YouTube videos Nutrition Program for NEA2

These are videos I made some years ago for workshops to show how to use the Nutrition Program

They are all useful for steps for NEA 2 and give you great Food and Nutrition GCSE results!

Note – some sites don’t like links to YouTube so copy the URL and post in Google.

How to carry out nutritional analysis of a recipe

How to make the recipe healthier

How to write the recipe method

How to find the portion size

How to cost a recipe

Nutrition Program for sensory analysis

My book Food Preparation Assessment Task NEA 2 will be available from mid September 2023

Using the Nutrition Program for NEA 2

My resource for Food Preparation Assessment Task NEA 2 will be available as download mid September.

This shows how the Nutrition Program cab be used for different sections of the Tasks.

If you are a Nutrition Program subscriber, email us for a free copy.

key words NEA 2

Key words used in NEA 2

The chart shows key phrases from exam boards for NEA 2 where The Nutrition Program can be used.

  • The exam boards have similar points to cover
  • Research to find dishes that fit the task –
  • Explain how the dishes meet nutritional needs
  • Look at Traffic Lights,
  • Reference Intake RI, and if they fit with a meal.
  • Look at sensory properties – use The Nutrition Program to draw up a Star Profile.
  • Carry out nutritional analysis of dishes – produce a food label using Nutrition Program
  • Portion control – see our worksheet for the Nutrition Program
  • Analyse the nutrition – annotate the food label.
  • Carry out sensory analysis and add tasters, then write evaluation – all done through Nutrition Program.
  • Use sensory descriptors – the Nutrition Program has a Tasting Word Bank
  • Cost the dish – the Nutrition Program has costs of ingredients
  • Conclude and think of improvements.

There are Step by Step links to each section of NEA2

Plan a menu

For Hospitality and Catering students here are a few tips on menu planning.

Choose foods with different colours and textures for an appetising choice.

Serve food when it is in season – like fresh salad in summertime.


Dan Gold

Present food attractively using interesting dishes and unusual garnishes and decorations.

Make healthy choices and avoid serving too much fried food or dishes which are high calorie.


unsplash-logokayleigh harrington
What age group is eating your menu? Think about portion sizes and dietary choices.

Taylor Kiser

Portion sizes for NEA 2

You must show how your choice of dishes has the right portion control. But how do you know?

An average man needs 2,500kcal a day for a healthy body weight.
An average woman needs 2,000kcal a day for a healthy body weight.

Our video link shows how to use The Nutrition Program for portion sizes

How to find a portion size

Exam board NEA 2 marking statements

Planning  – Accurate portion control was evident Eduqas

Accurate and excellent knowledge of nutrition is demonstrated AQA  – need to have portion sizes to do this

Presenting – Demonstrates excellent portion control OCR 

You can check the portion size for meat, fish, chicken, fruits and vegetables on BUPA website

It’s a good idea to check out portion sizes of your favourite dishes using supermarket ready meals.

Sainsbury’s Ready Meals give clues and their site shows portions. I’ve removed the links as they keep changing.

  • Fish pie  weighs 450g serves 1 and provides 369kcal
  • Spinach and ricotta cannelloni weighs 400g serves 1 and provides 357kcal
  • Red Thai vegetable curry and rice weighs 350g serves 1 and provides 376kcal
  • Smoked haddock risotto weighs 380g, serves 1 and provides 402kcal

How many portions does crumble serve?

What about the puddings?

  • Apple and blackberry crumble portion weighs 60g, serves 1 and provides 217kcal
  • Lemon meringue pie portion weighs 100g serves 1 and provides 296kcal

So for your GCSE Food Preparation Assessment choose

Main course 350-400kcal portions – don’t forget you may serve with rice and vegetables

Desserts about 300kcal and portion 60-100g

Nadiya Hussain’s Pear and Blackberry crumble recipe which serves 4.

Each portion provides 856kcals – the average supermarket dessert provides 200-300kcal.

If portion serving were increased to 8 then the portion is reduced to 428kcal which is a healthier option.

Portion sizes

Our portion sizes for the Nutrition Program come from supermarket websites – Sainsburys Waitrose Aldi Co-op Morrisons  Tesco.

Look up the food dish you are making on the supermarket website and see how much a portion weighs. Tesco has a Healthy Living range with reduced salt, sugar, fat and calories
The Co-op has ready meals with less than 500 calories
School Food Plan has excellent charts on portion sizes

School Food Plan portion

BUPA has an excellent website with portion sizes for different foods.

Starchy foods

Strachy food portions

Meat, fish and other proteins

Portion sizes

Dairy foods

portion sizes