| Nutrition
In Your Food
Food
For Thought
Your
body needs lots of nutrients to help you grow and to
give you energy to do everything that you do from running
to jumping and from playing to learning. You could
say that nutrients are the building blocks that help
build you into what you are.
The
nutrients that you are made out of are proteins, carbohydrates,
fats and oils, minerals and vitamins, and water.
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Start
your day off by eating breakfast to avoid
being tired the rest of the day. |
|
You
get your nutrients and energy from the food that you eat.
And to start off the day with enough energy to be active,
you need to make sure that you eat your breakfast instead
of sleeping in and skipping it. You also need to make sure
that the food you’re eating is healthy and will provide
you with plenty of nutrients rather than empty calories
(food with lots of energy but no nutrients).
Proteins
Proteins help you to grow. You are made out a lot of
protein. If you weren’t, you’d look like
skin and bones. Actually, your skin is also made
out of protein so you’d look like a skeleton.
Also, proteins help you to repair yourself when you
get cuts. Proteins come from foods like fish, meat,
chicken, eggs, soybeans, and many others.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a big source of energy for you. What
is a carbohydrate? It’s starch and sugar. Watch
out though, because sugar by itself or in junk food
like candy provides energy but isn’t nutritious.
This kind of sugar is called an empty calorie because
it has energy but doesn’t provide you with
anything else. Having too much can even harm you
like with cavities in your teeth. Some forms of good
carbohydrates are whole wheat bread, brown rice,
pasta… a lot of foods that have grains.
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Junk
food has more fats and oils than you need.
But, you can get the right amounts you need
from other foods. |
Fats and Oils
Fats and oils make up the cells that bring other nutrients
and the air that you breathe all around your body. They
also control your body temperature and cushion body organs
so that they are protected from things that could poke
into it. Your body only needs a certain amount of fat,
though. Having too much can clog the veins and arteries
that carry blood around your body and overwork your heart
to pump blood.
Vitamins
and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals help to keep your bones growing,
keep your body functioning properly, and keep you from
getting sick.
Vitamins
and Minerals |
What
Do They Do? |
Where
Are They From? |
Iron |
Build
blood cells, help cells carry oxygen |
Meat
and vegetables |
Calcium |
Build
bones and teeth |
Milk,
cheese, dairy products, nuts, leafy vegetables |
Phosphorus |
Build
bones and teeth |
Dairy
products, fish, meat |
Vitamin
A |
Strong
bones, good vision, healthy skin |
Dark
green and yellow fruits and vegetables |
Vitamin
B |
Healthy
skin and brain. Turns carbohydrates into usable
energy by the body. |
Grains,
fish, dairy, vegetables, oranges |
Vitamin
C |
Healthy
teeth, gums, and blood vessels |
Fruits
like oranges, strawberries and vegetables like
broccoli and cabbage |
Vitamin
D |
Strong
bones |
Sunlight |
Vitamin
E |
Protect
red blood cells |
Grains,
nuts, eggs |
Vitamin
K |
Bone
formation |
Spinach,
cabbage, cauliflower |
Water
Did you know that you’re mostly made of water?
Around 60 percent of your body is made up of water. Having
all that water helps you to carry other nutrients around
your body, controls the temperature of your body, and
moves food down along your system and eventually come
out of your body. You can get a lot of water by drinking
it by itself, in drinks, or from food. Many fruits are
more than 90 percent water.
Ready
for some fun? Time for some fun activities!
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