ARELLANO UNIVERSITY

“For God and Country”

Essential Lesson 1
HEALTHY FOOD AND BODY

● ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOME

After this lesson, you will be able to state that children have the rights to proper nutrition and appreciate the
importance of nutritious food in our body.

● LECTURE NOTES

The first lesson helps you to understand whatnutrition is and its importance to our body. We are
defined for what we eat. As humans, we have the rights to proper nutrition and we are responsible for the
food that we eat.
Nutrition and Its Importance
Looking at the pictures below, what can you see? What are the kinds of food that areshown in the pictures?

As you can see, we have fruits, meat, rice,andfish. They are only some of the different kinds of food that we eat. Can you name
some other foods that you eat?
We usually eat different kinds of food every day and each food hasitsnutritional value. When we say nutrition, itis the act of taking
in food that the body uses for health and growth. Do you know thatchildren like you have the right to nutritious food to help you
stay healthy? This right is stated in Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ( which states that “

…………………” Pls state the provision)

When we say nutritious food, we refer to the food that helps a child grow and develop well. Nutritious food contains essential
nutrients like (deleted“good”)carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Rice and sugar are samples of carbohydrates,
chicken is an example of protein. Every food that we eathas its nutritional value.
(Is the drawing your own? If not, pls cite source)
Let us now define what is nutrient. Nutrient is a substance needed by the body. They serve as fuels that enable the body to break
down food so that they can be used by the body to repair and build cells and tissueswhich is basically referred to asmetabolism.
Nutrients enable our bodytoperform our daily activities like playing, studying and running.

Not having or notmeeting the proper nutrition that our body needs leads to malnutrinition. Malnutritionis the condition of having
poor nutrition. It is a result of not eating the right kinds of food in the right amounts.The person suffering from malnutrition is called
malnourished. Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body is deprived of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it
needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.

Malnourished or under weight Over nourished or over weight.

Pls cite source if the drawings are not your own

Malnutrition occurs in people who are either undernourished or over nourished.

Malnourished children may be short for their age, thin or bloated, listless and have weakened immune systems. While children who
are over nourished are visibly overweight or obese, and consume more food than their bodies need. As was mentionedearlier, we
are responsiblefor what we eat. What you eat might either be healthy or unhealthy food.
Let us look at some examples of healthy foods and unhealthy foods.
 Eating the right kind of food makes a child grow healthy and strong. Children should knowthe benefits of eating a balanced diet
for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These are exactly lifted from a book. Pls paraphrase.
The following foods and nutrients are needed by your body to make it healthy and strong.
A. Carbohydrates and fats
These foods provide the body with energy to keep it going throughout the day.
Examples: corn, rice, potato, bread,butter,cereal.

B. Protein
Foods rich in protein promote growth and body building.. It makesyour body muscles strong and healthy .
Examples :
● lean meats – beef, lamb, pork,

● poultry – chicken, turkey, duck, (emuthis may not be known to the pupils), goose, bush birds.

● fish and seafood – fish, prawns, crab, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops, clams.

● eggs.

● dairy products – milk, yoghurt (especially Greek yoghurt), cheese (especially cottage cheese)

A. Vitamins and Minerals

Foods rich in vitamins and mineralslike fruits and vegetables regulate body functions. They make bones and teeth
strong and healthy.They also keep the skin and eyes healthy and glowing.
Examples:
● citrus fruit - including oranges and grapefruit.

● red and green peppers.

● potatoes.

● strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.

● green leafy vegetables - such as broccoli and brussels sprouts.