#41 Nutrition 101

During the first Covid lockdown your school hadn’t geared-up for online teaching so you were stuck with the school of Mum and Dad. Your father and I largely took a ‘teach why you know’ approach and one of the topics I covered with you was basic nutrition.

Advice has moved on a bit since (it was six years ago now after all!) but I dug out this poster that we used, because obviously I’ve kept all of the home-schooling materials.

The principles on the poster remain a great ‘Nutrition 101’, though it’s worth adding a few more details. I’ve given links to more info on each of the areas.

Fiber: most people don’t eat enough of it, and beige carbs aren’t going to help much I’m afraid. Adding more fiber doesn’t mean a ban on white pasta, small changes can add up to that 30g a day target.

Plants: whist I grew up with the ‘five-a-day’ line, we actually need more quantity and variety of plants in our diets. The variety really matters and there is some evidence that aiming for 30 varieties of plant-based foods a week is beneficial, and “plants” here doesn’t just mean fruit and veg.

Protein: I’m sure the gym bros at school talk about protein, possibly shakes and supplements. And if you need to boost protein intake then whey protein is a well-researched choice. But getting enough lean protein from a varsity of sources is a better option. The guidance is to aim for 0.75g of protein per 1kg of body weight.

High and ultra-high processed foods: these have been demonised in the media (“toxic cereal” FFS) and a diet containing a lot of these isn’t a good idea. But some of them taste really good and can be enjoyed in moderation.

So why you your father and I talk to you so much about food? Because what you eat matters. Food is more than just fuel but what you put in to your body impacts how you feel and how you function. There is also increasing evidence that the state of your gut microbiome has a significant impact on our physical and mental health. (If you want to find out more about what your gut needs, Dr Karan Rajan is a great follow.)

Learn to listen to your body and feed it what it needs. (And also sometimes just eat the biscuit because they taste good).