The Science of a Healthy Diet
A balanced diet means eating a variety of foods in the right portion sizes so that your body receives all the necessary nutrients. Good hydration is also essential, as water helps transport nutrients and remove waste from the body. People today often struggle to keep their eating habits balanced, especially when surrounded by tempting takeout options that are processed and high in additives.
Experts suggest that preparing food at home gives you better control over what you eat. Fresh vegetables like courgettes, sweet potatoes, green peppers, or red peppers are full of vitamins and taste better when ripe. Some people enjoy experimenting with world cuisine, discovering that Mediterranean meals often include herbs, spices, and a splash of vinegar for extra flavour. Adding a little goat cheese to a salad or using sour cream in moderation can make meals both healthy and delicious.
When cooking, it’s important to know how to handle food properly. For example, you can peel vegetables, marinate meat or fish in lemon juice and herbs, and then sauté them in olive oil for a few minutes. Always season your dishes carefully, and if you want to keep something for later, learn how to preserve it safely. Food that is raw or out of date may be dangerous to eat, as it can easily go off or become mouldy or rotten. Some products, such as margarine or meat loaf, can last longer because they have been processed to prevent spoiling.
The texture and taste of food also influence our choices. Some people prefer crunchy salads, while others enjoy savoury soups, bitter dark chocolate, or spicy and salty dishes. Desserts like pudding may be sweet, but a balanced diet means enjoying them only occasionally. Superfoods, including blueberries and avocado, are praised for their high nutritional value, while whole grains such as wheat provide important energy. In contrast, bagels, baguettes, and beefsteaks are fine to eat in moderation but should not dominate every meal.
Learning to avoid waste is another part of healthy eating. Buying only what you need and storing food correctly reduces the chance that it will go off. Frozen vegetables should be properly thawed before cooking, and fruit should be allowed to ripen naturally. Some people believe in zero-waste kitchens, where every leftover is preserved or reused creatively. This not only supports the planet but also encourages mindfulness about what we eat.
In the end, the science of a healthy diet is about awareness. Whether you choose to explore new cuisines or focus on local ingredients, the key is to eat thoughtfully, enjoy every portion, and make each meal both nutritious and satisfying.
Revise: you are already familiar with this topic. Do you remember studying about food and eating out in form 7? Let's go back for a quick revision: Nutrition, Ways of Cooking, and Recipes, Eating Out. Healthy and unhealthy food was a topic you covered in form 4. Let's revise: Healthy Food, Unhealthy Food
Learn: now, let's continue to build your vocabulary. Study new words from the text above.
Key vocabulary:
Food and Ingredients
additive — [ˈæd.ɪ.tɪv] — a substance that is added to food in order to improve its taste or appearance or to keep it fresh and stop it from decaying; piedeva (piemēram, garšas, krāsas uzlabošanai)
additive — [ˈæd.ɪ.tɪv] — a substance that is added to food in order to improve its taste or appearance or to keep it fresh and stop it from decaying; piedeva (piemēram, garšas, krāsas uzlabošanai)
bagel — [ˈbeɪ.ɡəl] — a hard bread roll in the shape of a ring; baranka
