ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Smile and Learn English What are Carbohydrates? – Healthy Eating for Children
Have you ever wondered what carbohydrates are and which foods have them? Let’s explore and find out!
Carbohydrates, sometimes called glucides, are nutrients that give our bodies energy. They are very important and should be part of what we eat every day.
Carbohydrates come in three different types based on their structure:
These are the simplest form of carbohydrates, like glucose and fructose. You can find them in fruits such as bananas, apples, and pears.
This type includes sucrose, which is table sugar, and lactose, found in sweet dairy products.
These are made up of many carbohydrates linked together. Starch, found in foods like potatoes and rice, is an example.
Healthier carbohydrates are mostly found in plant-based foods like cereals, leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. These foods are also packed with other important nutrients. Eating them helps us have a balanced diet.
Carbohydrates give us the energy we need to do things like study, play sports, or have fun. It’s important to eat enough carbohydrates to stay energetic and healthy.
Less healthy carbohydrates are those with a lot of sugar, like pastries and candy. It’s better to eat these in smaller amounts because they don’t give us long-lasting energy. Eating too much sugar can lead to health problems like diabetes or obesity.
If you’re allergic or intolerant to certain carbohydrate-rich foods, don’t worry! There are many other healthy options you can choose from.
For breakfast or a snack, you can have cereal with fruit or toast. For other meals, you can try dishes like spaghetti, paella, lasagna, or lentils with rice. These meals are full of nutrients and taste delicious!
Now that you know what carbohydrates are, are you ready to include them in your meals?
Carbohydrate Scavenger Hunt: Go on a scavenger hunt in your kitchen or grocery store with an adult. Look for foods that contain carbohydrates. Can you find examples of simple carbohydrates like fruits? What about complex carbohydrates like bread or pasta? Make a list of the foods you find and categorize them into simple, disaccharides, and complex carbohydrates.
Energy Experiment: With the help of an adult, choose two snacks: one with simple carbohydrates (like a piece of fruit) and one with complex carbohydrates (like a small bowl of oatmeal). Eat one snack and then play or do an activity you enjoy. After an hour, note how much energy you have. Try the other snack on a different day and compare how you feel. Which snack gave you longer-lasting energy?
Create a Carbohydrate Meal Plan: Plan a day’s meals with the help of an adult, ensuring each meal includes a healthy source of carbohydrates. For breakfast, you might choose cereal with fruit. For lunch, try a sandwich with whole-grain bread. For dinner, you could have rice with vegetables. Draw or write down your meal plan and share it with your family. Discuss why you chose each carbohydrate-rich food.
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Smile and learn! Do you know what carbohydrates are and which foods contain them? Let’s find out!
Carbohydrates, also called glucides, are nutrients that are the main source of energy for our body. Foods that contain these nutrients should be part of our everyday diet.
**Types of Carbohydrates**
Carbohydrates can be divided into three different groups depending on their chemical structure.
1. **Simple Carbohydrates**: Glucose or fructose is the simplest form of carbohydrates. Fruits like bananas, apples, or pears contain this type of carbohydrate.
2. **Disaccharides**: Another type of carbohydrate is sucrose, often called table sugar, and lactose, which is found in sweetened dairy products.
3. **Complex Carbohydrates**: The most complex type of carbohydrate is formed by many carbohydrates. One example would be starch, found in potatoes or rice.
**What Do Carbohydrates Provide Us With?**
Healthier carbohydrates are mainly found in plant-based foods like cereals, leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. These foods are also rich in other nutrients. For a more balanced diet, include them in your everyday meals.
Carbohydrates provide us with enough energy to carry out tasks like studying, doing sports, or playing. It’s very important to include a healthy amount of carbohydrates in our diet to avoid feeling tired or getting sick.
Less healthy carbohydrates are those that contain sugar. They are found in foods like pastries or candy. We should avoid them or eat smaller portions, as they don’t provide us with steady energy. By reducing consumption, we can help prevent diseases like diabetes or obesity.
There’s a huge variety of foods that contain carbohydrates. If you’re intolerant or allergic to any of them, there are plenty of other healthy choices available.
**Carbohydrate-Rich Dishes**
You can have cereal and fruit or toast for breakfast or a snack. With the rest of your meals, you can combine them to create different dishes like spaghetti, paella, lasagna, or even lentils with rice. Have you ever tried them? It’s a dish packed with tons of nutrients!
Now you know what carbohydrates are. Ready to include them in your diet?
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