Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mr. Ballam.

Thanks for choosing this lesson.

This lesson is all around macronutrients, fibre, and water.

Let's get started.

So the outcome, what you're going to learn by the end of the lesson, is that you'll be able to explain why macronutrients, fibre, and water are needed for health.

And here's a few key words that we're gonna go through in the lesson today.

So the first one is energy.

And energy is derived from chemical combustion of food, and it's required for us to stay alive and function properly.

The second word is macronutrients.

And these are nutrients the human body needs in larger amounts, and they provide energy as well.

And the macronutrients are fat, protein, and carbohydrate.

The third key word is fibre.

And these are carbohydrates typically found in plant foods that are resistant to digestion.

And the last one is water, which is a colourless and odourless liquid, and it forms the basis of fluids in living organisms. So here are four key words which we're gonna go through today.

So let's get on with the first part of the lesson, which is all around macronutrients, so carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

So food and drinks provide energy and nutrients in different amounts, and they have different important functions for health.

And energy is provided by carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

And these are known as macronutrients.

And energy is essential for life and is required as fuel for many different body processes, growth, and activities as well.

And energy intake is measured in joules or kilojoules, but many people use calories or kilocalories.

The amount of energy we need changes through life.

For example, a 5-year-old female needs 1,362 kilocalories a day.

A 15-year-old needs 2,390, a 30 5-year-old needs 2,103, and a 75-year-old needs 1,840.

So you can see here the amount of energy needed changes through life.

And it's recommended that around 50% of energy should come from carbohydrates, around 35% of energy comes from fats, and the remainder, about 15%, should come from protein.

Now what do you notice about the amount of energy needed through life? Is there any patterns there that you can see? Well, we can see here that when you're young, you need less energy.

And when you're growing, like being a teenager, you need more energy because your body's growing rapidly.

And then when you're an adult, you need less energy because you've already fully grown.

And when you're an older adult, you need less energy again.

So it changes through life.

The first macronutrient we're going to look at is carbohydrate.

And there are two types of carbohydrate, starch and sugars.

And one gramme of carbohydrate provides around 4 kilocalories or 17 kilojoules of energy.

And fibre is also a type of carbohydrate, most of which is not digested to provide energy.

So you've probably seen this before.

It's the Eatwell Guide.

And starchy carbohydrate is an important source of energy.

And starchy carbohydrates, sometimes called starchy foods, should make up about a third of the food that we eat, as shown here in the Eatwell Guide.

You can see here the yellow food group is just over a third.

So I want you now to name five starchy foods.

There's some on the screen, so that should help you.

So what did you come up with? Well, there are quite a few different types of starchy foods, aren't there? But really popular ones are things like potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, noodles, for example, breakfast cereals, cassava, yam.

There's so many different types.

Well done for whatever you've come up with.

Sometimes starchy carbohydrates are called fattening or weight gaining.

However, starchy foods not only are an important source of energy, but they provide fibre and also vitamins and minerals too.

And we need to choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties where possible, so things like whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and potatoes with the skin on.

So a quick check for understanding.

True or false? We should eat less starchy foods as these are fattening in the diet and provide little else.

That's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, starchy foods should make up about a third of the diet as they are an important source of energy, fibre, and micronutrients.

Around 50% of our energy should come from carbohydrate.

Well done.

So we've looked at starchy foods, a type of carbohydrate.

Now we're gonna look at sugars, which is the second type of carbohydrate.

And sugars are contained in the cellular structure of a food, for example, inside fruits and vegetables, just like the orange you can see here.

And other sugars are not bound in the cellular structure of a food, so things like milk and honey, just like in the picture.

And free sugars are the sugars added to food or drinks.

And these are found naturally in honey, and syrups, and unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies too.

Now it's recommended that free sugars are reduced in our diets rather than the sugar found in fruit and milk.

And sugary foods and drinks are often high in energy, and if we consume them too often can contribute to weight gain.

They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.

Let's do another quick check.

So true or false? Sugary foods and drinks are often low in energy and if consumed too often can contribute to weight loss.

Yes, that's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, sugary foods and drinks are often high in energy, and if we have them too much, they can cause weight gain.

The next macronutrient is protein.

And protein is essential for growth, repair, and maintenance in the body, especially bones and muscles.

And protein provides energy.

