Year 3 Science: What food does for the body
Part of the Year 3 Science food and nutrition chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
What food does for the body
Food does important jobs for the body. A nutrient is a part of food that the body uses to live, grow and stay healthy. Each nutrient has its own job.
| Nutrient | What it does for the body | Found in |
|---|---|---|
| carbohydrates | give the body energy to move, play and think | bread, pasta, rice and potatoes |
| protein | helps the body to grow and repair itself | meat, fish, eggs and beans |
| fats | give energy and help to keep the body warm; only small amounts are needed | oils and butter |
| vitamins and minerals | keep the body healthy; calcium, for example, helps to make bones strong | fruit and vegetables, and milk |
| water | keeps the body working; we need to drink some every day | water and other drinks |
A food can give more than one nutrient. For example, milk gives the body protein and calcium.
Key ideas
- A nutrient is a part of food that the body uses to live, grow and stay healthy.
- Carbohydrates give the body energy to move, play and think.
- Protein helps the body to grow and repair itself.
- Fats give energy and help to keep the body warm, but we need only small amounts.
- Vitamins and minerals keep the body healthy. Calcium helps to make bones strong.
- Water keeps the body working, so we need to drink some every day.
Method. Look for the nutrient that keeps the body warm.
- Read the table. Fats give energy and help to keep the body warm, and they are found in oils and butter.fats
- Name the nutrient. So the nutrient is fats.fats
- Write the answer. fats
Check. Oils contain fats, which the body uses for energy. ✓
Watch out. Fats are needed, but only in small amounts.
Method. Read what calcium does.
- Read the table. Calcium is a mineral in milk that helps to make bones strong.bones
- Name the part. The part of the body is the bones.bones
- Write the answer. bones
Check. Calcium helps to make bones strong. ✓
Method. Find the nutrient whose job is to grow and repair.
- Read the table. Protein helps the body to grow and repair itself.grow and repair
- Name the nutrient. So the nutrient is protein.protein
- Write the answer. protein
Check. Protein is found in meat, fish, eggs and beans. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: one food can give more than one nutrient. Milk gives protein and calcium, so do not think a food gives only one job.
Try it at home or school (with a grown-up). With a grown-up, look at the label on a packet of food from home, or on a picture of a food. Find the words protein, carbohydrate or fat, if they are written there. Do not taste any food that is not safe to eat. Wash your hands afterwards.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “Which food gives you energy to run? Which food helps your muscles to grow strong?” Let your child match each job to a food.
Exercise 5C What food does for the body
Method. Read the table about carbohydrates.
- Read the table. Carbohydrates give the body energy to move, play and think.energy
- Write the answer. energy
Check. Carbohydrates are found in bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. ✓
Method. Read the table about protein.
- Read the table. Protein helps the body to grow and repair itself.grow and repair
- Write the answer. grow and repair
Check. Protein is found in meat, fish, eggs and beans. ✓
Method. Think about which group has bread, rice and pasta in it.
- Find carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.starchy foods
- Write the answer. starchy foods
Check. Starchy foods include bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. ✓
Method. Read the table about vitamins and minerals.
- Read the sentence. Vitamins and minerals keep the body healthy.minerals
- Write the answer. minerals
Check. Vitamins and minerals are needed in small amounts. ✓
Method. Think about what calcium does.
- Read the sentence. Calcium helps to make bones strong.bones
- Write the answer. bones
Check. Calcium is found in milk. ✓
Method. Think about what kind of food an orange is.
- Find oranges. An orange is a fruit, so it is in the fruit and vegetables group.fruit and vegetables
- Write the answer. fruit and vegetables
Check. Oranges are a fruit and give vitamin C. ✓
Method. Read the table about calcium.
- Find calcium. Calcium is found in milk, and it helps to make bones strong.milk
- Write the answer. milk
Check. Milk is a dairy food that gives calcium. ✓
Method. Match each food to the nutrient it gives.
- Pasta. Pasta gives carbohydrates.carbohydrates
- Beans and apple. Beans give protein, and an apple gives vitamins and minerals.protein; vitamins and minerals
- Write the answer. Accept any two of: carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Check. The meal gives more than one nutrient. ✓
Method. Look at the blue marker and the words beside it.
- Find the blue marker. The blue marker is beside calcium.blue marker
- Read the words. The words beside it say calcium helps to make bones strong.bones
- Write the answer. helps to make bones strong
Check. Calcium is one of the nutrients in milk. ✓
Method. Think about what a fizzy drink gives the body.
- Think about the sugar. A fizzy drink is high in sugar, and it is not a food group.high in sugar
- Think about vitamins. It gives very few vitamins and minerals, so it is not a healthy choice on its own.very few
- Write the answer. No. Accept any reason that says a fizzy drink is high in sugar and gives very few vitamins and minerals.
Check. Foods high in sugar are eaten only sometimes. ✓
Method. Think about the nutrients that pasta gives.
- Think about pasta. Pasta gives carbohydrates for energy.carbohydrates
- Give the reason. But the body also needs protein, vitamins and minerals from other foods.other foods
- Write the answer. Accept any answer that says pasta gives carbohydrates, but the body needs other nutrients from other foods.
Check. A mix of foods gives all the nutrients the body needs. ✓
Method. Think about what fats give the body.
- Think about energy. Fats give the body energy, and a small amount is enough.a small amount
- Give the reason. Eating too much fat is not healthy, so we use only a little.not healthy
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says fats give a lot of energy, so eating too much is not healthy.
Check. Fats are a useful nutrient, but only in small amounts. ✓