How many food groups are there?
There are five main food groups: carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, protein, dairy products, and oil and spreads.
Food Groups KS2
Sandwich Snacks - Lesson 1: Food Groups
This Sandwich Snacks Year 3 lesson planning pack gives your KS2 class the chance to explore different food groups and learn how to translate these into healthy, balanced sandwiches. Get their tast...
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Food Groups KS2
What are the food groups?
Carbohydrates - e.g. bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal
Carbohydrates are an important source of vitamins and iron. They contain sugars that give us energy. Some carbohydrates, such as wholegrain cereal, give us fibre to keep our digestive systems working properly. Potatoes are not classed as vegetables but as a carbohydrate because they contain a lot of starch.
Fruits and Vegetables - e.g. onions, lettuce, carrots, bananas, oranges, berries
Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and contain natural sugars to give you energy. They contain lots of different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to keep you healthy. You should eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables, and aim to eat at least five portions a day.
Protein - e.g. beans, pulses, meat, fish, eggs, nuts
Protein helps the body to repair itself and to grow. Foods such as meat and fish also provide iron and minerals. It is important for vegetarians to ensure they get enough protein by replacing meat and fish with eggs, pulses and soya, which are good alternatives.
Dairy products - e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream, soya drinks
Dairy products contain lots of calcium which is essential for keeping your bones strong. It also helps to keep your teeth healthy. Dairy products also have some vitamins in and some contain proteins.
Oils and Spreads - e.g. vegetable oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, margarine
We should only have a very small amount of oils and spreads in our diet. Unsaturated fats are healthier and include vegetable, rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils.
Fats and sugars are necessary in a diet but in very small amounts. You can usually get the fats and sugars you need from other food groups. Junk food like crisps, sweets, cakes and chocolate might taste nice but they don't have many nutrients in them to help the body and too many can be very unhealthy.
What is the Eatwell Plate?
This is a balanced plate. It shows you which food groups you should eat a lot of food from, and which food groups you should eat a little food from, in order to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.
An example of an Eatwell Plate.
When should children learn about food groups?
According to the National Curriculum DT objectives, children should:
- Key Stage 1 - use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
- Key Stage 2 - understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
According to the National Curriculum Science objectives, children start to learn about food groups in KS1. It is assigned as compulsory learning in Year 2 under the 'Animals including humans' strand of learning.
In Year 2, children should learn to:
- describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.
In Year 3, children should learn to:
- identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat
The non-statutory activities suggest that children might research different food groups and how they keep us healthy and design meals based on what they find out.
These Science objectives are covered in our Year 2 Growth and Survival scheme, and our Year 3 Health and Movement scheme.