About one gramme of protein provides around about 4 kilo calories or 17 kilojoules.

And protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids.

And different foods contain different amounts and different combinations of these amino acids.

And the amount of protein that we need changes through life.

So for example, a 1 to 3-year-old needs around 14.

5 grammes of protein a day and a teenager needs 45.

4 grammes per day.

Now protein from animal sources includes things like fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products.

And these contain the full range of essential amino acids, which are needed by the body.

And protein from plant sources include things like pulses, legumes, and cereals.

Now these typically contain fewer of the essential amino acids, but when eaten together, can compliment each other, providing a fuller range.

And healthy eating guidance in the UK advises us to eat more beans, lentils, and peas in our diets.

There are also benefits to the environment if we include more plant-based protein foods in our diet.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? Protein is made up of building blocks called a, b, or c? Yes, that's right.

It's b, isn't it? Amino acids.

Well done.

The third type of macronutrient is fat.

And fat provides fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, and is necessary for their absorption in the body.

Fats are also a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself.

And fat is a concentrated source of energy.

So one gramme of fat provides nine kilocalories or 37 kilojoules of energy.

That's much more than protein and carbohydrates.

So foods that contain a lot of fat, contain a lot of energy.

Now some fat is needed in the diet, but the amount and type of fat is important.

And there are two main types of fat.

The first one is saturated fats, and these are from foods such as fatty meats, cream, cheese, butter, coconut oil and milk, ice cream, cakes, biscuits, and chocolate.

And then there are unsaturated fats.

And these are from foods such as olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts, vegetable oil and spreads, seeds, and oily fish.

And too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood, which increases your risk to developing heart disease.

So we should eat less saturated fat and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats.

Now all types of fats are high in energy, so they should only be eaten in small amounts.

And food labels show us the total amount of fat as well as saturated fat too, so we can use these to make healthier choices.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So which of these food labels provides the lowest amount of saturated fat? Is it a, b, or c? Yes, that's right.

It's c, isn't it? If we read the label, you can see here the total saturated fat is 1.

9 grammes.

Well done.

So to maintain body weight, we need a balance of energy intake from things like food and drinks with energy expenditure from activity.

So you can see the seesaw here that we've got the amount of energy coming in, balancing the amount of energy going out, and this is called energy balance.

And energy balance can be maintained by regulating the amount of energy from the diet, so the food and drinks we consume, through to adjusting our physical activity, so the amount of energy we use.

That's energy balance.

Now when energy intake is higher than energy output, over time this will lead to weight gain.

So it is a positive energy balance.

So you can see here the seesaw at the bottom is not in balance anymore.

And in the UK, overweight and obesity rates in adults and children have been increasing over the years.

And when energy intake is lower than energy output, over time this will lead to weight loss, so it's called negative energy balance.

You can see the seesaw here.

It's out of balance again, isn't it? So it is important to lead an active lifestyle and make healthier choices.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So when energy intake is higher than energy output, is it a, b, or c? Yes, that's right.

It's c, isn't it? So over time, this will lead to weight gain.

Well done.

So I've got a task for you now.

So I hope you've been listening all about the macronutrients.

So I want you to complete the chart below showing the name, function, and source of the following macronutrients.

Now there are some clues for you, so good luck.

Pause the video and we'll have a look at how you've got on very shortly.

Okay, so how did you get on? I bet you did really well, didn't you? Let's have a look at the chart completed, shall we? Well, carbohydrate.

Well, that's the main source of energy, that's its function.

And the sources are things like potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, and yams. Remember the starchy foods.

How about the next column? The clue was growth and repair.

So what would be that macronutrient? That's right.

It's protein, isn't it? So we have protein, and its function is growth and repair.

And we can get protein from foods such as beans, pulses, fish, eggs, and meat.

What about the last one? Well, we've got the sources of the macronutrient.

So what is its name? That's right, it's fat, isn't it? And what function does fat play? Well, it carries the vitamins, doesn't it? And it helps with their absorption.

I bet you did brilliantly.

And if you've got more information in your chart, well done.

So we're gonna move on to the second part of the lesson, which is all around fibre.

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found almost exclusively in plants.

And unlike other types of carbohydrate, these are not absorbed in the small intestine to provide energy.

However, some fibre can be fermented in the large intestine to provide energy.

About two kilo calories or eight kilojoules per gramme.

