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Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating

British Nutrition Foundation's Health Eating Week.

The 5 challenges are:

Have Breakfast 

Have 5 a day

Drink Plenty

Get Active

Sleep well




All the following information can be found on the Healthy eating website:




Get active for at least 60 minutes

every day – move more!

Why is it important to be active?


Being active helps improve cardiovascular health (heart and blood vessels), strengthens muscle and bone, and helps maintain a healthy bodyweight. Being active can also help relieve stress and lift mood – improving mental as well as physical health. Children and young people (aged 5 to 18 years) should do 60 minutes of physical activity every day, ranging from moderate to vigorous. On three days of the week, this should include exercises to strengthen muscles and bones, such as gymnastics, swinging on playground equipment bars, playing tennis, sit-ups or press-ups or football.


What activities count towards the 60 minutes?

Moderate activities

These make you feel warmer, breathe harder and make the heart beat faster. One way to tell if you are working at a

moderate level is if you can still talk, but can’t sing the words to a song. Examples include: walking to school, playing in the playground, riding a scooter, walking the dog.

Vigorous activities

These make you feel warmer, breathe much harder and make the heart beat rapidly. If you are working at this level, you won’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. Examples include: playing chase, swimming,  football, martial arts.


What else do your pupils need to do to be healthy?

As well as meeting these recommendations for physical activity, it is also important that pupils reduce the amount of time spent sitting watching TV, playing computer games and travelling by car when they could walk or cycle instead.   Sedentary behaviour is bad for health – over time it can lead to weight gain and obesity, which can increase the risk of chronic diseases over time such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The easiest way to get moving is to

make activity part of everyday life, such as walking or cycling to school, using the stairs instead of the lift, dancing to

music and limiting screen time.


The Super Challenge

Do 60 minutes of a different activity on each day of the Week!


Drink Plenty

Water is a great choice!


Why do we need to drink plenty?

Water is essential for life and it is important to stay hydrated to function well. Water is provided by almost all

drinks and some foods. Water makes up around 60% of the body, and is needed for many different

functions, such as regulating body temperature. As water is constantly lost (e.g. through the skin as sweat, lungs

for breathing, going to the toilet), it is important to drink plenty throughout the day to avoid dehydration. Mild

dehydration can make it more difficult to concentrate and cause headaches and tiredness.


The UK Government recommends having at least 6-8 drinks every day, as shown in the Eatwell Guide. (This is in

addition to any water provided by food in the diet.) Younger pupils usually need smaller drink servings (150-200ml) than

older pupils and adults (250-300ml).The amount of fluid needed depends on many factors including body size and composition, the environment (e.g. how hot it is), and levels of physical activity. Sometimes more than 6-8 drinks will be needed.


What are healthy drinks choices?

Water, lower fat milks and sugar-free drinks are all healthier choices.

Water: This is a good choice throughout the day because it hydrates without providing extra energy kilocalories/kilojoules)

or risking harm to teeth.

Lower fat milk: For example, semi-skimmed, 1%, skimmed or unsweetened, calcium fortified milk alternatives (e.g. soya and nut drinks).

Fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies: These drinks provide some vitamins and minerals and can contain fibre. However, they are also a source of free sugars (which is the type of sugar all groups of the population need to reduce) and can be acidic. It is recommended that these drinks are limited to one small glass (150ml) a day and consumed with meals.


The Super Challenge

Over a week, try three different drinks you have not had before. How about making a vegetable juice, cucumber infused water or iced herbal tea?


The 5 a day Challenge

The details of the challenge are on the poster below.  More information can be found the above website.




























Breakfast-The Challenge

Have a healthy breakfast every day – go for wholegrain or higher fibre foods, include a drink and at least one of your 5 A DAY!


The Super Challenge

Have a different healthy breakfast every day for a week!


Breakfast is recommended as part of a healthy diet and helps to get the day off to a good start. A healthy breakfast should provide around 20% of daily energy requirements and some of the nutrients the body needs for good

health, such as starchy carbohydrate, fibre, B vitamins, iron and calcium. Some studies suggest that having a healthy breakfast can help to improve cognitive function and academic performance.


Higher-fibre, wholegrain varieties of starchy foods

For example, wholegrain, low sugar breakfast cereals, porridge and wholemeal toast. These starchy carbohydrates provide energy as well as fibre, which helps keep the digestive system healthy. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as riboflavin, iron, thiamin, folic acid and vitamin D. Encourage pupils to choose breakfast cereals that are lower in salt and sugars – older pupils can do this by looking at the nutrition label on the packaging.


Fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced fruit and vegetables all count towards 5 A DAY. Examples include sliced banana as a topping for breakfast cereal, mashed avocado on wholemeal toast or dried fruit sprinkled over porridge. Fruit juice and/or smoothies count towards one portion of 5 A DAY, but should be limited to a combined total of 150ml per day. Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals and some fibre.

A drink

For example: water, lower fat milk or 150ml unsweetened fruit juice/smoothie. If pupils are starting to drink tea or coffee, it is best that these are  decaffeinated varieties and are served with lower fat milks and no added sugars.

Including a drink with breakfast helps the body start the day hydrated.


Dairy foods such as milk, yogurt or cheese, or alternatives can be used at breakfast time. Dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, should be unsweetened and calcium fortified. These foods provide calcium, which is needed to help develop and maintain healthy bones and teeth.


A source of protein such as eggs or beans could also be included with breakfast.



Other resources to help you and your family :

Healthy eating and drinking

Change4Life Food Scanner - an App showing the sugar, saturated fat and salt content of everyday foods.

Change4life Smart Recipes - healthy recipe ideas.

NHS Calorie Checker - check the calories of over 150,000 food and drinks.

NHS Healthy Breakfasts - healthy breakfast ideas.

One You ‘Do You Like a Drink?’ - tips on how to drink less alcohol.

The Eatwell Guide Booklet - explains the Eatwell Guide and how to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

Physical activity

Cyclescheme - employee benefit scheme to help cover the cost of cycling to work.

Doing Sport Differently - a guide to exercise and fitness for people living with a disability or health conditions.

NHS Couch to 5K - a running plan for beginners.

Walk4Life - supported by Walk England to encourage people to walk more.


Business in the Community Toolkits - focused on healthy eating, physical activity, sleep recovery and mental wellbeing in the workplace.

MIND Mentally Healthy Workplaces - guide to help workplaces support mental wellbeing of employees.

NHS Apps Library - digital tools to help manage and improve health.

NHS Healthy Weight Calculator - an online Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator.

NHS Smokefree - online support and resources to help quit smoking for good.

NHS Weight Loss Guide - advice on healthy eating and physical activity.

One You ‘How Are You?’ - an online quiz from Public Health England generating personalised health advice based on your lifestyle.

Health organisations

British Heart Foundation - provides information about heart health and ideas for health-focused workplace activities.

Diabetes UK - provides information about care and prevention of diabetes.

Drinkaware - provides information to help make better choices about alcohol.

MIND - mental health awareness charity providing information and support.

World Cancer Research Fund - provides information on healthy lifestyles in relation to cancer risk and prevention.

BNF Healthy Eating Week supporters

Waitrose, KP Snacks, Garfield Western Foundation, AHDB (Love Pork, Love Potatoes, Whole Grain Goodness, Shake Up Your Wake Up, Beef and Lamb)