What is the current dietary advice in Scotland, and how can a meal be changed to follow it?
Current Scottish and UK dietary advice, including the Scottish Dietary Goals and the Eatwell Guide, and how to adapt food choices to meet that advice.
An SQA National 5 Health and Food Technology answer on current dietary advice, covering the Scottish Dietary Goals and the Eatwell Guide and how to adapt food choices and meals to meet them.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to know the main pieces of current dietary advice (the Scottish Dietary Goals and the Eatwell Guide), explain why each matters for health, and apply the advice by adapting a meal to follow it.
The Scottish Dietary Goals
The goals exist because the typical Scottish diet has tended to be too high in fat, sugar and salt and too low in fruit, vegetables and fibre, which is linked to the high rates of heart disease, obesity and related conditions in Scotland.
The Eatwell Guide
The largest sections are fruit and vegetables and starchy foods (bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, choosing wholegrain). Smaller sections are protein foods (beans, pulses, fish, eggs, lean meat) and dairy or alternatives. The smallest section is oils and spreads, and foods high in fat, sugar and salt sit outside the main plate, to be eaten only in small amounts.
The main messages of current advice
Following these messages supplies the right balance of nutrients while reducing the excess fat, sugar and salt linked to diet-related conditions.
Adapting food choices to meet the advice
The exam often asks you to take a meal and improve it. The method is to compare the meal with the advice, then change ingredients, portions or cooking methods to close the gaps:
Examples in context
Example 1. A school canteen meal. A canteen swaps a deep-fried option for a baked one, offers wholemeal bread, adds a salad bar and provides water and milk instead of fizzy drinks. This moves the meal towards the Eatwell Guide balance and the Scottish Dietary Goals.
Example 2. A family shopping trip. A family chooses wholegrain bread and pasta, lower-fat dairy, more fruit and vegetables, and reduced-salt versions of sauces. Over time this lowers their saturated fat, sugar and salt and raises their fibre and five-a-day, following current advice.
Try this
Q1. State the recommended minimum number of portions of fruit and vegetables a day. [1 mark]
- Cue. At least five portions a day.
Q2. Name the guide, shown as a plate, that shows the proportions of food groups for a healthy diet. [1 mark]
- Cue. The Eatwell Guide.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style4 marksDescribe four pieces of current dietary advice that would help someone eat a healthier diet.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark answer needs four separate, correct points of dietary advice.
Point 1. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, because they supply vitamins, minerals and fibre and help reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Point 2. Base meals on starchy carbohydrates, choosing wholegrain or higher-fibre versions, because they give slow-release energy and fibre.
Point 3. Cut down on foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, because too much raises the risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay and high blood pressure.
Point 4. Choose lower-fat and lower-sugar versions of foods and drinks, and drink plenty of water, because this reduces excess energy and free sugars.
Other valid points include eating some protein foods such as beans, fish, eggs and lean meat, and oily fish once or twice a week. Markers reward four distinct, correct pieces of advice.
SQA N5 style3 marksUsing the Eatwell Guide, explain how a takeaway pizza and chips meal could be changed to better follow current dietary advice.Show worked answer →
This question rewards applying the advice to a real meal, with reasons.
Change 1. Add a side salad or vegetables, or use a vegetable topping, to move towards the five-a-day goal and the large fruit-and-vegetable section of the Eatwell Guide.
Change 2. Choose a thinner, wholemeal base and less cheese, and bake oven chips with a little vegetable oil instead of deep-fried chips, to cut saturated fat and total fat in line with the advice to reduce fat.
Change 3. Swap a sugary fizzy drink for water or low-fat milk, to cut free sugars in line with the advice to reduce sugar.
A further point that scores is keeping the portion size sensible so the energy of the meal matches what the person needs. Markers reward changes that clearly map to the Eatwell Guide sections and dietary advice.
Related dot points
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An SQA National 5 Health and Food Technology answer on carbohydrate, covering the functions and sources of starch, sugars and dietary fibre (NSP), and the health effects of eating too much sugar or too little fibre.
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An SQA National 5 Health and Food Technology answer on fats and oils, covering their functions and sources, the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat, the role of cholesterol, and the health effects of eating too much fat.
- The function, dietary sources and effects of deficiency or excess of the minerals calcium, iron, sodium and phosphorus, and the function of water in the body.
An SQA National 5 Health and Food Technology answer on minerals and water, covering the function, sources and deficiency or excess effects of calcium, iron, sodium and phosphorus, and the function of water in the body.
- The diet-related conditions linked to poor food choices, including coronary heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, osteoporosis, anaemia, high blood pressure and bowel disorders, and the dietary changes that reduce their risk.
An SQA National 5 Health and Food Technology answer on diet-related conditions, covering coronary heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, osteoporosis, anaemia, high blood pressure and bowel disorders, with the dietary changes that reduce risk.
- How dietary needs change at different stages of life, including babies and children, teenagers, adults, pregnant women and older adults, and how to adapt meals to meet them.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA National 5 Health and Food Technology Course Specification — SQA (2017)
- Food Standards Scotland - Scottish Dietary Goals — Food Standards Scotland (2023)