A HEALTHY DIET

Imagine that your body is a fancy sports car. What kind of fuel would you put in it? Would you give it the best fuel you could buy or whatever was around? Your body is actually a little like a sports car. When you give your body good food every day, you have energy to grow and play. You get sick less often. You grow and become strong. If you give your body poor fuel, it won’t work as well. You might have less energy or get sick more often. First of all, fruit and vegetables are very important. Try to eat five portions a day. Drink

a) …………………………………………. for breakfast. And you could eat b) …………………………………………. or a banana at break times. Dried c) …………………………………………. make an excellent snack, too. For dinner, salad or d) …………………………………………. are very good for you. Carbohydrates such as bread are important because they give you energy. At dinner time, rice and e) …………………………………………. are good sources of carbohydrates. Did you know that f) …………………………………………. is also a carbohydrate? But be careful! Don’t eat a lot of sweet food like cake and g) …………………………………………. .

Protein also gives you energy and helps you think. Meat and h) …………………………………………. contain protein. Nuts are surprisingly rich in protein, too. Dairy products such as milk and i) …………………………………………. contain calcium as well, and they help to build your bones. We all need fat in our diet because it gives us energy. We get fat from meat, butter, cheese, nuts and j) …………………………………………. . But fat has lots of calories. So, be careful with junk food such as burgers and k) …………………………………………. . They’re delicious, but not very good for you!

Now, read the following tips for a healthy diet. Hopefully, these habits will become part of your life. Your body will thank you.

> Have 4 meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and a light snack.

> Eat slowly and chew food very well to make digestion easier. When we chew well, we form a soft paste. The body can digest it more easily and absorb its nutrients better.

> Do not skip meal schedules, because food gives us the energy needed for our body to work properly, to have good health and to have the strength to properly carry out our activities during the day.

> Drink a minimum of 2 litres (8 glasses) of water every day. Soft drinks and bottled or canned juices are high in sugar content; this is why honey-sweetened lemonade, orangeade etc. or fresh fruit juices are recommended.

> Eat low fat foods. Avoid egg-coated, breaded and fried food, as it absorbs more grease, which may affect cholesterol, blood circulation, the heart etc.

> Include fruit and vegetables in your daily diet.