Special Diets

Question 1

What is a special diet?

Answer 1

It is where a person chooses not to eat certain foods because of a particular reason. The reasons could include:

• ethical beliefs
• religious beliefs
• medical reasons
• personal preferences

Question 2

There are THREE types of vegetarians. Name and explain all three.

Answer 2

1. Vegans - do not eat any animal or animal products e.g. meat, milk, cheese, honey etc.
2. Lacto-vegetarians - they do not eat the flesh of any animal but will eat animal products e.g. milk, cheese, eggs
3. Demi/Semi-vegetarians - they choose to eat a mainly vegetarian diet but they don’t eat red meat but will sometimes eat white meat or fish etc.

Question 3

What are the dietary requirements of a Muslim?

Answer 3

• No pork.
• Meat must be halal (slaughtered according to their customs).
• No shellfish.
• No alcohol.

Question 4

What are the dietary requirements of Hindus?

Answer 4

• No beef

- Many are vegan but some will eat lamb, poultry and or fish.

Question 5

What are the dietary requirements of Sikhs?

Answer 5

• They eat all types of meat and fish. Some will choose not to eat these things though.

Question 6

What are the dietary requirements of Jews?

Answer 6

• No pork, ham or bacon.
• No shellfish.
• No eels.
• Cannot eat meat and milk together (or cooked together) e.g. lasagne.
• Meat must be Kosher.
• Milk products are generally only eaten at breakfast.

Question 7

What are the dietary requirements of Rastafarians?

Answer 7

• No processed foods
• No pork
• No eels
• No alcohol
• No tea or coffee.

Question 8

Identify THREE medical diets.

Answer 8

• diabetes
• nut allergy
• gluten intolerance
• lactose intolerance

Question 9

What is a diabetic and how should their diet be adapted?

Answer 9

• They struggle to control their blood sugar levels.
• They need to eat starch foods at regular intervals.
• They should avoid sugary dishes.

Question 10

Identify FOUR foods that people on a low fat diet should avoid.

Answer 10

• cheese
• bacon
• butter
• ice cream
• cakes
• chips

Question 11

Identify FOUR foods that people on a low salt diet should avoid.

Answer 11

• bacon
• smoked meats
• cheese
• Chinese foods
• processed foods

Question 12

Identify some advice you would give someone who has just been diagnosed with a nut allergy to help them to control their diet.

Answer 12

• Read food labels carefully - even if the food doesn’t contain nuts it may have been prepared in a factory that uses nuts for other products. If it says “may contain traces of nuts” this means that there is a chance that the food may be contaminated from these other products prepared in the same factory.

Question 13

What should people with a lactose intolerance avoid?

Answer 13

Anything with dairy products e.g:

• cheese
• milk
• yogurts
• cream
• butter

Question 14

What is a gluten intolerance also known as?

Answer 14

Coeliac’s disease.

Question 15

What should people with a gluten intolerance avoid?

Answer 15

Anything with gluten in it. This is found in wheat, wholemeal, whole wheat, flour, bran etc and products made with these grains e.g.

• pasta
• bread
• cakes
• pizza
• noodles etc

However many manufacturers and restaurants will not do ‘gluten free’ versions where the gluten is extracted from the flour. Most coeliac’s will cook the food themselves to ensure that they do not consume gluten.

Question 16

There is an increase in the number of people considered to be obese. Identify THREE causes of obesity.

Answer 16

• Eating more food than you burn off.
• Eating a high saturated fat diet
• Eating a high sugar diet
• Lack of exercise.

Question 17

Identify THREE health risks associated with obesity.

Answer 17

• High levels of cholesterol
• Coronary heart disease
• Gall bladder problems
• Strokes
• Osteoporosis
• Respiratory problems
• Cancer
• Type 2 diabetes
• Stress