a saying that goes, “Variety is the spice of life.” It’s true. Food ismore fun if you’re not eating the same thing all the time. Imagine your
basic peanut butter sandwich—a little boring? But add some sweet
banana or crispy apple slices, and it gets a lot more interesting. Now
add maple cream cheese or raspberry jam, with or without the fruit. Or
take away the bread and try it on graham crackers. Changing things up
and adding ingredients with different colors, flavors, and textures makes
food more appetizing. You can hardly wait to take a bite!
And that’s not all. Variety doesn’t just make you happy. It also makes
you healthy. Different foods have different vitamins, minerals, and other
nutrients that people need. Some build bones and muscles. Some
boost your energy. Some help you see better, or fight off
the flu, or give your skin a beautiful glow. And you need
them all.
So when smart chefs decide what to cook, they
think about what’s both happy and healthy. They think
variety. One easy way to do that is to choose foods from each of the main food groups— fruits, veggies, protein, grains, and dairy.
Scientifically speaking, a fruit is the part of a plant where seeds grow.
Foodishly speaking, fruits are sweet, tart, or spicy—and some of the most delicious things ever! Pop fresh berries into your mouth. Bake cherries or apples or peaches into pies and crisps. Blend a banana or mango into a smoothie, or squeeze lemons into zesty lemonade. Fruits can add flavor and beauty (and, yes, vitamins) to just about anything.
Mmm-mmm-mashed potatoes. A cool green salad. Crisp carrots and
corn on the cob and pumpkin pie. Like fruits, vegetables are also the
part of a plant that you eat, such as its leaves or roots. Depending on
how you make them, they’re crunchy or creamy, sweet tasting or sharp.
They’re a great source of vitamins and minerals. And they come in every
color of the rainbow, making a plate look delicious.
Foods from both plants and animals contain protein. Meat, fish, eggs,
beans, nuts, and milk are the main sources. Think barbecued chicken,
peanut butter, baked beans, grilled shrimp, a cheesy omelette, or a ham-
burger. It’s good that protein is so easy to come by, because protein is
needed by your muscles, bones, skin, blood, hair, and even your finger-
nails—every cell in your body!
Warm-from-the-oven bread. Jasmine rice and pizza crust, noodles
and tortillas. Sweet granola. Oatmeal cookies. Usually we eat grains
cooked—baked into breads or cereals, boiled for pasta or soups, or
steamed into pilafs. All grains come from plants, and they give you the
energy to move, to think, and to run every system in the body.
Cheeses, such as cheddar, feta, and mozzarella. Yogurt, ice cream, and
pudding. A frosty shake or a mug of hot chocolate. Milk and foods made
from milk are called the dairy group. They do double duty by counting
in the protein group, too, but what makes dairy foods special is that
they have lots of the mineral calcium. Without calcium, you wouldn’t have bones or teeth!
Plan with MyPlate
This cheerful plate shows you how
much of which kind of food to
eat each day. It also makes a great
guide to planning meals for your-
self, your family, and your friends.
Fruits and vegetables take up half
the plate, followed by grains, and
then protein and dairy. You don’t
have to eat each meal like this, but
keep the plate in mind over the
course of a day or a week.
Girl Power
Two minerals are really important
for girls: calcium and iron. Calcium
builds strong bones, and iron
helps your blood carry oxygen
around your body. Dairy foods
are the richest source of calcium,
but broccoli, almonds, and many
beans are good, too. For iron,
great sources are eggs, red meat,
and broccoli. (Broccoli—a calcium
and iron twofer!)
the staples
The fridge and pantry are filled with
foods that are always there, waiting to
be added to anything from artichoke
dip to zucchini bread. When you need a
splash of olive oil or a teaspoon of cin-
namon, you just reach for them. When
you run out, you get more right away.
Ingredients like these are called staples.
Fats
Cooks use fats to make food taste good,
give
