1. The document provides information and tips for medical students on healthy eating, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas and recipes. It discusses the importance of eating healthy for concentration and energy levels during long days. 2. Key tips include eating whole grains, varying food groups throughout the day based on the eatwell plate, choosing frozen or canned fruits and vegetables to save money, and planning meals with flatmates to save on food costs. 3. Recipes include baked eggs on toast for breakfast, a fish and vegetable pizza for lunch, and sweet and sour chicken with noodles for dinner.

1. The medical
student’s guide
to healthy
eating!
Peninsula
^

3. Menu....
• The basics – the eatwell plate
• 10 tips for healthy eating
• Cupboard check-list
• Smart eating
• Yummy ideas
• Want to know more...?

4. The basics
Healthy foods are tasty, cheap and easy to
cook. Obviously some things, brussel sprouts,
will never taste right but with the right
ingredients and some “applied knowledge”,
eating healthily can become a regular habit.
Why bother you ask
Eating healthily will help you to concentrate
better during the day and will help to keep
your energy levels up during those long ward
rounds! And as you will all probably know, the
risks of cardiovascular diseases are lowered
in those who have a healthy diet!
Did you know…?
Bananas contain all
the 8 amino acids
that our bodies can’t
produce themselves!

5. 5 facts about the eatwell
plate
1. The eatwell plate shows how much of each food
group you should eat.
2. You do not have to eat each food group at every meal
time but vary your intake throughout the day.
3. You should base your diet on the proportions
indicated over the week.
4. It is suitable for most people, whether they are a
healthy weight, vegetarian or a meat eater

6. 5. It is not an exact representation of how big your
plate size should be.
10 tips for healthy eating
1. DO NOT SKIP BREAKFAST! It is the
most important meal of the day and will
ensure that you are able to answer
questions on the wards! Look on the recipes
page for some simple breakfast ideas.
2.Frozen, tinned and dried fruit all count
towards your 5-a-day and will usually be
cheaper than fresh fruit or vegetable.
Beans also count as part of your 5-a-day so
beans on toast can be enjoyed not only
during end-of-student loan times!
Potatoes were the
first kind of
vegetable ever to
be grown in space!

7. 3. Love cheese? Then try grating your
cheese as this will help you to use less than
you normally would if it were sliced.
4. Also, the softer the cheese the less
saturated fat and less calories. So swap
your cheddar for mozzarella. If you’re not
a big fan of the soft cheeses, then use
strong flavoured cheese as this will help
you use a smaller amount.

8. Even though potatoes
are vegetables, they
do not count as part
of your 5-a-day.

9. 5.Set yourself green challenges every
week. For example you could choose a
new fruit and vegetable each week. You
can base this on offers in the
supermarkets.
6.Check food labels before buying. The
same food made by different
manufacturers may be different in terms
of their salt, sugar and fat content.Even though potatoes
are vegetables, they
do not count as part
of your 5-a-day.

10. 7. We all know wholegrain is better but just
doesn’t taste as nice. Wholegrain breakfast
cereals however, taste less wholegrainy than
other wholegrain products. Also buying 50/50
bread (part wholegrain, part not) will also help
to increase your intake of whole grain
products!
8. Bulk up your meals with cheap and easy to
prepare vegetables and pulses like kidney
beans, sweet corn and chickpeas. There are
hardly any meals where you cannot sneak
these vegetables in and if you buy them
frozen, they can be easily defrosted in the
microwave in minutes.
Margarine was first
called butterine in
England when it was
introduced!

11. 9. Shop smart! Make sure you know where the
reduced section aisles are in the
supermarkets. Go to these aisles first to see
what’s on offer before doing the rest of your
shopping. Also if possible and convenient, do
your shopping an hour before the store closes
to improve your chances of getting a bargain.
10. Finally, this is simple but so true – if you don’t
buy it you won’t eat it! Use a shopping list and
when you do your shopping set a cap on how
much you want to spend on sugary foods and
stick to it!
Margarine was first
called butterine in
England when it was
introduced!

14. Things you should always have in your cupboard
• Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni)
• Rice (long grain, basmati)
• Noodles/cous cous
• Olive /vegetable oil
• Dried herbs and spices (these will keep literally
forever or at least till the end of the year)
• Stock cube (especially if you love your casseroles)
• Plain white flour (not only for baking)
• Tinned tomatoes (healthier and cheaper option for
making sauces)
• Tinned fruits (if in syrup, rinse before eating)
• Tinned fish (water better than oil and ideal for
packed lunches)
• Beans and pulses

15. • Condiments (salt, pepper, garlic)
Smart eating
Question 1
It’s the week of the AMKs in May. You are about to do
your weekly shop for the week. What foods would you
ensure that you buy and why?
Choose only one answer:
a) You wouldn’t bother buying anything different.
b) You buy loads of sweets and chocolates in anticipation
of the sugar rush that you are bound to get before the
exam
c) You buy a good, preferably wholegrain breakfast cereal,
things that you can snack on during the day like dried
fruits and starch based foods like pasta and potatoes
Carrots taste sweeter
after they have been
cooked!