baguette (also: French stick) — [bæˈɡet] — a long, thin stick of white bread, originally from France; bagete (tievs, garš baltmaizes klaips)
beefsteak (also: beef stake) — [ˈbiːf.steɪk] — good quality beef, or a slice of this; liellopa steiks
courgette — [kɔːˈʒet] — a long vegetable with dark green skin that is white inside; kabacis
cuisine — [kwɪˈziːn] — a style of cooking; kulinārija; virtuve (piemēram, franču virtuve, kas nozīmē Francijai tipiskie ēdieni)
goat cheese — [ˈɡəʊt ˌtʃiːz] — cheese made from the milk of a goat; kazas siers
herb — [hɜːb] — a type of plant whose leaves are used in cooking to give flavour to dishes or in making medicine; augs (arī ārstniecības)
margarine — [ˌmɑː.dʒəˈriːn] — a yellow substance like butter made from animal or vegetable fats; margarīns
meat loaf — [ˈmiːt ləʊf] — meat, onions, etc. mixed together and shaped like a loaf of bread, then baked; viltotais zaķis (maizes klaipam līdzīgs veidojums no maltas gaļas un piedevām, parasti krāsnī cepts)
pudding — [ˈpʊd.ɪŋ] — a sweet creamy dish made with milk, sugar, and flour, served cold as a dessert; pudiņš
red pepper — [ˌred ˈpep.ə(r)] — a type of pepper with a very hot taste that is red in colour; sarkanie, asie pipari
sour cream (also: soured cream) — [ˌsaʊə ˈkriːm] — cream that has been made no longer fresh by adding bacteria, used in cooking; skābais krējums
spice — [spaɪs] — one of the various types of powder or seed that come from plants and are used in cooking; garšviela
superfood — [ˈsuː.pə.fuːd] — a food considered to be very good for your health; pārtikas produkts ar augstu uzturvērtību
baguette (also: French stick) — [bæˈɡet] — a long, thin stick of white bread, originally from France; bagete (tievs, garš baltmaizes klaips)
beefsteak (also: beef stake) — [ˈbiːf.steɪk] — good quality beef, or a slice of this; liellopa steiks
courgette — [kɔːˈʒet] — a long vegetable with dark green skin that is white inside; kabacis
cuisine — [kwɪˈziːn] — a style of cooking; kulinārija; virtuve (piemēram, franču virtuve, kas nozīmē Francijai tipiskie ēdieni)
goat cheese — [ˈɡəʊt ˌtʃiːz] — cheese made from the milk of a goat; kazas siers
herb — [hɜːb] — a type of plant whose leaves are used in cooking to give flavour to dishes or in making medicine; augs (arī ārstniecības)
margarine — [ˌmɑː.dʒəˈriːn] — a yellow substance like butter made from animal or vegetable fats; margarīns
meat loaf — [ˈmiːt ləʊf] — meat, onions, etc. mixed together and shaped like a loaf of bread, then baked; viltotais zaķis (maizes klaipam līdzīgs veidojums no maltas gaļas un piedevām, parasti krāsnī cepts)
pudding — [ˈpʊd.ɪŋ] — a sweet creamy dish made with milk, sugar, and flour, served cold as a dessert; pudiņš
red pepper — [ˌred ˈpep.ə(r)] — a type of pepper with a very hot taste that is red in colour; sarkanie, asie pipari
sour cream (also: soured cream) — [ˌsaʊə ˈkriːm] — cream that has been made no longer fresh by adding bacteria, used in cooking; skābais krējums
spice — [spaɪs] — one of the various types of powder or seed that come from plants and are used in cooking; garšviela
superfood — [ˈsuː.pə.fuːd] — a food considered to be very good for your health; pārtikas produkts ar augstu uzturvērtību
sweet pepper — [ˌswiːt ˈpep.ər] — a pepper that is not spicy; paprika
sweet potato — [ˌswiːt pəˈteɪ.təʊ] — a root vegetable that looks like a red potato but is yellow inside and tastes sweet; batāte jeb saldais kartupelis
vinegar — [ˈvɪn.ɪ.ɡə(r)] — a liquid with a bitter taste made from wine or malt, used to add taste to food or to preserve it; etiķis
wheat — [wiːt] — a plant grown for its grain, used to make flour for bread, cakes, pasta, etc.; kvieši
