Food and Health: Components of Food, Balanced Diet, Healthy Snacks

This is a comprehensive lesson plan for teaching Food and Health to grade 3 students. The lesson is designed to make the concepts easy and engage students with activities like quizzes, practice questions, and real-life examples.

Teachers can use this guide as a reference for delivering the concepts to students and engaging them in the classroom with the various questions and examples given in this page.

In this article, you will learn:

• components of food
• balanced diet
• heathy food vs junk food
• importance of nutrients
• daily nutritional requirements
• good nutrition, healthy snacks and heart-friendly foods

 

Food and Health: Introduction

Food and health stand in close relation. Food provides us with energy to grow, play, work and stay healthy since our bodies need certain nutrients to stay free from diseases. Eating the right food in proper amounts ensures a healthy body and mind.

Components of Food

Food contains varied things that are beneficial to health. Such can be categorized into:

1. Carbohydrate

• Daily activity energy resource
• Rice, bread, potatoes, and fruits
• An athlete must eat carbohydrates before racing, to be re-energized

Fun Fact: Bananas are the "nature’s energy bar" because the fruit gives instant energy.

2. Proteins

• Assist in growth and repair of body tissues.
• Egg, fish, milk, pulses, and nuts are the foods rich in proteins.
• Bodybuilders include protein shakes in their menu to increase muscle mass.

Fun Fact: Your hair and nails are made up mostly of keratin.

3. Fats

• Long-term energy and warmth to the body.
• Butter, cheese, nuts, and several oils are good sources of fats.
• Eskimos eat heavy fat containing fish to keep warm in extreme temperatures.

Fun Fact: Fats are not always bad. Avocados are loaded with some of the most beneficial fats for your heart.

4. Vitamins

• Keep diseases away from the body and help in various ways that are basic to body sciences.
• Examples: Vitamin A (carrots), Vitamin C (oranges), and Vitamin D (these are from sun's rays and from milk).
• Eating oranges hastens the recovery from colds due to Vitamin C. 

Fun Fact: Your eyes will sparkle better in the night with carrots- they contain Vitamin A.

5. Minerals

• Strengthens bones, teeth, and other physical systems.
• Sources - Calcium (from milk), Iron (from spinach), Potassium (from bananas).
• Milk should be drank daily by kids to grow tall and strong.

Fun Fact: Some of the minerals in your body should have you building a teeny nail!

6. Water

• Body owing to water with respect to hydration and digestion.
• Water is essential on hot summer days to prevent dehydration and keep you cool. 

Fun Fact:  Your body contains 60 percent water!

 

Balanced Diet

A balanced diet consists of all the nutrients in the appropriate ratios that one would require for being fit and active. 

So, what in particular does a balanced diet include? 

Carbohydrates (50-60%), Fat (20-30%), Proteins (10-15%), Vitamins and Minerals (very small amounts).

Real-life example: Take, for instance, a traditional Indian meal which provides most of the balanced diet: rice, lentils, butter-made chole, chapati, and some vegetables, but no sweets.

Fun fact: You should always tend toward colorful fruits and vegetables as they come loaded with nutrients.

Healthy food vs Junk food

Real-world example: Replacing a bag of fries with some almonds is a better selection.

Fun fact: Overindulging in junk food can leave you exhausted since it is short on vital vitamins.

 

Importance of Nutrients

Calcium:

• Develops teeth and bones that are strong.
• Green leafy vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and milk.
• Everyday use: Consuming a glass of milk every morning aids children in grow taller.

Fun Fact: 99 percent of the calcium in your system is housed in your teeth and bones!

Iron:

• Assists in producing enough red blood cells in the body to transport oxygen.
• Resources: beans, lentils, and spinach.
• Everyday use: Regular spinach consumption help one to avoid anemia.

Fun Fact: Iron-rich foods are what give the cartoon character - Popeye his strength.

Daily Nutritional Requirements

Fun Fact: Eating a colorful plate of food ensures you meet most of your nutritional needs.

Example of Good Nutrition

• Make sure every meal has fruits and veggies.
• Every day, consume lots of water.
• Stay away sugars drinks and snacks.
• Have normal breaks to eat.
• Cut back on consumption of fast food stuff.

Real life Example: A good breakfast option is beginning your day with a bowl of oats and fresh fruits.

Fun Fact: Regular breakfast eaters score higher in school.

Healthy Snacks

• Fruit salad
• Yogurt with nuts
• Whole-grain sandwiches
• Smoothies
• Baked sweet potato chips

Real-Life Example: Instead of eating candy, try a bowl of fresh berries for a sweet yet healthy snack.

Fun Fact: Healthy snacks keep your energy levels steady throughout the day.

Heart-friendly Foods

Eat foods high in good fats, such as nuts and fish, and avoid those high in salt and poor fats, such as fried snacks and processed meats, to help your heart remain healthy.

Real life Example: A heart-healthy meal consists of grilled fish served with steamed vegetables.

Fun Fact: Walnuts have small heart shapes and are excellent for cardiovascular health.

Vitamins and Their Functions:

Fun Fact: Your body can make Vitamin D from sunlight, so spending time outside is healthy.

Diseases

Skipping meals or eating bad food can cause the following:

• Overconsumption of fast food leads to obesity.
• Anaemia - Iron deficiency.
• Weak bones result from vitamin D or calcium absence.

Real-life Example: Combining good eating with daily exercise keeps obesity at bay.

Fun Fact: Laughter is healthy and can strengthen your immune response.

 

Things you have learned!

• Know that food gives us important nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
• Learn why a balanced diet helps us stay strong and healthy.
• See the difference between healthy food and junk food.
• Find out what nutrients we need every day to grow and stay fit.
• Choose healthy snacks and heart-friendly foods to stay active and happy.