Our bodies need lots of energy to keep us going throughout the day. Do you know where we get that energy? That’s right, from the food we eat! People all around the world enjoy different kinds of food. Whether you love noodles or nectarines, tortillas or tofu, most foods have something our bodies need to stay healthy.
You might already know that we can sort different foods into groups. We call these food groups! Let’s explore each group and see what foods belong in them.
Sweet and delicious fruits are part of this group! This includes apples, pears, oranges, and strawberries. Fresh fruit is the best, but canned or frozen fruit counts too. Some fruits are hard to find in winter, and others only grow in certain parts of the world. Don’t forget about dried fruits like raisins (dried grapes) and prunes (dried plums). Even fruit juice is part of this group, but only if it’s all fruit juice without added sugar.
Grains come from plants like oats, wheat, and barley. Foods made from these plants belong in this group. This includes bread, noodles, oatmeal, cereal, and rice.
Vegetables come from plants too, but they are the roots, stems, or leaves we can eat. Carrots are sweet orange roots, lettuce is crunchy leaves, and asparagus is a tasty stem. There are many kinds of veggies, so we can split them into smaller groups like dark green veggies (spinach), starchy veggies (potatoes), and red and orange veggies (beets and carrots).
Foods like chicken, hamburger, fish (like tuna), and eggs belong to the protein group. But not all protein comes from animals. Beans, peanut butter, and tofu (made from soybeans) are full of protein too!
If a food is made from cow milk or soy milk, it’s in the dairy group. This includes yogurt, cheese, and milk. And yes, even ice cream fits here! But remember, sweet treats like candy don’t fit into any group because they’re mostly sugar and don’t have what our bodies need to stay healthy. It’s okay to enjoy them sometimes, just not too often.
Can you guess which group a food belongs to? Let’s try with a slice of pineapple. It goes in the fruit group! What about a hard-boiled egg? That’s right, it belongs in the protein group. Now, let’s look at macaroni and cheese. The cheese fits in the dairy group, and the macaroni noodles belong in the grain group. So, macaroni and cheese is part of both the dairy and grain groups!
All this guessing has made me hungry! Next time you’re hungry, choose something healthy and see if you can guess what group your food fits into. Thanks for joining us on SciShow Kids. If there’s something you’d like to learn more about, ask a grown-up to help you let us know in the comments or send us an email at [email protected]. See you next time!
Food Group Sorting Game: Gather a variety of toy foods or printed pictures of different foods. Mix them up and ask the children to sort them into the correct food groups: fruits, grains, vegetables, protein, and dairy. Discuss why each food belongs in its group and what benefits it provides to our bodies.
Food Group Scavenger Hunt: Next time you go to the grocery store or look in your kitchen, try to find at least one item from each food group. Make a list and draw a picture of each item. Talk about how these foods help keep you healthy and strong.
Healthy Meal Creation: Using playdough or drawing materials, create a meal that includes at least one item from each food group. Share your meal with a friend or family member and explain why you chose each food. How do these foods help your body?
