Eating for Health
FoundationChoose food by the healthy eating pyramid, eat at regular times, chew slowly, have breakfast daily, and drink water instead of sweet drinks.
- Eat most from the pyramid's base, least oil, salt and sugar from the top.
- Have three meals at regular times in suitable amounts.
- Chew each mouthful slowly — good digestion and no choking.
文體小知識：說明文像一位營養老師，把健康飲食金字塔一步一步講給你聽，教你揀食物、養成好習慣。
§Text Passage
1Running, learning and growing every day all depend on the nutrition in food. To eat for health, get to know the healthy eating pyramid: eat most from the bottom layer — grains such as rice, noodles and bread; eat enough vegetables and fruit on layer two; eat a suitable amount of meat, fish, eggs and milk on layer three; and eat least from the top layer of oil, salt and sugar, such as crisps, soft drinks and sweets.
2Besides choosing the right food, eating habits matter too. Have three meals at regular times — breakfast, lunch and dinner on schedule — so the stomach works in a rhythm; being overly hungry or too full both feel bad. Chew slowly at meals, biting each mouthful more than ten times before swallowing; saliva helps digestion and lightens the stomach's work. Gulping food is hard to digest and can make us choke.
3Breakfast starts the day. After a whole night's sleep, the body needs fresh energy. With breakfast we can focus in class, think clearly, and do not go hungry before recess. Eggs, oatmeal, milk with bread are all good choices. Without breakfast we run out of energy by the fourth and fifth lessons, and in the long run it harms both health and learning.
4When thirsty, plain water is the best drink — six to eight cups a day help digestion and carry waste away. Soft drinks and sweet boxed drinks hold a lot of sugar: one can of soft drink has as much sugar as about seven sugar cubes, and too much causes tooth decay and weight gain. For flavour, eat fresh fruit instead, or choose sugar-free light lemon water.
5After school, when hungry, have healthy snacks such as fruit, yoghurt, corn or unsalted nuts, not crisps and sweets. Remember the rhyme: most from the pyramid's base, least from its top; three meals on time, chew slowly and well; eat breakfast daily, and drink plenty of water. Choose wisely, eat healthily, and the body stays strong!
1Summary 重點摘要
Choose food by the healthy eating pyramid, eat at regular times, chew slowly, have breakfast daily, and drink water instead of sweet drinks.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A layered chart of food: eat most from the bottom layer and least from the top.
Eating suitable amounts of all kinds of food.
Foods like rice, noodles and bread that give the body energy.
Biting food into small pieces with the teeth before swallowing.
Eating three meals at the same times every day.
The first meal of the day; it refills the body's energy.
Boiled water safe to drink; the best drink for the body.
Drinks with lots of sugar, such as soft drinks; do not drink too much.
A small amount of food between meals; choose healthy ones.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the healthy eating pyramidThe healthy eating pyramid sorts common foods into four layers and tells us how much of each to eat. The bottom layer is grains like rice, noodles and bread — eat most of these; layer two is vegetables and fruit — eat enough; layer three is meat, fish, eggs, beans and milk — a suitable amount; the top layer is oil, salt and sugar — eat the least. The lower the layer, the more we eat; the higher, the less. Remember the arrangement, and choosing food and planning meals becomes balanced and healthy.
- Step 2: Eat three meals at regular timesOur body loves rhythm; by mealtimes the stomach is ready to release digestive juices. Have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same times every day, in suitable amounts — never skipping then overeating. Regular meals give the stomach a steady rhythm, so digestion and absorption are good and the tummy feels comfortable. If you are very hungry after school, have a small healthy snack first, but not too much, or you will not eat dinner well. Eating on time from young keeps the stomach healthy and the spirit bright.
- Step 3: Chew slowly for good digestionChew slowly at meals, biting each mouthful more than ten times before swallowing. Chewing grinds the food small, and saliva begins the digestion, so the stomach's work becomes much easier. Gulping food is hard to digest and causes bloating, and big pieces may choke the throat — very dangerous. Chewing slowly has another benefit: the brain has time to notice you are full, so you do not overeat without knowing. No running about and no TV while eating; eat quietly and attentively — that is polite and healthy too.
- Step 4: Eat a good breakfastAfter a whole night's sleep the body's energy is almost used up, and breakfast refuels it. With breakfast we concentrate in class, remember better and have energy for PE; without it we feel dizzy and hungry before noon, get grumpy, and over time it harms growth. Breakfast need not be fancy: an egg, a cup of milk, a slice of wholemeal bread or a bowl of oatmeal with a little fruit is great. Get up fifteen minutes earlier, finish breakfast quietly, and the whole day of learning starts well.
- Step 5: More water, fewer sweet drinksWater is the best drink for the body — six to eight cups a day help digestion, keep the temperature steady and carry waste away. Soft drinks and sweet drinks hold lots of sugar: one can equals about seven sugar cubes, and too much brings tooth decay and weight gain, so plain water is the first choice when thirsty. After sports and on hot days we sweat a lot and must drink in time; a cup of warm water after waking comforts the stomach too. Bring your own bottle to school and refill at recess and after lunch — soon you will love the clean, healthy taste.
- Step 6: Choose snacks wiselySometimes we snack at recess and after school. Healthy snacks include fruit, yoghurt, boiled egg, corn or unsalted nuts — they have vitamins, protein and fibre, filling and nourishing. Crisps, sweets and soft drinks belong to the pyramid's top layer, full of oil, salt and sugar; have them at most once or twice a week and only a little. Before buying a snack, think: which layer is it on? Choose wisely, keep eating proper meals, and the nutrition will be enough and the body strong and healthy.
5Worked example Example
Example: At recess, Ling sees three snacks at the tuck shop: A crisps, B a banana, C sweets. Which is the healthiest? Help her design a healthy snack set.
- Check the pyramid first: crisps are fried and sweet, sweets are all sugar — both are on the very top layer, low in nutrition, to be eaten only rarely and a little.
- A banana belongs to the fruit group, with vitamins, fibre and natural fruit sugar — filling and nourishing, the healthiest of the three.
- A healthy snack set could be a banana with a small cup of yoghurt, or an apple with a few unsalted nuts, plus a cup of plain water.
- Before buying snacks, think which layer of the pyramid the food is on, and choose low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar options.
- Answer: The banana is healthiest, because it belongs to the fruit group with vitamins and fibre. A healthy snack set is a banana with yoghurt, or an apple with unsalted nuts, plus a cup of water — filling and nutritious.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Which layer of the pyramid should we eat most of?
Q2Why should we chew slowly?
Q3Why is breakfast important?
Q4What is the best drink when thirsty?
Q5Which layer do crisps and soft drinks belong to?
8Recap Recap
- Eat most from the pyramid's base, least oil, salt and sugar from the top.
- Have three meals at regular times in suitable amounts.
- Chew each mouthful slowly — good digestion and no choking.
- Eat breakfast every day to stay focused in class.
- Drink more water and fewer sweet drinks; choose low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar snacks.