The food pyramid is a guide for planning a healthy diet. If you eat the recommended portions of each food group every day, you will get all the nutrients you need and you will have enough calories to keep you healthy. It is also important to vary the food you eat as much as possible within each food group, because different foods contain different kinds of nutrients. Carbohydrates make up the biggest part of the pyramid. Nutritionists recommend that 60-65% of the food we eat every day should be made up of carbohydrates. They provide vitamin B, minerals and fibre. Foods in this group include bread, cereal, rice and pasta. Nutritionists recommend we eat 6-7 portions of these foods per day. Fruit and vegetables also contain carbohydrates and are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. We should eat between 3-5 portions of fruit and of vegetables each day. Protein is important but should be eaten in moderation. We can find it in dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt. These foods also contain calcium and vitamins. We should choose dairy products with lower levels of fat and only eat 1-2 portions per day. Meat, fish, beans and eggs contain the most protein. Beans are very healthy as they contain high levels of protein and fibre, but do not contain much fat. Proteins, which come from animals, are called ‘complete proteins’ as they contain essential amino acids. Fats, oils and sweets are at the top of the pyramid: this means that we should not eat them too much. Remember that fats are contained in other food groups too. But not all fats are bad. Task 1. Mark the statements True (T) or False (F) 1. It is important to eat a variety of foods. 2. The food group you should eat the most of is proteins. 3. Yoghurt contains a lot of carbohydrates. Task 2. Answer the questions 1. What do carbohydrates provide? 2. Why is it important to eat different fruit and vegetables? 3. What do proteins from animals contain?