. It goes into the protein group. And how about the last one, all the vegetables? Yes, that's right. It's the fruit and vegetables group. Well done to you. Okay, oh, another tricky one. So this is a ham, tomato, asparagus, and cheese pizza. Whoa. So what foods can you see in this meal? Have a close look at the picture. Think about how I've described it as well. Yes, that's right. The first one is ham. Well done. And the second food is tomato. And then we've got asparagus. And then we've got cheese. Is there anything else missing? Yes, it's the pizza base, isn't it? These are all the different types of foods which are in this pizza. So where did these belong on the Eatwell Guide? There's more here, aren't there? So the first one, yes, right, that's ham. So that goes into the proteins group. The second one is tomato. Well done. And asparagus? Yes, that also goes in the fruit and veg group too. How about cheese? Brilliant. Well done. That goes into the dairy and alternatives group. And that means, very lastly, that's it. The bread, or the pizza base, goes into the starchy food group. Brilliant. Well done. You're doing really well today. I'm so proud of you. So I've got a task for you here. And I want you to separate the meal that Jacob is describing into the correct food groups. So first of all, read what Jacob is describing, and then put the foods into the correct food groups down the bottom. Good luck. Pause the video. I'm gonna come back very soon to see how you've got on. Great. So how did you get on? Right. So let's have a look, shall we? So Jacob says, "For breakfast, I had cornflakes." So the cornflakes went into the potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta group. And he had milk, so that went into the dairy and alternatives group. Then he had orange juice, which is one of the fruit and vegetables. And then he had the toast, which is bread. So that also goes into the potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta group. Then he had a little bit of spread on the toast, so that goes into the oils and spreads group. And very lastly, he had a banana, so that's another fruit and vegetables. Well done. Wow, that was quite complicated, wasn't it? Well, you did brilliantly. How about another meal that Jacob is describing? So this time, for lunch, he had a bean and tomato pasta salad with a glass of soya milk. Might wanna pause the video. Good luck. And we'll come back very shortly. Brilliant. I'm sure you did really well. So let's just read what Jacob says. "For lunch, I had a bean." Well, where do beans go? Well, beans go in the beans, pulses, fish, eggs, and meat group, first of all. And then he said, "Tomato," so that's a fruit and vegetable. And then pasta, so that is the potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta group. Whoa, so just that one dish had three different things in it from three different food groups. And then he had a glass of soya milk, so that goes in the dairy and alternatives group. Wow, you did really well. And you can see how the food that Jacob is describing fits into the different Eatwell Guide food groups. So let's look at the last one together, shall we? So Jacob is saying that for dinner, he had fish fingers, wedges, peas, and then a yogurt and peaches. So remember, wedges are made from potatoes. Good luck. Pause the video. And we'll come back together very soon, see how you got on. Okay, let's have a quick look, shall we? Well, first of all, we had fish fingers, so that goes into the beans, pulses, fish, eggs, and meat group. Well done. Then he had the wedges, which are made from potatoes. So yes, that's right. It goes into the potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta group. And then he had peas, so that's in the fruit and vegetables group. And he had a yogurt, so that's the dairy and alternatives group. And very lastly, he had some peaches, so again, that's in the fruit and vegetable group. Brilliant work. Well done to all of you. You've done really well putting the food from the different meals into the correct food groups. Brilliant work. So now, let's move on to the second part of the lesson, which is all around snacks. Now, sometimes we eat between meals, and these are called snacks. And we might eat a snack due to hunger or perhaps even boredom sometimes. And if we do eat between meals, we need to choose the right type of snack. So we can use the Eatwell Guide to help us choose healthier snacks. So true or false, snacks are eaten instead of meals? That's right. It's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, snacks are eaten between meals. And if we do eat between meals, we need to make sure we have healthier snacks, and we can use the Eatwell Guide to help us. So let's look at some snacks from the Eatwell Guide food group, shall we? So the first one, fruit and vegetables, I want you to name two snacks from this group. Have a little think. Look at the picture. What can you come up with? Let's look some examples, shall we? Well, you could have a banana, an apple, or a kiwi fruit, for example, or perhaps some carrots, pepper, or cucumber sticks with some hummus to dip them in, delicious, or perhaps some chopped melon or pineapple, or even some frozen grapes. So there are lots of different types of fruits and vegetables we can have as a snack. How about the next one? This is the potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, another starchy carbohydrates food group. So what two snacks could we have from this group, do you think? This is a bit more tricky, this one, isn't it? I'm sure you've come up with some good ideas, though. Should we look at some examples? Well, you could have, for example, a crumpet with a low-fat spread on top, or perhaps a plain or a fruit scone, for example, or perhaps a malt or fruit loaf, a small bowl of whole-grain cereal, perhaps some rice cakes with soft cheese spread on top, or perhaps even homemade popcorn. Wow. So these are different types of snacks that we could have from this food group. So let's have a quick check, shall we? So which of these is a snack from the fruit and vegetable food group? Is it A, B, or C? Yes, that's right, isn't it? It's B, isn't it? B, apple. That's a snack from the fruit and vegetable food group. Well done. So other snacks might include things from the beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, and other proteins food group. Now, can you name two snacks from this group? Whoa, that is