Healthy top tips
Healthy top tips
Food
Food is split into five main groups. We need a variety of food from each of the groups to get all the nutrients our bodies need.
We don’t need to achieve this balance with every meal – it’s more important to get it right over the course of a day or week. Lots of foods (like pizza, casseroles, and sandwiches) are combination of the food groups, and fit into lots of them.
- Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
- We should aim to eat at least five different portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
- Fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or juiced fruits and vegetables are all good options.
- It’s best to try to limit juice or smoothies to one portion a day.
- Starchy carbohydrates, such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta, are important sources of energy.
- These foods should make up just over a third of the food we eat.
- These foods have lots of protein, calcium, and vitamins. Calcium is important for our bones.
- As well as milk, cheese and yoghurt, dairy alternatives like soya milks, yoghurts and cheeses are also part of this food group.
- Protein-rich foods include beans, lentils, and peas – as well as eggs, fish and meat. A balanced diet can include protein from all of these sources.
- Our bodies need protein to repair themselves.
- This group contains foods such as oils, butter and fats.
- We need some fat in our diets to absorb some vitamins.
- Foods high in other types of fat, salt, and sugar (like crisps, chocolate and sweets) aren’t a food group, because they aren’t essential for our bodies to work.
- It’s still okay to eat them as a part of a balanced diet.
Mental health
In the same way that everyone has physical health, everyone also has mental health. When our mental health is good, we feel positive about ourselves, enjoy being around others and feel able to deal with life’s challenges. People can sometimes feel down, stressed-out or anxious, and that’s normal. But if it starts affecting your happiness, it’s a great idea to talk to someone you trust like a parent or a teacher so they can help you to feel better.
Quality sleep
Children (aged 6–18) should be getting between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each night. Sleep can help you:
- Fight germs
- Improve your mental wellbeing
- Keep your body healthy
- Improve skills such as attention, learning, and memory
Physical activity
Children (aged 5–18) should be active for at least 60 minutes each day. This should be spread throughout the day, and may involve anything from playing or walking to team or individual sports.
Substance use
Alcohol, drugs, and tobacco can all have negative effects on health. The minimum age to buy tobacco and alcohol is 18, while harmful drugs are illegal.
No one intends to throw food in the bin, so our friends at Love Food Hate Waste are here to help with this handy recipe book.
There are lots of things we can do to stay healthy, we've got a range of activities you can try to promote a healthy lifestyle.