Learning about Nutrition and Diet 

Teacher background notes: The teacher should read and understand the information provided in this section and then present it to the group in the most appropriate way. This may mean inviting a guest speaker, using a reference book, developing handouts, providing demonstrations etc. There are a number of activities in the section that will assist to reinforce learning.

Food and nutrition

Just as a truck needs petrol to make it go our bodies need food to provide us with the energy we need to work and play. Additionally food provides us with vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and all the things we need to grow and be strong. So food is very important and having the correct combination of foods each day will help prevent us from getting disease and also help us to be fit and strong.

Foods that give us energy are called carbohydrates and they are mostly sugary and starchy foods. Some carbohydrate foods are: banana, kumala, bread, rice, yam, taro, corn, peas and potato. If we eat a lot of carbohydrate and it is not burned up through work or play it is turned into fat in our bodies and saved up for when we might need it later. If we continue to eat too much carbohydrate and not use it up we will become fat.

Cakes, biscuits, two minute noodles, lollies and many snack foods are also energy foods but they provide energy that does not last very long in the body and is not the sort of energy we need to continue to play and work. These types of carbohydrates should only be eaten as special treats and not as a regular part of your diet.

Fats and oils also give us energy and provide some minerals that are essential for our health. Fats and oils help us to have healthy glowing skin and are essential to renew cells in the body, but we only need a very small amount each day. They give us twice as much energy as carbohydrates and can be easily stored in the body. Because they are stored in the body easily if we eat too many of them we will become fat and the stored energy does not get used up. Foods that have fats and oils in them are: coconuts, butter and margarine, peanuts, avocados and milk from cows. Snack foods that contain fats and oils are: chocolate, chips, twisties, sweet bars and lollies. However these snack foods really have more fat in them than we need and too much fat is not good for our bodies as it can collect in our blood and cause problems in our heart.

Proteins are essential for building our muscles and bones and keeping us fit and strong. Proteins make new cells in your body and they assist your body to repair injuries and fight off infection. Cells are dying in your body every day and protein is essential to replace the dead cells with new cells. Foods that have protein in them are: eggs, meat, chicken, fish, beans, coconuts and peanuts. Most snack foods have only a very small amount of protein so they are not good foods to make us strong and healthy.

Food also helps us to fight off disease. Vitamins and minerals boost our immune system which is responsible for fighting infection and illnesses. The best vitamins and minerals are found in fresh fruit and vegetables: pineapple, papaya, mango, pamplemouse, banana, island cabbage, any green vegetables, beans, tomato, and once again our friend the coconut is a food that is very good for vitamins and minerals. All other fruit and vegetables also have vitamins and minerals. There are no effective vitamins and minerals in most snack foods so they are not able to assist us to fight off disease or to remain fit and healthy.

The last essential element of diet is Water. Water is essential to keep all the processes in the body going and to keep us healthy. Water helps the body to get rid of waste and it contributes to the production of blood that circulates and keeps our organs working.

 Activity 2.1

 Divide the class into groups of four. In the groups of four make a list of all the different types of foods that are available at this time of year from the market or the gardens.

Have participants divide the foods they have listed into the food groups they belong in – energy foods (carbohydrates), strength and growing foods (proteins), protection foods (vitamin and minerals) and fats and oils.

Ask participants to identify which groups have more and where can you find foods that will fill the other groups?

Balanced diet

A balanced diet is one that has the right combination of all the different types of food. This pyramid represents the amounts of the different types of food we need to be eating to be strong, to grow and to fight off disease.

Your diet will depend on

§ your age – teenagers use more energy than babies

§ your work – a copra cutter uses more energy than an office worker

§ your gender – males use more energy than females , even if they are doing the same things

§ your size – tall people who have bigger bones need more food to be healthy

A balanced diet is one which contains the right amount of protein, carbohydrate, fat and vitamins and minerals to satisfy all the body needs of the person. A diet that is balanced for one person may not be balanced for another. The amount of food depends on the energy you use in a day. Young people who are growing also need to have a different diet to older people.

 Activity 2.2

Individual exercise

Ask the participants to look at the picture of a balanced diet and develop a balanced diet for one person for one day. Include breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2 snacks. 

BREAKFAST

___________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________ 

Mid Morning snack____________________________________________________ 

LUNCH

___________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________ 

Mid afternoon snack__________________________________________________ 

DINNER

___________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________ 

Diet through the age groups

Babies

Breast milk is the best food for babies. The mother’s milk has all the requirements for the baby to grow in the first six months. Even if the mother is thin and weak she will be the best source of a balanced diet for her baby. The breast milk has inside it all the protection from diseases that the mother has and it will provide the baby with natural protection.

All mothers should be encouraged to breast feed their babies and only when there is a medical or physical problem should breast milk substitutes be used. There is nothing in a can or bottle that is as good for a baby as breast milk for the first six months. All the energy, strength, growing and protection parts of a balanced diet are contained in breast milk.

Children from birth to twelve months are growing quickly and using a lot of energy. They need extra protein in their food after six months. They also need additional calcium to make strong bones and iron for building blood. Their energy needs are high so they will need more carbohydrate. After the baby is about six months old the mother should offer breast milk first and feed additional food after the baby has finished at the breast.