And fibre helps to keep our digestive system healthy, and it can help prevent constipation.

So including foods that have fibre in a healthy, balanced diet may help us keep a healthy body weight too.

Fibre can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer.

So true or false? Fibre can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer.

Yes, that's true, isn't it? And why is that? Well, fibre helps our digestive system stay healthy, and it can help prevent constipation, and fibre can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer.

Well done if you got that correct.

Now, fibre is found in different proportions in food, and therefore it's important to have a variety of fibre containing foods.

And sources of fibre include things like wholegrain breakfast cereals, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain breads, oats, barley, rice, and brown rice.

Also things like peas, beans, and pulses.

They provide fibre too.

Nuts and seeds, potatoes with the skin, and fruit and vegetables, and of course a little bit more if you keep the skin on them too.

Now most people do not eat enough fibre, and there are recommended intakes for fibre.

So primary school children should have roundabout 20 grammes a day, secondary school children about 25 grammes a day, and adults 30 grammes a day.

Now we know in the UK fibre intakes are below the recommendations for all age groups.

Do you have enough fibre? What sorts of fibre containing foods do you have in your diet? Could it be improved? Let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we? So how much fibre is recommended for an adult each day? Is it a, b, or c? Yes, that's right.

It's c, isn't it? It's 30 grammes a day.

So how can we increase fibre in the diet? Well, we can do things like choose a high fibre breakfast cereal, for example, bran flakes or porridge.

And we can swap to wholemeal or granary breads instead of white bread.

We can use wholemeal or granary flours when we're baking, and we can choose wholegrains like wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat, or brown rice.

And lastly, we can cook potatoes with the skin on.

Things like a baked potato or boiled new potatoes with the skin on.

What else can we do to increase fibre in the diet? Well, for snacks for example, we could try fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oat cakes, or unsalted nuts or seeds.

We can also include plenty of vegetables with meals, either as a side dish or added to sauces, stews, and curries.

And we can add pulses like beans, lentils, or chickpeas to stews, curries, and salads.

Plus we can have some fresh or dried fruit or fruit canned in natural juice for dessert.

So here's a quick task for you.

And here I want you to modify this diet for a day to increase the amount of fibre it provides.

And I want you to explain the changes that you make.

So look what they have for breakfast, lunch, and evening meal.

Look at the foods.

Make your changes to increase the amount of fibre and give your reasons why.

Pause the video and we'll come back and look at an example together very shortly.

Good luck.

Okay, so how did you get on? Let's look at an example, shall we? Well, for breakfast the changes could be to have wholemeal toast, add baked beans to the meal, and have a fruit juice too.

And why is that? Well, we've got a higher fibre type of bread, and we've got more towards our five-a-day by having beans and juice, which also provide fibre.

And the second one, lunch.

What changes here? So here we're having a wholemeal bun with salad, potatoes with the skin on, extra fruit in the yoghourt.

And the reasons? Well, we've added wholemeal bread and salads, and extra fruits and vegetables.

Plus we've left the skins on the potatoes to provide fibre, and we're increasing our five-a-day generally with the fruit too.

And lastly, we've got the evening meal.

So here we've added extra vegetables to the curry.

We've got brown rice, and also we swapped dessert for fruit too.

And the reason for those changes are that we've got extra vegetables in the curry, so more fibre.

We've swapped white to brown rice, and also we've got fruit for dessert.

So again, helping towards our five-a-day, all giving us more fibre.

Well done.

I bet you did brilliantly.

So let's move on to the last part of the lesson all around water and hydration.

Now, water is a major component of body fluid and has many functions in the body.

So things like acting as a lubricant for joints and eyes.

And it's also the main component of saliva, and it helps the body get rid of waste too.

And it also helps us regulate our body temperature.

And over time, the body loses water, for example, when we go to the toilet, when we sweat, and also just from evaporation from the skin.

So if we don't consume enough water, we'll become dehydrated.

Now water is provided by food such as soups, yoghourts, fruits and vegetables, as well as drinks such as milk and juice.

And water is always a good choice because it hydrates without providing any energy.

And it's been estimated that around 20% of the water that we have comes from food.

So things like soups, yoghourts, fruits and vegetables.

And the remaining 80% comes from drinks.

So things like water, milk, and juices.

So the amount of water and other fluids that we need to drink each day varies from person to person.

