The meeting with the dietician (Poland)

Polish Comenius Team
A meeting with a dietician
Ms Gabriela Wanat from the Medical University of Silesia

Our meeting with a dietician took place on the 29th October 2012 in our school. Ms Wanat showed our students a multimedia presentation “Keep fit, don’t eat junk food”. Students knew a definition of a eating habits. They also found out what their bodies should get to function properly and why proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are very important for their health.
They could also see a food pyramid. Ms Wanat explained them all the rules concerning a composition of a healthy menu for a day for teenagers. The participants of the meeting did a test about most common mistakes in an everyday diet. Our students could check their knowledge in practice, then.
One of the sections of the presentation was devoted to junk food because young people often eat crisps, chips or pizza. They counted calories of hamburgers or cola. They learnt how serious influence this kind of food has on their physical condition and simply health.
“Myths or facts” was one of the most interesting parts of the presentation because our students could find out if for example potatoes make us fat or not. It is believed that potatoes cause putting on weight. It turned out that it is not true. It is only the case when we eat potatoes with some fried bacon or cream.
Ms Wanat talked to them about the meaning of regular meals, proper choosing of the ingredients of our everyday diet but also about packed lunches. It is better to spend more time at home in the morning and prepare some sandwiches and take them to school. It is easier but not healthy to buy a doughnut later on at school.
The second meeting with Ms Wanat took place on 11th December also in our school. She checked students’ diaries where they made notes about their everyday diet. Students were to write down what they eat before the meeting with a dietician and after the meeting. During the second meeting they compared the results. They could observe how their eating habits have changed. Fortunately, they admitted that it is very hard to do it but it is worth doing because the food we eat has an enormous influence on our physical and mental health. Ms Wanat also discussed with the participants the menu for “A healthy day”.
In January the students made a poster presenting food pyramid. You can see a photo below.
Here are some pictures which were taken during our meetings.