vinegar — [ˈvɪn.ɪ.ɡə(r)] — a liquid with a bitter taste made from wine or malt, used to add taste to food or to preserve it; etiķis
wheat — [wiːt] — a plant grown for its grain, used to make flour for bread, cakes, pasta, etc.; kvieši
Food Preparation and Condition
bitter — [ˈbɪt.ər] — with an unpleasantly sharp taste; rūgts
crunchy — [ˈkrʌn.tʃi] — firm and making a short loud noise when eaten or pressed; kraukšķošs
go off — [ɡəʊ ˈɒf] — if food or drink goes off, it is no longer good to eat or drink; sabojāties, saskābt
marinate (also: marinade) — [ˈmær.ɪ.neɪt] — to pour a marinade over meat or fish and let it stand; marinēt
mouldy — [ˈməʊl.di] — covered with mould; sapelējis
out of date — [ˌaʊt əv ˈdeɪt] — if food is out of date, it is old and not safe to eat; tāds, kam beidzies derīguma termiņš
peel — [piːl] — to remove the skin of fruit and vegetables; mizot, lobīt
preserve — [/prɪˈzɜːv] — to treat food so it can be kept for a long time without going bad; konservēt; saglabāt
processed — [ˈprəʊ.sest] — having had chemical or industrial treatment to preserve or change taste, appearance; apstrādāts
raw — [rɔː] — (of food) not cooked; jēls
ripe — [raɪp] — (of fruit or crops) completely developed and ready to eat; nogatavojies
ripen — [ˈraɪ.pən] — to (cause to) become ripe; nogatavoties
rotten — [ˈrɒt.ən] — decayed, spoiled; sapuvis, bojāts
salty — [ˈsɒl.ti] — tasting of salt or containing a lot of salt; sāļš
sauté — [soʊ'teɪ] — to cook food in oil or fat over heat, usually until brown; tvaicēt, sutināt, sautēt
savoury — [ˈseɪ.vər.i] — salty or spicy and not sweet in taste; pikants
season — [ˈsiː.zən] — to improve the flavour of savoury food by adding salt, herbs, or spices; pievienot garšvielas ēdienam
sour — [saʊər] — having a sharp, sometimes unpleasant, taste like a lemon; skābs
savoury — [ˈseɪ.vər.i] — salty or spicy and not sweet in taste; pikants
season — [ˈsiː.zən] — to improve the flavour of savoury food by adding salt, herbs, or spices; pievienot garšvielas ēdienam
sour — [saʊər] — having a sharp, sometimes unpleasant, taste like a lemon; skābs
spicy — [ˈspaɪ.si] — containing strong flavours from spices; pikants
thaw — [θɔː] — to (cause to) change from frozen to soft or liquid because of heat; atkausēt
Eating Habits and Lifestyle
balanced — [ˈbælənst] — keeping or showing a balance so that different parts exist in correct amounts; sabalansēts (piemēram, uzturs)
hydration — [haɪˈdreɪ.ʃən] — the process of absorbing and holding water; hidratācija jeb ūdens uzņemšana
portion — [ˈpɔː.ʃən] — the amount of food served to one person; porcija
takeout (also: takeaway) — [ˈteɪk.aʊt] — a meal cooked and bought at a shop or restaurant but taken home to be eaten; ēdiens līdzņemšanai
waste — [weɪst] — to use too much of something or use it badly; izšķiest
balanced — [ˈbælənst] — keeping or showing a balance so that different parts exist in correct amounts; sabalansēts (piemēram, uzturs)
hydration — [haɪˈdreɪ.ʃən] — the process of absorbing and holding water; hidratācija jeb ūdens uzņemšana
portion — [ˈpɔː.ʃən] — the amount of food served to one person; porcija
takeout (also: takeaway) — [ˈteɪk.aʊt] — a meal cooked and bought at a shop or restaurant but taken home to be eaten; ēdiens līdzņemšanai
waste — [weɪst] — to use too much of something or use it badly; izšķiest
Practice: now that you have learned the key vocabulary, it is time to use it in practice. Think how you would answer the discussion-type questions, which will help you develop the ability to give longer answers and practise how to express your opinion — just as in an English exam or real conversation. For each question, an answer prompt is available to guide you.