tricky, isn't it? Let's have a look at example, shall we? Well, you could have some roasted chickpeas. Have you had those before? They're delicious. Or perhaps a small handful of mixed nuts. Some people have a boiled egg as a quick snack. That would be nice. Perhaps some apple slices spread with a nut butter, or a small bean salad, or perhaps some hummus spread on some crackers. So there are different types of snacks you could have from this food group. And lastly, what snacks could we get from this food group, the dairy and alternatives? Can you name two? Bet you've come up with some good ideas, haven't you? Let's have a quick look at some examples, shall we? Yes, well, we could have a crisp bread, couldn't we? And it could have soft cheese on top, or perhaps a yogurt or a fromage frais. We could also have some cheese and crackers, or perhaps a piece of cheese, or a fruit smoothie made with milk. So these are different types of snacks from the dairy and alternatives food group. Brilliant work. So which of these is a dairy and alternative snack, A, B, or C? Yes, that's right. It's A, isn't it? It's the yogurt with some fruit. Well done. So what snacks can you see here? I can see a few there. Can you name them? Oh, I can see some chocolate. There's definitely some biscuits too, isn't there? Oh, and that little muffin looks quite good. And do you need these types of foods to be healthy, do you think? Have a little think about that one. Well, these types of foods, which include things like crisps, ice cream, biscuits, cake, and chocolate, should be eaten less often and in small amounts. And these are high in fats, salt, and sugars, and they're not needed in the diet. So what we can do is to make swaps to healthier snacks. So let's look at some examples, shall we? So instead of chocolate or sweets, perhaps we can have some fruit. Or for having ice cream, we can have a low-fat yogurt, maybe with some frozen berries. Or instead of crisps, we can have some unsalted popcorn or perhaps some homemade crisps. Have you made popcorn or crisps at home before? It's great to make. Popcorn is quite easy. And crisps, well, you can bake them in the oven. They make really good snacks. How about some other snack swaps? Well, instead of a cake, I can change that, have a slice of fruit loaf. Or perhaps instead of biscuits, I could change it to a rice cake topped with nut butter. So again, some easy snack swaps. So what other snack swaps can you make? What can you think of? Have a think about the different Eatwell Guide food groups that we looked at earlier. There's quite a few there, aren't there? And think about the sorts of foods that you eat and what you could swap them to. There's lots of different foods out there. So let's have another quick check, shall we? So which of these two are healthier snack swaps, A, B, C, D? That's right. It's A, isn't it? So rather than crisps, we could have unsalted popcorn. And what's the other one? Yes, well done. It's D, isn't it? Rather than cake, we can have fruit loaf. Brilliant work to you. Well done. So let's have another task, shall we? So Sofia is looking at snacks eaten by her friends, and she wants to sort the snacks into the main food groups from the Eatwell Guide. And I want you to decide whether the friends chose healthier snacks or not. So here's Izzy. Let's see what Izzy's had, shall we? So Izzy had, for snacks, grapes and some cheese and pineapple on sticks. Well, that sounds delicious, doesn't it? So we need to put these foods into the correct Eatwell Guide food groups. And we need to decide whether she had healthier snacks or not. Also, we're gonna look what Alex has had. Alex had a boiled egg, some fruit loaf, and slices of mango. So where did these go in the different Eatwell Guide food groups? Did he have healthier snacks? And very lastly, John, he had a chocolate bar, a pear, some sweets, oh, and some crisps. So where did these go on the Eatwell Guide food groups? And did he have healthier snacks? Okay, so pause the video. You might need to go back and look at what the other two children had, and then we'll look at the answers together, shall we? Good luck. Okay, let's see how you got on, shall we? Well, first of all, Izzy had grapes and some cheese and pineapple on a sticks. So in the fruit and vegetables group, that's where the grapes and the pineapple go. And then the dairy and alternative groups, that's the cheese. So yes, I think Izzy did have healthier snacks, and it helped her towards her five a day as well. How about Alex? Well, let's have a look. Well, the mango, that's true. That was a good choice. That's under the fruits and vegetables group. He had some fruit loaf under the next food group. And also, he had a boiled egg as a snack too. So Alex did pick healthier snacks, and he had a range of food groups, which is brilliant. And very lastly, how did Jun get on? Well, he had a chocolate bar, remember, a pear, some sweets, and some crisps. So the pear goes into the fruits and vegetables group, but nothing from the next three food groups, are there? And very lastly, in the group that is eat less often, in small amounts, wow, that's the chocolate, the sweets, and the crisps. So he picked much less healthy snacks, and he should have these much less often. And he should try and have snacks from other food groups. Wow, you've done really well. That's quite a complicated task. You did brilliantly. Well, I really hope you enjoyed this lesson all around the Eatwell Guide. Let's have a quick summary, shall we, of what we learned today? So we know that the Eatwell Guide has five main food groups, and we need to eat different amounts from each group. So, for example, we need lots of fruits and vegetables, but only small amounts of oil and spreads. We also know that our diet is all the food and drink that we consume. We've also learned that the food and meals that we eat are made from food from the different food groups. And sometimes we eat snacks between meals, and that we can use the Eatwell Guide to help us choose healthier snacks. Well, I think you did brilliantly today. Well done. And I hope you come back very soon for another cooking and nutrition lesson. Thanks a lot. Bye.
For parents, carers and teachers
- When investigating the food groups in meals, photographs of different dishes around the world, as well as food packaging, could be used to motivate pupils. Real life examples help to bring the context of the Eatwell Guide to life.

