AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition: Revision Guide

Food Safety > Food spoilage and contamination Nutriti nal needs and health Points that apply to adults The best eating habits and lifestyle choices for this life stage: • Regular meals and drinks – always eat breakfast • Drink plenty of water • Follow the Eatwell Guide • Take regular, load-bearing (e.g. running, jumping, walking) exercise to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight • Spend regular time outside in the sun to make vitamin D in the body • Get plenty of sleep • Try to avoid too much stress • Metabolic rate slows down, so weight gain may happen if energy balance is wrong • All nutrients are important especially: • Calcium/vitamin D – skeleton reaches peak bone mass around 30 years of age and gradually starts to lose minerals and become weakened after this age • Iron and vitamin C: (especially women) to avoid anaemia • B group vitamins: to help the body use energy and the brain to concentrate • Fibre: to maintain a healthy digestive system Avoid: • Eating too many energy-dense foods /meals • Eating lots of sugar and salt • Eating and drinking foods with a lot of sugar, fat and salt Points that apply to elderly adults The best eating habits and lifestyle choices for this life stage: • Eat regular well-balanced meals and drinks – always eat breakfast • Eat smaller portions as the appetite will decrease and metabolic rate will slow down • Some nutrients will not be so well absorbed in the body, so eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and iron-rich foods • Eat plenty of fibre to maintain a healthy digestive system • Drink plenty of water • Follow the Eatwell Guide • Take regular exercise to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight • Spend regular time outside in the sun to make vitamin D in the body • Metabolic rate slows down, so weight gain may happen if energy balance is wrong • All nutrients are important especially: • Calcium/vitamin D – skeleton gradually starts to lose minerals and become weakened, which becomes worse in women after the menopause. Can develop into osteoporosis in men and women. • Iron and vitamin C: (especially women) to avoid anaemia • B group vitamins: to help the body use energy and to help prevent memory loss • Fibre: to maintain a healthy digestive system • Vitamins A,C and E: to help prevent age-related eye conditions. Discourage eating lots of sugar and salt Avoid: • Eating too many energy-dense foods /meals (unless advised by a doctor or dietitian) • Eating and drinking foods with a lot of sugar, fat and salt Life stages: phases of development that people go through during their life, such as infancy (babyhood), childhood, adolescence (teenagers), adulthood and the elderly Key terms you should try to use in your answers Revision tip The information in the table is related to planning meals for different life stages. Extended examination questions can ask about what to consider when meal planning for a different life stage, e.g. teenagers. It is important to always plan your answer before starting to write. This will allow you to include all the key information. Using bullet points/listing key words is a good technique before starting to answer the question. 32