When the mother has only a small amount of milk allow the baby to feed more often and increase the mother’s intake of fluids such as water and juices. Breast feeding mother’s need a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals in their diet to pass on to the baby through their breast feeding.

Small children to ten years of age

Small children do not have teeth to bite food or chew it for digestion. Food needs to be soft so it may be necessary to cook it before mashing it. Add small amounts of fats such as butter, avocado or oil to help mash the food. Serve food at room temperature as it is very easy to burn the babies mouth with food that is too hot. If the mouth is burned the baby will not be able to suck at the breast or to take food in the mouth.

Children from 12 months to ten years spend a lot of time running jumping and playing. They are using a big amount of energy and at the same time they are growing quickly. At this time children require small meals frequently to keep up their energy levels. Fruit snacks are great for energy and coconut juice and other fruit juices are good to replace lost fluids from sweating. 

Children need to have a minimum of three meals in a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also need small snacks between meals. Be creative with the foods that children are given and try all different types of food. Even if you do not like the food yourself encourage children to try everything and learn about different foods and different tastes. Food should be interesting and fun and a pleasure to eat. 

Adolescents 10 years to 18 years

During adolescence there are many changes occurring in the body and bodies are continuing to grow. Girls do not stop growing until their early twenties and boys often keep growing until their late twenties. 

During this time teenagers are engaged in sport, education and social activities. They are still using a lot of energy and will require a diet that has a good amount of protein and carbohydrate. Vitamins and minerals will be helping them to build strong immune systems and prepare their bodies for reproduction. 

Girls in particular will need additional iron in their food as they begin to menstruate. Iron is found in red meats and also in green leafy vegetables. A balanced diet is important for creating balanced hormones in the body. A balanced diet has also been connected with being able to support young women to fight off hormonal mood swings and tiredness. 

Adults 18+

When people reach adulthood they stop growing, but they still need protein to keep their bodies healthy and to renew cells. Adults who do not do strong physical work can afford to reduce the amount of carbohydrate in their diet. This is because they are not using up as much energy as someone who is doing strong physical work. 

Office workers, teachers, managers and many people who work in doors in shops or offices do not use very much energy in their working day. Bus, taxi and transport drivers, tour guides and hospitality workers do not use a lot of energy. However a gardener, cane cutter or copra worker, construction builder or labourer will use a higher amount of energy. 

The amount of carbohydrate foods needs to be adjusted down in the people who use less energy in their work. Rice has become a regular source of carbohydrate for busy people in towns and villages in Vanuatu. This is because it is quick to cook and does not require peeling. However quick cooking foods like rice and instant noodles do not have many nutrients and have been responsible for many people becoming fat. These quick foods are also responsible for some people having diabetes and heart conditions.

It is important to look at the diagram of a balanced diet and ensure that the food for a day is only about 30% carbohydrates and that the snacks adults have during the day are not high carbohydrate such as cakes and biscuits. Fresh fruit is a preferable snack and will supply nutrients as well as protection against disease. 

Older people who are no longer working

People who are no longer working or growing still need to maintain their bodies in a healthy condition. Older people should ensure they still get 30 minutes each day of exercise such as walking, working in the garden, playing with younger children, swimming or any other activity they enjoy. 

The diet of an older person must remain balanced but older people can afford to have less food overall. Many older people prefer to eat a smaller amount more often. As long as they still eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, a small amount of carbohydrate and protein they should remain healthy and well. 

Older people tend to have urinary tract infections because they do not drink enough water. It is essential for older people to make sure they drink water frequently during the day. Boiled, filtered or bottled water may be necessary where there is no clean water supply. Always boil or filter water that has been kept in tanks or that comes from rivers if you are going to drink it.

People of all ages from children to the older adult need to drink plenty of water every day. Babies and small children need to be offered water to drink every 2 hours. Adults and youth need to drink 2 litres of water everyday.

Activity 2.3

Ask participants to work in groups of four to make a play about the following issue. The play should last for about 5 minutes. Then have the groups perform their small play.

In the village there is a young mother who is breast feeding her baby. Her name is Rona. Her mother, Julie, wants Rona to go back to work in the garden and leave the baby and stop breast feeding her. Rona is not happy she wants to continue to feed the baby at her breast. Rona is talking to her mother and the rest of her family about how this problem can be solved. Rona’s husband is Freddie and her sister is Mary. Mary is a health worker and she knows that breast feeding is best for the baby. Freddie relies on the vegetables from the garden to feed the family and make some money for school fees for their other children. Make a play about how the family comes together to talk about the problem and explore the many things that could happen. Consider all the issues the family will talk about and come up with a few different solutions to the problem.

Activity 2.4

Ask a Guest Speaker to come and talk to the class. The guest speaker should be someone who knows about nutrition to talk about the difference in nutrition of processed goods and fresh produce. Request that the guest speaker focus on traditional diet and how introduced foods have changed the diet of people living in Vanuatu. Positives and negatives of the impact of western foods

Here is a link to the Teachers Introductory Notes for this course

Here is a link to a previous lesson – Learning about Personal Hygiene