Wandering across the grocery stores, the question of why do we need to eat food might come across your kid’s mind. The first obvious answer would be that food keeps us alive, but do we need food only just to satiate our rumbling belly or are there more reasons for it? Let’s find out the answer through this article.
#1. Taste Factor
The primary reason which drives us toward food is the taste factor. Kids gravitate towards food that tastes good irrespective of their nutritional factors. Taste preferences are automatically set from birth. Humans develop a taste palette since childhood, and the varied taste preferences influence the food choices of kids and adults.
However, you need to give your kids healthier options in their diet without compromising the taste. Teaching them to eat right might take some time, but it’s important for your kid’s overall well-being.
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#2. Food Provides Energy
As your machinery needs to be charged every day to function well, so does your body. Food acts as fuel for your body to keep it active and healthy. Making healthier choices in food and sticking to a balanced diet that includes essential vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats keeps you energetic all day. Apart from fueling you with energy, food also improves the functioning of the immune system to keep infections and illness at bay.
#3. Food is a Storehouse of Vital Nutrients
Food contains essential nutrients which our body regularly needs to function well. Let’s break down the functionalities of each nutrient and how they benefit the body.
#. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the ultimate source of energy and vitality. It’s one of the three macronutrients which the body needs daily to ward off lethargy and fuel energy. Carbohydrates are available in various forms like starch, sugar, and fibre. It strengthens your heart, kidney, brain, and central nervous system. The fibre content satisfies your hunger and keeps you full for long hours. It also aids in digestion. A diet deficient in carbohydrates may lead to constipation, laziness, headaches, poor concentration, and much more.
Sources of Carbohydrates
#1. Whole grains like wheat, cereals, rice, and much more
#2. Fruits like banana, kiwi, apple, citrus fruits, etc.
#3. Legumes like lentils, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, and black beans
#4. Starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato, corns, and carrots
#5. Milk products
#. Fats
There is a prevalent misconception that fats are unhealthy and make you gain weight. The truth is fats are also an essential dietary nutrient which our body needs in moderation. It gives strength to the body and promotes cell growth. Fats are essential for your body as it helps to soak up the nutrients and even produce healthy hormones. Always remember to include good fats in the diet. Bad fats like trans fat and saturated fats increase bad cholesterol, leading to various health problems.
Sources of Good Dietary Fats
Some of the healthy fats that you should consume daily to remain healthy are
#1. Nuts
#2. Flaxseed
#3. Soybean and sunflower oil
#4. Peanut butter
#5. Egg yolks
#6. Ghee or clarified butter
#7. Avocadoes
#. Proteins
Protein is a body-building food, and no one denies that, but why is it so? Every cell in the human body includes protein. Proteins are essential to repair cells and also help develop new ones. Not having enough protein in your diet can lead to the breaking down of tissues and muscle loss. It also adversely affects your immune system.
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Sources of Protein
#1. Meat
#2. Tofu
#3. Soybean
#4. Lentils and legumes
#5. Fish
#6. Eggs
#7. Dairy products
#. Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals fall under the category of micronutrients. They are called so as the body needs them in small amounts; not having enough of them can lead to diseases. Vitamins and minerals bolster the immune system, strengthen bones and muscles, heal wounds, and prevent cell damage. Vitamins have an important role to play in overall health. You should always add both of these nutrients to your kid’s diet to keep them healthy.
#4. Foods Keep You Happy
#1. Fruits and vegetables (in general)
#2. Avocados, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables
#3. Dairy products
#4. Foods Keep You Happy
Food has a huge impact on our mental health and mood. According to an American study “If your gut is happy then you’re also going to be happy”. For instance, if you reward a sad kid with sweets or chocolates, you can see their mood changing quickly. This is the power of food. One shouldn’t always indulge in unhealthy food as an excuse to feel better. Teach your kids the importance of healthy food and how it can affect the body and the brain. Let’s have a look at some food which would make you and your kids feel better.
Some healthy and comforting food items include:
#. Quinoa
A bowl full of healthy quinoa is a good source of carbohydrates that our body needs. It’s a comforting and tasty option to look into. Quinoa is also known to have an antidepressant effect on the body.
#. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are enriched with Vitamin D, which has antidepressant properties. Mushrooms balance the amount of serotonin (a hormone that stabilises mood) in the body. Indulging in a comforting mushroom soup or any dish which contains mushrooms can make your kids feel better.
#. Dark chocolate
Who doesn’t enjoy a bar of chocolate while feeling low? Dark chocolate is enriched with plenty of health benefits, including relieving emotional stress. Chocolate boosts up the mood as it releases the endorphins (feel-good hormones) in the body.
#5. Calms your Tummy Rumbles
Tummy rumbling while you’re very hungry is a common feeling everyone shares. A rumbling tummy is an indication that your body is hungry and it needs to be fed. If your kid asks you why do we need food, the answer that first hits your mind would be to satiate hunger and to calm down the tummy rumbling.
How do We Know that We Need Food?
The hunger pangs hit whenever our body needs food. Apart from the feeling of hunger, whenever the body feels drained out of energy, it needs food. Food provides us energy, so the low energy level and lethargy signify that your body is in dire need of food. Your body can also give you indications like you might feel light-headed or cranky, or some people even have a slight headache. Everybody reacts differently to the feeling of hunger.
Conclusion
Do we hope that after reading this article, you’d be able to tell your kids why we need food? Keep a check on their daily calorie intake and tell them the repercussions of consuming junk and processed food regularly. Include healthy food in their diet.
For further details on how to give your child a healthy body and mind you can refer to The Real School Of Montessori. It’s a new-age school that provides online one-to-one mentoring to your kids. It trains the kid to become problem solvers, innovators, thinkers by project-based and personalised learning. Check out the website to know more about the holistic development of your child.