16. d) You would buy as little food as possible and drink more
instead especially tea and coffee to keep you awake during
the night for revision.
Answer – C
Breakfast is very important during exam periods especially
on the morning of the exam. It’ll ensure that you have
enough energy for the whole day and help you to stay
awake during the exam. Eating lightly at regular intervals
during the day will help you feel more energised and alert.
This is better than having 3 heavy meals which will leave
you tired and sluggish. Ideal things to snack on are: apples,
bananas, granola bars and nuts. These are also good to
take into the exam.
It is also essential to keep well hydrated with water.
Reduce your intake of caffeinated drinks. These drinks
put you in stress mode! You can also drink fruit juices
which will count towards your 5-a-day.
Question 2
Choose the most appropriate option(s):
You are on SSU placement for 3 weeks. You are only in 3
days a week for placement and the rest of the time is

17. scheduled as SDL. How would you make changes to your
shopping and eating habits if at all during these 3 weeks?
a) No change necessary.
b) On nights when you don’t have to be in early the next
morning you go food shopping to take advantage of the
end- of-the-day bargains in the supermarkets.
c) You make an effort to organise meal nights with your
flatmates/friends to save some money.
d) You make an effort to cook foods that you enjoy but
would not normally have the time to cook during other
times in the term.
Answer – b, c, d
Most SSU blocks are good times to make more of an
effort in terms of what you eat. The casserole dish, the
pies (obviously with loads of vegetables in) that you
normally wouldn’t have time to make can be made during
these times
If you normally do your shopping online, when you have
more free time than normal, try going shopping yourself
and grab some bargains!

18. Yummy recipes
BREAKFAST IDEAS
Baked tomatoes and eggs on
bread
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 3-5 baby tomatoes
• Black pepper
Preparation
Bake tomatoes in oven at 150o
C for 10 minutes. While
tomatoes are in the oven, whisk egg with some pepper and
Eggs contain most of
the recognised
vitamins apart from
vitamin C

19. scramble eggs in a frying pan. (If you’re in a rush, use a
microwave). Serve tomatoes and eggs on some whole grain
toast. Finish with a glass of fruit juice.
Other breakfast ideas:
• Breakfast cereal and a banana
• Porridge with honey and chopped apple
• Bagel with peanut butter, topped with chopped
banana and honey
• Low-fat yoghurt and muesli
LUNCH IDEAS
Always try and make a
packed lunch. Usually
healthier and almost always
will be cheaper.
Fish and vegetable pizza
• Bread
roll/baguette/bread
slices
• Tomato sauce

20. • Tinned fish (tuna, sardine, pilchard)
• Peppers, sweetcorn, mushroom
• Grated low-fat cheese
Preparation
Spread tomato sauce on two halves of bread. Mash the
fish and put on the bread. Next, add vegetables. Sprinkle
on some cheese and grill in oven for 2-3 minutes.
Other lunch ideas:
For sandwiches, you should always have a starchy
carbohydrate, fillings and finish off with some
fruits. Here are some examples:
• Starchy carbohydrate – pittas, ciabattas,
rolls, wraps, baguettes, bagels.
• Fillings

21. o Sliced chicken, mustard and lettuce
o Tuna, cucumber and tomatoes
o Chicken and avocado (try this in a wrap)
o Cottage cheese and dried apricots
o Brie and cranberry sauce/jam
o Cheddar cheese (grated) and apple slices
o Peanut butter and mashed banana
• Fruits – melon slices, pears, kiwis or a small
packet of dried fruit.
Other things to have for lunch apart from
sandwiches are:

22. Baked potatoes – the yummy thing about
baked potatoes is that you can have
different fillings with them that are both
yummy and healthy although they may take a
longer time to prepare than sandwiches.
Examples of some fillings with baked
potatoes are:
• The old faithful – tuna and sweetcorn
• Baked beans and cheese
• Sausages and baked beans
• Garlic mushrooms and yoghurts (for
the brave!)
DINNER IDEAS

23. The possibilities with minced meat (lean mince even
healthier) are almost endless!
Top tip – cook a large amount of mince in pasta sauce and
season appropriately. Serve into Tupperware and freeze.
The individual servings of the minced meat can be used to
make a variety of things;
1. Add some kidney beans
and you’ve got chilli con
carne. Serve with some
basmati rice and diced
carrots
2. Add some mixed vegetables and you’ve got Bolognese.
Serve with pasta or spaghetti. If you like this with
cheese, serve with mozzarella.
3. Add some baked
beans to the minced
meat. Spread on some
mashed potatoes.
Sprinkle on some
grated cheese and
bake in the oven – cottage pie!

24. 4. Use the minced meat as a
filling with baked
potatoes. You can add
some vegetables e.g.
mushrooms and you’ve got
yourself another meal
option!
5. You can mix the minced
meat with some spaghetti and pasta. Put in an oven
dish and sprinkle on some cheese. Add some mixed
vegetables as a side dish.
6. You can save some
minced meat and
roll them into
balls. Cook in some
pasta sauce and
serve with basmati
rice/ spaghetti.

25. Sweet and sour chicken with noodles
• 2 chicken breast
fillets
• 2 big onions
• 1 red and 1 yellow
pepper
• 6 baby sweetcorns
• 100g of pineapple
rings in juice
• 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 garlic clove, 1 cm of ginger, 2
tbsp of light soy sauce and noodles
Preparation
Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Heat
oil in frying pan, stir in garlic and brown the chicken.
Add sweetcorn, peppers, onions and pineapple pieces
and fry for 2 – 3 minutes. Add all the other ingredients
and noodles. Cook until sauce thickens and chicken has
cooked through.

26. Want to know more...?
• Want to know whether you’ve got a healthy
diet or not? Take this simple quiz -
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx
• Want to know more about the eatwell plate?
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eatwell-plate.aspx
• Want more healthy recipe ideas?
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Documents/Downloads/Fuel_for_Living_
Recipe_Booklet[1].pdf
During a lifetime, the
average person eats
35 tons of food.