Nutrition

📖 In short

Nutrition is the science of food and how the body uses it. Everything you eat and drink gives you energy to read, run and play, builds your body and protects it from illness. Good nutrition means eating a variety of foods in the right amounts.

🤩 Did you know?

The body can make some amino acids itself and gets the rest from food.
Water makes up more than half your body weight.
Vitamins are named with letters: A, B, C, D and so on.
Colorful foods like carrots, tomatoes and spinach are full of vitamins.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 Nutrients

Your body needs six kinds of nutrients: carbohydrates for energy, proteins for building, fats for energy and warmth, vitamins and minerals to keep the body running smoothly, and water.

🔍 The healthy plate

Imagine your plate divided up: half vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole-grain bread or rice, and a quarter protein like fish, chicken or lentils, with a glass of milk and water.

💡 Less of these

Sweets, fizzy drinks and fried or very salty foods are tasty, but too much of them harms your teeth and heart and causes obesity. Let's eat them only a little, on special occasions.

🎯 Breakfast matters

Breakfast gives you energy to start your day and concentrate at school. A breakfast of bread, eggs, milk and fruit keeps you lively until lunchtime.

📸 More pictures

A balanced meal is the key to healthy eating, giving the body all the nutrients it needs. The family in the picture above is enjoying a breakfast with fruit, wheat flakes, bread and milk. Each day's meals should include amounts of these foods.

Food services in schools, nurseries and restaurants offer jobs in nutrition. The dietitian guides the cook on how to prepare meals.

Obesity comes from poor nutrition. Medical professionals should be consulted to plan a weight-loss program through diet and exercise.

🧩 Test yourself

1 What should fill half your plate?

2 Why is breakfast important?

3 Which picture shows “Nutrition”?