Let's find out what food does inside your body. Food gives your body energy. Starches are also called complex carbohydrates, and starchy foods are the main source of carbohydrate in our diet. Whole grains, beans and starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn are foods that are high in starch. Whole grains such as brown rice, oats, barley and quinoa are starchy foods. Whole grain kernels have three parts, the bran, germ and endosperm, and each holds different nutrients. In a grain kernel, the bran is the fibre-rich outer layer, the germ is the core of the seed where growth occurs, and the endosperm holds carbohydrates and protein.

Now let's look at protein. Your body needs protein to repair cells and make new ones. Protein is found throughout the body, in muscle, bone, skin, hair and almost every other tissue. Beans are a plant food that gives your body protein. Fish, eggs and meat are foods from animals that give your body protein. Foods from animals such as milk, eggs and fish, and from plants such as soy and beans, both supply the amino acids in protein. Nine amino acids are called essential. They cannot be made by the body, so they must come from food.

Now let's look at vitamins. There are 13 vitamins that your body needs. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins, such as vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body heal wounds, and it is needed to make collagen, a fibrous protein in connective tissue. 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.

Some vitamins have jobs you can name. Carrots have substances that your body turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A helps you see in dim light. The body makes vitamin D when sunlight shines on the skin. Vitamin K helps blood to clot, so cuts and scrapes stop bleeding quickly. Fats are nutrients the body uses to build cell membranes, nerve tissue and hormones. Fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D and E. The body can store fat-soluble vitamins, but it loses unused water-soluble vitamins mostly in urine.

Now let's look at minerals. Minerals are elements from soil and water that plants absorb and animals eat. Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth. Iron helps make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. Beans, nuts and dried fruit are plant foods that contain iron, and vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Zinc helps the body make new cells and heal wounds. Potassium is a mineral found in most foods that helps the heart muscle work and balances fluids in the body.

Now let's follow a bite of food. Food is broken into tiny pieces so the body can absorb the nutrients it needs. 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. The small intestine takes digested nutrients into the blood. The large intestine absorbs water and turns waste into stool.

Let's look at what to remember. Fruits and vegetables give the body fibre as well as vitamins and minerals. Fibre is a part of plant foods that helps other food and waste move through the gut. Different fruits and vegetables contain different mixes of fibre, vitamins and minerals, so a variety gives the body more. Eating a mix of different foods is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need.

Words to know

• starch: plant energy food
• protein: body builder nutrient
• fibre: plant food part
• esophagus: food tube
• kernel: grain seed