Food

Have you ever wondered where your food comes from and how different foods keep you healthy and strong?

In this guide you can find answers to these questions:

What are the different food types?
What is a balanced diet?
What happens to food in your mouth?
What happens to food in your stomach?
Where does our food comes from?
How do I prepare food?

Science

What are nutrients?

Humans and animals can't survive without food.

Nutrients are substances found in food that carry out important jobs in the body.

Discover the different nutrients and how they keep your body working!

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Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate is found in foods like potatoes, bread, rice and pasta. Carbohydrate provides energy.
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Fibre
Fibre is found in foods like wholegrain breakfast cereal, wholemeal bread, brown rice, vegetables, fruit, beans and lentils. Fibre helps to keep the digestive system healthy.
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Protein
Protein is found in foods like beans, lentils, chickpeas, fish, eggs and meat. Protein can also come from milk, cheese and yoghurt. Protein is needed for the growth and repair of muscles.
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Fat
We only need a small amount of fat to keep us healthy. There are two main types of fat: unsaturated and saturated fat. Unsaturated fat is healthier for us and it is mostly found in lower fat spreads and oils from plants, such as sunflower oil or olive oil. Saturated fat is found in foods like butter and lard. Fat helps the body to absorb some vitamins.
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Vitamins
There are lots of different vitamins, such as vitamin A, C, D and E. Different vitamins do different jobs in the body. Vitamin C is found in fruit and vegetables, such as oranges, strawberries, red peppers and broccoli. Vitamin C helps wounds to heal.
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Minerals
There are lots of different minerals, such as calcium, iron and zinc. Different minerals do different jobs in the body. Calcium can be found in foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt. Calcium can also be found in dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks if they have calcium added. Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth.

What happens to food in the human body?

What happens to food after it has been eaten?

Find out more about the incredible journey food goes on through the human body.

Activity: Quiz

Geography

Where does our food come from?

The food you eat has usually been on an incredible journey before reaching your plate.

Here in the UK, some of our food comes from farms. This includes foods such as:

Vegetables
Fruits
Meat
Eggs
Wheat

Not all food can grow in the United Kingdom because of the climate so lots of foods are imported from other countries. For example, bananas are grown in warmer countries like Costa Rica.

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The food we eat is transported from farms to factories, where it is sorted and sometimes made into a different product. Some foods, such as potatoes or apples look the same as they were at the farm.
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Other food gets processed in factories and is used to make a new product. For example, wheat is processed to make flour and is used to make bread, and milk is made into cheese.
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Some foods such as milk and tinned vegetables are processed in factories to stop it from spoiling.

Food and the environment

Producing food uses natural resources like water and energy, and food that travels long distances can harm the environment.

1. Seasonal Food
Foods like tomatoes only grow in the UK during the warmer summer months. So when it is colder, they are flown in from other countries.

2. Food Miles
Food miles are how far food travels. The longer food travels, the more pollution it causes. Local, seasonal food is better for the planet.

3. Food Waste
Throwing food away wastes resources like water and energy. It’s bad for the environment when food goes to landfill.

How can we help?

Eat local and seasonal food.
Buy only what you need to avoid waste.
Compost food scraps instead of throwing them away.

Small changes in how we buy and use food can help protect the environment!

Design and Technology

Cooking and nutrition

Learning to cook is an important life skill.

Here are lots of useful tips for preparing and cooking food.

Make sure that you are with an adult when preparing food.

Art

Food presentation

Food presentation plays an important role in cooking and baking.

When we decide if food is delicious, we don't just rely on our sense of taste.

Smell: The smell of food can make us excited to eat it. Our noses help us sense whether something smells yummy or not.

Sight: We also use our eyes to see if food looks appealing. Bright colours, a nice presentation, or the way food is cooked can all make it look delicious before we even take a bite.

Activity: Make and decorate cupcakes

Baking is a great way to spend time with family and friends and get creative!

Cupcakes are often decorated with:

Icing
Fruit and nuts
Chocolate

Always have an adult to help you when baking and cooking.

Food in art

Food often appears in art.

When an artist paints food or everyday objects in a realistic way, we call this a still life.

There are lots of artists who are famous for their still life paintings. For example, Paul Cézanne painted expressive and colourful fruit and fruit bowls.

Activity: Paint your own still life

A painting - Apples and primroses by Paul Cézanne — Image caption,
Still life with a pot of primroses by Paul Cézanne

You will need:

Poster or acrylic paints
Water
Paint brush
Palette or paper plate to mix your paints on
Fruit such as apples or oranges and lemons

Painting tips

Gather some fruit such as apples, oranges and lemons.
Arrange them in a bowl or on a cloth.
Draw the outline of the fruit with a pencil first.
Choose vibrant colours like Paul Cézanne.

Food from around the world

Food from around the world comes in many different styles and flavours, like spicy tacos from Mexico or sweet sushi from Japan. Trying foods from different countries helps us learn about other cultures and enjoy new tastes!