On average is recommended to drink around six to eight glasses of fluid a day to help prevent dehydration.

Plus we should also have more when the weather is hot or we've been active.

So true or false? If the weather is cold, we should drink more to prevent dehydration.

Yes, that's false, isn't it? Why is that? When the weather has been hot or we've been active, we should drink more due to the losses from sweat and evaporation from the skin.

Well done.

Now we should drink plenty of water, and it's a good choice because it delivers fluid without adding calories or potentially damaging the teeth.

We can also drink milk regularly because it's a useful source of essential nutrients, such as protein, B vitamins, calcium, as well as being a source of water.

And once a day we can have fruit or vegetable juices or perhaps a smoothie because these provide water plus some vitamins, minerals, fibre, and other natural plant substances from the fruit.

However, these are high in free sugars, so it's recommended not to have more than 150 millilitres of these drinks per day.

So those are what we should drink more of.

How about these? What should we drink less of? The first one is tea and coffee.

These contain caffeine, which is harmless in small amounts.

However, high intakes of these drinks should be avoided, especially for young children.

It is best for children to drink decaffeinated tea and coffee with reduced-fat milks and no added sugars.

We should also drink less of sugary drinks.

These add to calorie intake, and the sugar can potentially damage the teeth if the drinks are consumed frequently.

We should also drink less of sports and energy drinks.

These are high in sugars and contain caffeine, and therefore not suitable for young children.

So a quick check for understanding.

Which drink can we have regularly? a, b, c, or d.

Yes, that's right.

It's c, isn't it? It's milk.

We can drink milk regularly.

Well done.

So here's a little task for you here.

So I want you to review two drink diaries for one day, and I want you to comment on what's going well, but also what could be improved.

So here's the first one from Izzy.

Let's read this together, shall we? So Izzy saying, "I drank two waters, plus two sugary drinks as I'm active every day.

I also had a fruit juice in the morning.

I think that I'm doing well, drinking enough even though it's been very hot." So what's going well for Izzy and what needs improving? So let's do this one first.

Pause the video, and then we'll look at the second diary together too.

Okay, now let's look at the second drinks diary, shall we, for Alex? Let's read this one together too.

So Alex is saying, "I like to treat myself and relax, so I had two sugary teas plus three glasses of juice, which is healthy, right? I had a glass of water, and a thick chocolate milkshake too." So what's going well for Alex and what needs improving? So pause the video, and we'll come back together very soon to see how you've got on.

So how did you get on? Did you come up with some good ideas about what's going well and what needs improving? So for going well, you could have mentioned that they had some water and also a fruit juice, which helps them towards their five-a-day.

So what needs improving? Well, Izzy only had five drinks, and we should have between six and eight drinks a day because they are active and it's been hot.

Plus she should also drink less sugary drinks and have more water.

So if you got these, well done.

Or how about Alex? So let's see what's going well, first of all, shall we? Well, Alex had seven drinks, so Alex met the six to eight drinks a day recommendation.

But what needs improving? Well, Alex really needs to consider the types of drinks that he has in the day.

He should have less tea, unless it's decaffeinated, and less sugary drinks too.

And only one juice a day.

Do you remember, it's a maximum of 150 millilitres a day? He should also drink more water and have some plain milk too.

Well, well done.

I'm sure you came up with some really good answers.

That's quite tricky, isn't it? But remember, we all should have about six to eight drinks per day, more when we're active and it's hot.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this lesson going through macronutrients, fibre, and water.

There's so much that we've learned today, isn't there? Let's have a quick summary together.

So energy is provided by carbohydrate, protein, and fat, and these are known as macronutrients.

And carbohydrate is a really important source of energy as well as fibre and different micronutrients.

We also learned that protein is essential for growth, repair, and maintenance of the body.

And also we learned that fat provides fat-soluble vitamins, like A, D, E, and K, and is a concentrated source of energy.

We've also learned to maintain body weight, we need to balance energy intake with energy expenditure, and this is known as energy balance.

We also learned that fibre keeps our digestive system healthy.

And lastly, we've learned that water is a major component of body fluid and has really important functions in the body.

And we should have around six to eight drinks every day.

Well, I really hope you've enjoyed this lesson, and you'll think about how you can make healthier choices in the future.

And I hope you come back very soon for another cooking and nutrition lesson.

Thanks a lot.

Bye.