Fun facts learning cards

Sodexo Food Facts and Fun
Bite into food fact fun for Cubs!
FOOD
facts and fun
These cards have been created to help you understand food better.
We all know how important food is, so Food Fun Facts are here to help
you towards your Cub chef activity badge.
We are a company called Sodexo and have been making schools meals
for over 50 years. At Sodexo, we believe it’s important that you enjoy
your meals and that they help to make your day great - whether you’re
at school or out and about with Cubs.
In the schools where we serve food, we make sure our meals are tasty
and balanced - not too much salt, sugar or fat. We’ve designed these
cards to help you get this right too. Have fun!

The Eatwell Plate
To stay healthy it is important to get the right balance from
different types of foods eaten everyday. We can achieve this by
following the government’s recommended balance shown in
the diagram below.
fruit and vegetables
Bread, rice, potatoes,
pasta
and other starchy foods
Fruit and vegetables
These foods are important because they provide us with lots
of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fruit and vegetables are
very low in fat unless we add fats such as oil, margarine,
butter, cream or a rich sauce to them.
A third of all the food we eat each day should come from
fruit and vegetables. Try to have at least five portions a day
of different varieties. One small glass of fruit juice can also
count as one portion.
Don't forget potatoes are high in starchy carbohydrate so
they belong to the bread, rice, potatoes and pasta group
and not the fruit and vegetable group.
Meat, fish, eggs,
beans
and other non-dairy
sources of protein
Foods and drinks
high in fat and/or
sugar
Milk and dairy foods
This plate shows the types and proportions of foods we need to eat
from five food groups. It includes all the foods and drinks from
each meal and snacks throughout the day.
The five food groups are:
• fruit and vegetables
• bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other
starchy foods
• milk and dairy foods
• meat, fish, eggs, beans and non dairy
sources of protein
• foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar
I’m bursting with
lots of vitamins
and I taste great
cooked or raw

Bread, rice,
potatoes, pasta
These starchy carbohydrate foods provide us with lots
of energy. Energy is important for growth and everyday
activities. They can also provide us with some calcium,
iron and B vitamins.
Like the fruit and vegetable group, we should also be
eating about a third of our total food intake from this
group. Bread and pasta are both made from wheat.
Tip: Choose wholegrain varieties to increase
your fibre intake.
Meat, fish, eggs
and beans
This group of foods is high in protein. Protein is needed for
repair and growth of our body cells.
Meat, especially red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and fish are
also high in iron.
Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines
and fresh tuna all contain a fatty acid known as omega 3
which is important for a healthy heart.
Oily fish should appear on your school lunch menu at least
once every three weeks, see if you can spot them.
For those who do not eat meat or fish, then eggs, beans,
pulses, soya, tofu are also a good source of protein.
foods like these
provide
energy
our bodies with
Meat, fish, eggs
and beans are a
very good source
of protein

Foods and drinks high
in fat and/or sugar
This group provides us with lots of energy. Fatty and sugary
foods offer very little nutritional benefit and provide us with
more energy than we need. Fat provides us with twice as much
energy as sugar.
We should only eat a very small amount of these foods.
Tip: Why not try snacking on dried fruits such as raisins and
apricots instead of high fat crisps or chocolate
you should try to eat
portions of fruit
and vegetables
5per day
So remember to eat:
• Plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and
other starchy foods, and where you can
choose wholegrain varieties
• Some milk and dairy foods
• Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and
non dairy sources of protein
• Only a small amount of foods and drinks
high in fat and/or sugar
...and don’t forget to:
• Drink plenty of fluid such as water,
fruit juice and milk
• Have breakfast each morning
• Get plenty of physical exercise; get active!