Your Super Guide to a Healthy Diet!

Hello, super students! Welcome to our amazing journey into the world of food. Have you ever wondered why grown-ups always say, "Eat your vegetables"? It's because the food we eat is like super fuel for our bodies! In these notes, we'll learn all about eating healthy to help us grow strong, play longer, and be super smart in school. Let's get started!


The Food Superheroes! (Different Types of Food)

Think of food as being in three superhero teams. To be strong and healthy, our bodies need heroes from all three teams every single day!

Team 1: The GO Foods (Carbohydrates)

These foods give you energy to run, jump, and play! They are like the fuel in a car that makes it go, go, go!

  • Examples: Rice, bread, noodles, potatoes, and breakfast cereals.

Analogy: Imagine your body is a toy car. GO foods are the batteries that make it zoom around the room!

Team 2: The GROW Foods (Proteins)

These foods help you grow bigger and stronger. They build your muscles and help your body repair itself if you get a cut or scrape.

  • Examples: Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, and tofu.

Analogy: GROW foods are like the building blocks (like LEGOs!) that build your body taller and stronger.

Team 3: The GLOW Foods (Vitamins & Minerals)

These foods help you glow with health! They keep your skin, hair, and eyes healthy. They also act like a shield to stop you from getting sick from germs.

  • Examples: All kinds of fruits and vegetables! Like apples, bananas, carrots, and broccoli.

Analogy: GLOW foods are like a superhero's shield, protecting you from coughs and colds.


Key Takeaway

To be a health superhero, you need a team effort! Eat GO foods for energy, GROW foods to get strong, and GLOW foods to protect your body.


What is a Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet is not about balancing food on your head! It means eating a mix of foods from all three superhero teams (Go, Grow, and Glow) in the right amounts every day.

Imagine your plate is divided into sections:

  • The biggest part should be for Glow Foods (vegetables) and Go Foods (rice, bread).
  • A smaller part is for Grow Foods (meat, fish, or beans).
  • Foods with lots of sugar or oil (like candy, chips, and fried chicken) should only be eaten sometimes, as a small treat.
Did you know?

Your body is also made up of a lot of water! Drinking plenty of water is super important to help the food superheroes do their jobs properly. Try to drink about 6-8 glasses of water every day.


Quick Review

A balanced diet means:
Eat a LOT of: Fruits, Vegetables, Rice, Bread
Eat SOME of: Meat, Fish, Eggs, Beans
Eat a LITTLE of: Sweets, Chips, Oily Food


Super Healthy Eating Habits

Being healthy isn't just about what you eat, but also how you eat. Here are some simple habits to make you even healthier!

1. Eat Three Meals a Day: Don't skip meals, especially breakfast! Breakfast gives your brain the energy it needs to learn in school.

2. Eat at Regular Times: Your body likes a routine. Try to eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner at around the same time each day.

3. Chew Your Food Well: Don't swallow your food in big gulps! Chewing slowly helps your tummy digest the food more easily.

4. Eat a Rainbow: Try to eat fruits and vegetables of different colours. A colourful plate is a healthy plate! (e.g., red apples, orange carrots, green broccoli, purple grapes).

5. Drink Water, Not Sugary Drinks: Water is the best drink for your body. Fizzy drinks and juices have a lot of sugar, which is not good for your teeth or your health.


Be a Food Safety Detective! (Food Hygiene)

Food hygiene is a fancy way of saying "keeping our food clean so it doesn't make us sick". A good Food Safety Detective always follows these rules!

The Clean Food Code:

  1. Wash Your Hands: Always wash your hands with soap and water before you eat or help prepare food.
  2. Wash Your Food: Fruits and vegetables should be washed under clean running water before you eat them.
  3. Cook Food Properly: Make sure foods like chicken and meat are cooked all the way through so there are no bad germs.
  4. Check the Date: Processed foods, like milk and yogurt, have an expiry date printed on them. This tells you the last day the food is safe to eat. Never eat food after this date!
  5. Cover Your Food: Keep food covered to protect it from flies and dust.
Common Mistake to Avoid!

The "Five-Second Rule" isn't real! If food falls on the floor, it can pick up germs instantly. It's safest not to eat it.


Our Tummy's Amazing Journey (The Digestive System)

Have you ever wondered what happens to your food after you swallow it? It goes on an amazing journey called digestion. Let's follow a piece of apple!

Step 1: The Mouth

Your teeth chew the apple into tiny, mushy pieces. Your tongue mixes it with saliva (spit), which starts to break the food down.

Step 2: The Food Pipe (Oesophagus)

When you swallow, the mushy apple travels down a long tube called the food pipe, which leads to your stomach.

Step 3: The Stomach

The apple lands in your stomach, a stretchy bag that mixes the food with special juices. The stomach mashes and churns the food for a few hours, like a blender, turning it into a soupy liquid.

Step 4: The Intestines

This soupy liquid moves into a super long, curly tube called the intestines. Here, all the good stuff (the energy and nutrients from the Go, Grow, and Glow foods) is absorbed into your body. The parts of the food your body doesn't need are pushed out when you go to the toilet.

Did you know?

If you stretched out your intestines, they would be longer than a car! Wow!


Avoiding Tummy Troubles (Common Diet-Related Diseases)

Eating the wrong things or not being careful with food can sometimes make us feel unwell. The good news is, these problems are easy to prevent!

Tooth Decay (Cavities)

  • What it is: Little holes in your teeth.
  • Cause: Eating too many sugary foods and drinks and not brushing your teeth properly.
  • How to prevent it: Eat less candy and sweets. Brush your teeth two times every day!

Food Poisoning (Tummy Ache & Sickness)

  • What it is: When your tummy hurts a lot, and you might feel sick.
  • Cause: Eating food that has bad germs in it because it wasn't kept clean or cooked properly.
  • How to prevent it: Always follow the Food Hygiene rules!

Becoming Overweight

  • What it is: Having too much body fat, which can make it hard to run and play.
  • Cause: Regularly eating too much oily and sugary food and not getting enough exercise.
  • How to prevent it: Eat a balanced diet and make sure you play and exercise every day!
Key Takeaway

Making smart food choices is a superpower! By eating a balanced diet, practising good habits, and keeping your food clean, you are taking great care of your body. Keep up the amazing work!