Nutrition Awareness Worksheet

Year 8 Health — Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Unit 2

Name:

Date:

Class:

🥦 Part 1: Food Groups and Nutritional Value

New Zealand's healthy eating guidelines identify five main food groups. Use your knowledge from today's lesson to answer the following questions.

1. Match each food group to its main nutritional benefit by writing the correct letter in the space provided.

A. Fruits and Vegetables

B. Grains and Cereals

C. Protein Foods

D. Dairy Products

E. Healthy Fats

_____ Builds and repairs muscles and body tissue

_____ Provides vitamins, minerals, and fibre

_____ Supports brain function and absorbs vitamins

_____ Main source of energy for the body

_____ Builds strong bones and teeth

2. Categorise the following foods into the correct food group. Write each food in the right column.

Foods: kūmara, tofu, rewena bread, avocado, horopito, mīlk, brown rice, salmon, spinach, cheese

Hint: Some of these are examples of Kai Māori — traditional Māori foods that are nutritious and culturally important.

Fruits & Vegetables: _____________________________________________

Grains & Cereals: _____________________________________________

Protein Foods: _____________________________________________

Dairy: _____________________________________________

Healthy Fats: _____________________________________________

3. Kai Māori refers to traditional Māori food knowledge and practices. Why is it important to include culturally diverse foods when learning about nutrition?

🧠 Part 2: Nutrition and Your Health

4. Which of the following are ways that good nutrition can support your health? (Tick ALL that apply.)

Improves energy levels throughout the day

Supports concentration and learning at school

Helps with growth and development

Guarantees you will never get sick

Can positively affect mood and mental well-being

Supports a healthy immune system

5. Which statement best describes a balanced approach to eating?

Only eating foods from the "healthy" category and avoiding all treats

Eating a variety of foods from all food groups in appropriate amounts, most of the time

Eating as much protein as possible to stay strong

Skipping breakfast to save calories for later in the day

6. Why is eating breakfast important for Year 8 students? Give two reasons.

7. A student skips lunch and eats a large bag of chips as their only afternoon snack. Describe two ways this might affect their health or well-being.

💭 Part 3: Personal Reflection

This section is about your food choices and well-being. There are no right or wrong answers — be honest with yourself!

8. Think about what you ate yesterday. Which food groups were well represented in your meals? Which food groups could you include more of?

Well represented: _____________________________________________

Could include more of: _____________________________________________

9. Your teacher has asked you to keep a one-day food diary at home. In the space below, plan what a balanced day of eating might look like for you. Include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one snack. Try to include at least one Kai Māori or culturally significant food from your own background.

Breakfast: _____________________________________________

Snack: _____________________________________________

Lunch: _____________________________________________

Dinner: _____________________________________________

10. Complete this sentence: One small change I could make to improve my nutrition is...

🌿 Remember: Nutrition is about balance and nourishing your body and mind — not about labelling foods as "good" or "bad". Every culture has valuable food traditions worth celebrating!