Special diets

© Boardworks Ltd 20051 of 20 © Boardworks Ltd 20051 of 22
Food Technology
Special Diets
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© Boardworks Ltd 20052 of 20
Learning objectivesLearningobjectives
To understand that our dietary needs change through life.
To understand that people follow different diets for a
variety of reasons.

We should all be following The Balance of Good Health
recommendations published by the government in order to get
the right quantities and proportions of nutrients our bodies need.
Different people require different amounts of
nutrients.
Getting the right amounts of nutrients

Different diets

Teenagers require more energy food than
adults because they are growing and often
very active.
Foods which are high in calcium and protein
should be eaten to help bone and muscle
growth; foods which are high in other minerals
and vitamins should also be eaten.
Teenage girls need more iron.
Grazing on snacks which are high in sugar
and fat should be avoided.
A teenager’s diet

Snack profile

Poor diet and related diseases

Diseases word search

Some people, such as diabetics and coeliacs, have to restrict
their diet because their bodies react badly to certain types of
food. This is called food intolerance.
Other people are allergic to some foods – most commonly to
milk, eggs, nuts, fish, shellfish, soya, wheat or gluten. In an
allergic reation, the body thinks the food is not safe and
releases chemicals (histamines) to deal with it. In a severe
allergic reaction, the body goes into shock and in rare cases the
person can die.
What is food intolerance?
Labelling foods clearly
is very important to
people with food
intolerance or allergies.

As many as 1 in 300 people in the UK have coeliac disease,
which is an intolerance to gluten. Gluten is found in cereals
such as wheat, barley, rye and oats. If coeliacs eat gluten, they
damage their small intestine making absorption of nutrients
difficult. In the long term, this leads to weight loss and
malnutrition.
Maize (corn) is a cereal which is gluten-free and can be eaten by
coeliacs; some coeliacs might also eat oats as the gluten content
in oats is very low.
Since so many food products are made from wheat, people who
are diagnosed with coeliac disease need to think about their diet
very carefully. They should also check food labels carefully for
the ‘hidden’ wheat products.
What is coeliac disease?

Gluten-free foods

To make gluten-free products,
cereals other than wheat,
barley, rye and oats must be
used. These cereal or starch
flours can be used for cakes,
biscuits, pastry and bread.
Cereal or starch flours
rice
potato
manioc (from cassava)
maize (corn)
quinoa
tapiocabuckwheat
nut (especially almond)
sorghum soya
millet

Making gluten-free products
Food manufacturers experiment with different flours when making
gluten-free products. A fruit cake might contain a mixture of
almond, manioc, buckwheat and maize flour.
Bread is the most difficult gluten-free product to make since it is
the gluten in wheat which creates the texture and structure of
bread as it is stretched during kneading.
Doves Farm company, however, does make a gluten-free brown
bread flour which contains rice, potato and tapioca flours plus
natural fibre and gums for baking strength.

How does religion affect diet?

A vegetarian diet consists of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds,
vegetables and fruits and in many cases, also dairy products
and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat meat, poultry, game, fish or
shell fish.
People become vegetarian for ethical, moral and health
reasons. The number of vegetarians has nearly doubled to at
least 5% of the UK population in the last ten years.
One-third of the population eats meat only occasionally and
two-thirds of the population eats some meatless meals.
There are different types of vegetarians: lacto-ovo-vegetarian,
lacto-vegetarian, vegan and semi- or demi-vegetarian.
Vegetarians and vegans need to be careful that they get all the
nutrients they need as whole food groups are missing from their
diets; tofu and quorn are good meat (protein) substitutes.
Vegetarian diets

Different types of vegetarian diets

Why do people become vegetarian?

What foods do vegans eat?

Some people need to be
particularly careful with their diets
on account of their jobs or the
activities they do. Sportsmen and
sportswomen take their diet very
seriously, because it can help to
improve their performance.
Sports nutrition
Physical exercise uses up energy and it is important to eat the
right foods to provide an energy store. Starches release their
energy more slowly than sugars and are good for long distance.
Fluids are also very important to avoid becoming dehydrated.
Exactly what the best diet is will depend on the type of sport and
professional sportsmen and women will be helped to find the most
appropriate diet for their particular sport by a trainer.

Test your knowledge about diets

Special diets quiz

Key pointsKeypoints
If we eat a balanced diet, most of us will get all the
nutrients we need.
Our dietary needs change through life as we grow
older and our activities change. They are not always the
same for men and women.
Some people restrict their diet on account of their
religious beliefs.
Some people need to avoid certain foods for medical
reasons.
Some people change their diet due to personal needs.
If a food group is excluded from our diet, we must ensure
that the missing nutrients are obtained from
alternative sources.

Special diets

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