To stay fit and healthy it is very important that we eat a balanced diet. This means we must make sure we eat foods that contain the nutrients our bodies need. These nutrients are:
Carbohydrates - These supply you with most of your energy and fats
Proteins - These give you materials to make new body tissues when you grow or when you need cuts or bruises to heal.
Minerals - These are used in making some body tissue. They are also needed for some chemical reactions in the body.
Vitamins - These are very important for speeding up some chemical reactions in the body
Not all foods contain all the nutrients we need therefore we have to eat lots of different foods to make sure our body gets a balance of all of them.
Here are some examples of the different nutrients in some of the food that we eat.
Carbohydrates: Sugars from cake and candies. Starches from potatoes, rice, bread and flour Cellulose from vegetables and cereals
Fats: Butter, margarine, lard, meat
Proteins: Meat, eggs, fish, milk, cheese, bread
Minerals:
Calcium (for strong
teeth and bones) - from cheese, milk and vegetables
Iron (used in making
blood) - from liver, eggs and bread
Sodium (for muscle
movement) - from salt
Vitamins:
Vitamin A - from green
vegetables, carrots, liver and butter
Vitamin B1 -
from yeast, bread, meat, potatoes and milk
Vitamin B2 -
from fresh milk, liver and eggs
Vitamin C - from
blueberries green vegetables and oranges
Vitamin D - cod liver
oil (yuck - but it is good for you), margarine and eggs
Make a list of foods you like. Hopefully a lot of them will be in the above list.
I don’t see Burgers or Pizza up there but a lot of the foods mentioned are used in Pizza or Burgers. Which ones are they?
What did you eat today? Have you eaten all the nutrients your body has asked for?
Use the science information you have learned to make up a menu for dinner. Remember that you must make sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs!