Discussion-Type Questions
Discussion-Type Questions
1. Why do some people find it difficult to maintain a healthy diet?
"I believe many people struggle to maintain a healthy diet because of their busy lifestyles and convenience foods. For instance, after a long day, it’s tempting to buy fast food instead of cooking. Another reason might be emotional eating. Some people eat to cope with stress. On the other hand, others argue that staying healthy just requires discipline and planning. In my opinion, motivation and small, realistic goals are the key to long-term healthy eating."
"I believe many people struggle to maintain a healthy diet because of their busy lifestyles and convenience foods. For instance, after a long day, it’s tempting to buy fast food instead of cooking. Another reason might be emotional eating. Some people eat to cope with stress. On the other hand, others argue that staying healthy just requires discipline and planning. In my opinion, motivation and small, realistic goals are the key to long-term healthy eating."
2. Should schools provide only healthy meals in their cafeterias?
"In my view, schools should promote healthy eating by offering nutritious meals. Children often eat what’s available, so schools can help shape good habits early. For example, serving fruit, vegetables, and whole grains encourages better choices. However, banning all snacks might make students rebel or buy unhealthy food elsewhere. I believe balance is important. Schools should educate and offer healthy options, but not completely remove freedom of choice."
"In my view, schools should promote healthy eating by offering nutritious meals. Children often eat what’s available, so schools can help shape good habits early. For example, serving fruit, vegetables, and whole grains encourages better choices. However, banning all snacks might make students rebel or buy unhealthy food elsewhere. I believe balance is important. Schools should educate and offer healthy options, but not completely remove freedom of choice."
3. Do you think vegetarian or vegan diets are healthier than diets that include meat?
"I believe vegetarian and vegan diets can be very healthy if they’re well-planned and balanced. They usually contain more fibre and fewer saturated fats. For example, people who eat more plant-based foods often have lower risks of heart disease. However, such diets may lack nutrients like iron or vitamin B12 if not supplemented properly. Personally, I think moderation is best. Reducing meat consumption without cutting it out completely can still bring health benefits."
"I believe vegetarian and vegan diets can be very healthy if they’re well-planned and balanced. They usually contain more fibre and fewer saturated fats. For example, people who eat more plant-based foods often have lower risks of heart disease. However, such diets may lack nutrients like iron or vitamin B12 if not supplemented properly. Personally, I think moderation is best. Reducing meat consumption without cutting it out completely can still bring health benefits."
4. How does advertising influence people’s eating habits?
"In my opinion, advertising has a strong impact on what people eat. Companies use bright colours, famous people, and emotional messages to make unhealthy foods seem attractive. For instance, children might ask for sugary cereals after seeing fun TV ads. On the other hand, some campaigns promote healthy eating, like ads for fruits or water. I think people should be more aware of marketing tricks and learn to make choices based on facts, not emotions."
"In my opinion, advertising has a strong impact on what people eat. Companies use bright colours, famous people, and emotional messages to make unhealthy foods seem attractive. For instance, children might ask for sugary cereals after seeing fun TV ads. On the other hand, some campaigns promote healthy eating, like ads for fruits or water. I think people should be more aware of marketing tricks and learn to make choices based on facts, not emotions."
5. What are the benefits of cooking at home instead of eating out?
"I think cooking at home is healthier because you control the ingredients and portion sizes. For example, you can use less oil, salt, or sugar. It’s also often cheaper and brings families together. However, eating out can be convenient and fun, especially on special occasions. In my opinion, home cooking should be the main habit, while eating out can remain an occasional treat."
"I think cooking at home is healthier because you control the ingredients and portion sizes. For example, you can use less oil, salt, or sugar. It’s also often cheaper and brings families together. However, eating out can be convenient and fun, especially on special occasions. In my opinion, home cooking should be the main habit, while eating out can remain an occasional treat."