1. FOODS Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, jam, sweets, fruit WHY WE NEED IT These are energy giving foods. Up to half of all the energy you need comes from carbohydrates. FACTS Glucose is used by our body as an energy source during respiration. The exoskeleton of insects is made of a carbohydrate called chitin. One 500ml bottle of Coca Cola contains about 60g of sugar.

2. FOODS Meat, fish eggs, cheese, milk, bread WHY WE NEED THEM For growth and to repair damaged tissue. Muscles are mainly made up of protein. Some proteins can be used to give us energy. FACTS Hair is made of a protein called keratin. Without a protein called albumin, the human body would swell! Eggs contain the highest quality food protein known. Insects such as termites and ants provide 10% of the protein consumed worldwide.

3. FOODS Butter, cream, oils, meat, cheese, margarine WHY WE NEED THEM Up to 40% of the energy you will need will come from fats. The body stores energy in the form of fat. FACTS A typical adult has approximately 50 billion fat cells which means there are more fat cells in one human body than there are people on the earth. Fat cells live for an average of ten years. Once a fat cell dies the body makes a brand new one to take its place.

4. FOODS VITAMIN A - liver, butter, green vegetables. VITAMIN B 2 - cheese, milk, liver, eggs, yeast. VITAMIN B 12 - meat, milk, yeast VITAMIN C – oranges, lemons, fruits, green vegetables, tomatoes. VITAMIN D – eggs, margarine, cod liver oil. WHY WE NEED THEM A – Essential for good eyesight, especially in the dark! B2 – Mouth sores and dry skin are common if we lack B2. B12 – A lack of B12 can lead to anaemia (fewer red blood cells). C – A lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy (bleeding gums). D – Essential for healthy bones. A lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets (soft bones that are bent out of shape as you grow). FACTS The English are sometimes called “limeys” because British sailors would eat limes to stave off scurvy. Vitamin D is unusual because it is the only vitamin that can be made in the body. Sunlight is the main source of Vitamin D, though sunscreen lotions with high SPF can prevent vitamin D formation.

5. FOODS CALCIUM – cheese, milk IRON – liver, eggs, bread SODIUM – table salt WHY WE NEED THEM CALCIUM – Good for bones and teeth. A lack of calcium can lead to rickets. IRON – essential for making the chemical called haemoglobin that transports oxygen around the body. (This also makes our blood red in colour). FACTS Minerals constitute 4% of our body weight. Unlike carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, they do not give energy. All parts of an egg are edible, including the shell which has a high calcium content.

6. FOODS Vegetables, bread, cereals WHY WE NEED IT Insoluble fibre increases the bulk of food and helps to keep the intestines working properly as the muscles in the intestines squeeze the fibre along. FACTS Fibre leaves the digestive system relatively intact – it has little or no calorific value. The digestive tract is an amazing 28 feet long. Fibre helps move waste along this large muscle. Fibre is found only in plant foods.

7. FOODS Many drinks, juices, milk and foods. WHY WE NEED THEM Two thirds of our body mass is water. The chemical reactions that keep us alive and our transport system (blood) need water. FACTS A 20% loss of fluid from the body is usually fatal. Conversely, drinking too much water can also be fatal. Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Wherever it travels, water carries chemicals, minerals, and nutrients with it.