Let's follow food through your body. Food gives your body energy. Whole grains, beans and starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn are foods that are high in starch. Saliva starts to break down starches in food while the food is still in your mouth. After you swallow, muscles push food down the esophagus into the stomach. Stomach muscles mix food with digestive juices. Food is broken into tiny pieces so the body can absorb the nutrients it needs.

Now let's follow food a little further. The small intestine takes digested nutrients into the blood. The large intestine absorbs water and turns waste into stool. Thirst is the signal that your body is low on water. Water helps move food through the intestines. Fibre is a part of plant foods that helps other food and waste move through the gut. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest.

Now let's look at protein and fat. We will start with the first one. Your body needs protein to repair cells and make new ones. Beans are a plant food that gives your body protein. Fish, eggs and meat are foods from animals that give your body protein. Next, fat. Fats are nutrients the body uses to build cell membranes, nerve tissue and hormones. Fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D and E.

Now let's look at minerals. Here are three of them. Minerals are elements from soil and water that plants absorb and animals eat. Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth. Milk, yogurt and cheese are dairy foods that have calcium. Iron helps make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. Zinc helps the body make new cells and heal wounds. Fruits and vegetables give the body fibre as well as vitamins and minerals.

Last, let's look at vitamins in food. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins, such as vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body heal wounds, and carrots have substances that your body turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A helps you see in dim light. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble. They dissolve in fat and are stored in the body. Vitamin C and the B vitamins dissolve in water and are not stored. So the body needs a fresh supply each day. Eating a mix of different foods is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need.

Words to know

• saliva: mouth juice
• nutrients: food helpers
• fibre: plant part
• minerals: soil elements
• protein: body builder