What's In My Food?

A guide to what exactly is in our food, why we need it, and where we can get it!

So… what is food? Food is what we eat and what we drink! It is any substance that is taken into our bodies for energy and growth. In this book, we will explore the different elements that work together to make our food.

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The foods we eat may seem pretty simple, but in reality, food is more like a complex puzzle. It is made up of many different pieces! We call these “pieces” that make up our food nutrients . There are six nutrients that make up our food. Each nutrient has a specific job, and we need the right amount of each one to stay healthy! Let’s take a look at our first nutrient...

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Proteins are one of the nutrients that make up our foods. Protein is important because it builds up our muscles! Without protein in our food, our muscles and bodies would become very weak.

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Fat is another one of the nutrients that make up our foods. Many people hear the word “fat” and think that it is always a bad thing to find in food, but some fat is actually very important – and it is found in almost all foods! The fat in our foods helps store up energy, absorb vitamins, and keep our bodies warm.

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There are two main types of fat: saturated fat and unsaturated fat .

Saturated fats, including butter and dairy products, are what we often call “bad fats.” Too much saturated fat is bad for your heart.

Unsaturated fats, like olive oil, are the kinds of fats that we want in our foods!

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The third type of nutrient we find in our foods is called a carbohydrate . Carbohydrates are found in almost every food we eat, and they help store up energy for our bodies. There are two main types of carbohydrates: sugar and starch.

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Sugars are “simple” carbohydrates that are very sweet. Many people think that sugar is only a white powdery substance, but sugar is actually found naturally in many foods – like milk and even corn! Still, it is important that we monitor the amount of sugar we eat – too much sugar is not healthy!

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Starches are the second type of carbohydrate found in foods. A starch is more complex than a sugar, and is found in grainy foods like breads, cereals, and pastas. Eating food with a lot of starch is a good way to get energy for our bodies!

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Minerals are another type of nutrient that we find in the foods we eat. Minerals do not provide energy to our bodies, but are important in keeping our bodies working properly! Some minerals we need include iron, calcium, and potassium.

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Iron is a mineral that helps carry oxygen in the blood. Iron can be found in red meats and very green vegetables, like spinach or broccoli!

Calcium is a crucial mineral that helps build strong bones in our bodies. Calcium is found in many dairy products, like milks and cheeses.

Potassium is a mineral that is necessary for our bodies to grow. It can be found in foods like spinach, oranges, and especially bananas.

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Vitamins are another nutrient found in our foods. Vitamins are similar to minerals because our bodies do not need them for energy, but they need them to be healthy and to function properly. They help us grow and develop as we should. Common vitamins include Vitamin D from milk, Vitamin A in carrots, and Vitamin C found often in oranges.

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The final nutrient that makes up our food might surprise you – water ! Believe it or not, water is actually the most crucial nutrient for our bodies to have. Without water, our bodies will fail more quickly than they would without any of the other nutrients. We do not only get water from drinking it… many foods, like fruits and vegetables, have a lot of water in them!

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Throughout our journey, we have talked about six different types of nutrients we find in our foods: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and water. All of these things are very important for our health, but one of the more important things to remember is that we need all of them. These nutrients from food work together, just like a puzzle, to keep our bodies active, strong, and healthy.

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Wanting more? Check out these websites!

http://kidshealth.org/ - Kids' Health (Information for parents and kids)

http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/main.asp - Nutrition Exploration (Kids only!)

http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/ - United States Department of Agriculture for Kids (Games and further information)

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fc/documents/downloadable/ucm_312401.pdf -

Heart.org Nutrient Flashcards!

http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/ - Super Kids Nutrition

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Bibliography

Information

Kidshealth.org