🍎 The Department of Nutrition – Feeding Every Cell 🍞

Have you ever noticed how a snack can give you a burst of energy? 🍌🍞 Maybe you feel more awake after eating an apple or a sandwich, or maybe you've noticed that after a big meal, you feel strong and ready to play—or even ready to doze off.

That’s because food is fuel for your body—just like gasoline for a car! And inside your body is a busy place where everything you eat gets transformed into the energy and strength you need for every adventure. This is thanks to the Department of Nutrition 🍇. Do you remember the chart of the Great River? Let’s find this department on the chart! This department delivers nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals to every part of your body. 🥦🍊🥩

Each day, as food arrives in your body, it’s transformed into fuel. But how? Well, your food is made up of macronutrients—let's clap this word! 👏 Mac - ro - nu - tri - ents 👏 Wow, 5 syllables! This tricky name comes from Greek makros, meaning “large,” and Latin nutrire, meaning “to nourish” or “to feed.” So, macronutrients are "big nutrients" 💪 that give your cells the main fuel they need to keep the whole body powered up.

Each macronutrient is like a special building block with its own superpowers for the Body Nation! First, we have Proteins; these are the skilled builders 🏗️, strengthening your muscles and keeping all departments working all day and night!

Next come Fats 🧈. Imagine a piggy bank that stores extra energy for later, so when you need more energy—like during a long day or after lots of running—it’s there, ready to be used. 🔥

And the superchargers! Carbohydrates which are broken down into glucose—like a quick fuel that makes cells very excited. Imagine the President of Body Nation—the brain—getting buckled in for an exciting roller coaster ride 🎢. As the Department of Nutrition breaks down carbohydrates, they transform into glucose 🍬, which rushes straight to the brain. This gives the President a thrilling “sugar rush,” as energizing as the first big drop on a roller coaster, filling the body with extreme energy!

Just like a real roller coaster, that quick burst of energy doesn’t last long. Soon, the ride ends, and the President needs steady, balanced energy to keep the Body Nation running smoothly. That’s where other nutrients, like proteins and fats, come in to give longer-lasting fuel. There are even different types of carbohydrates—simple and complex—that release energy at different speeds, but that’s something you can research further! 🛤️✨

Your food is also packed with micronutrients—another cool name to clap 👏 Mi - cro - nu - tri - ents 👏 Wow, 5 syllables again! Can you guess what it means? “Micro” comes from the Greek word mikros, meaning “small.” These small but powerful nutrients are known as vitamins and minerals, and each one has a special job to do.

Vitamins are like tiny superheroes, each supporting a unique part of Body Nation. For instance, Vitamin C is a powerful protector for the Department of Defense 🧪🛡️, or the immune system, arming white blood cells with extra strength to defend against colds and other viruses. Vitamin A works in the Department of Sensation 👀, helping keep your vision sharp as an eagle’s and giving your skin a healthy glow.

Minerals are the protectors and builders of Body Nation. Iron is part of the Great River 🩸🌊, helping red blood cells carry oxygen, so your body stays energized and the President (your brain) stays alert. Calcium works in the Department of Strength 🦴, making bones and teeth strong. And Potassium supports the Department of Communication 📡, helping nerves and muscles work together to send signals quickly, like moving your hands to catch a ball.

Just like food delivery trucks, the Great River—our veins and arteries 🚗—serves as a highway, bringing macronutrients and micronutrients to every single cell all over the body every time you eat something! 🧀🍟🍏 Do you know some other minerals and vitamins and what they do for our body?

Questions to Wonder Aloud:

• How does the Department of Nutrition know where to send each nutrient? 🤔

• Which foods are the best sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, or Vitamin K? 🍋🥕🥬

• Did you know that not all carbs act like pure sugar? Some carbs break down fast, giving you quick energy like a burst of fireworks 🎆, while others break down slowly, like a cozy campfire 🔥. Can you find foods that give fast energy (simple carbs) and foods that give long-lasting energy (complex carbs)? 🍬🍞🥔

• Which foods have the most vitamin B12 ? 🤔

Possible Follow up projects :

1. “Nutrient Delivery” Play 🚚🍏 Language, community building activity

• How: Children organise the roles in the play and write the script. Roles 1. macro nutrients, 2. micro nutrients. 3. Delivery Trucks “transport” each nutrient to its correct station, and nutrients announce their role when they arrive (e.g., “Strengthening muscles!”).4. Different body part stations (such as muscles, brain, bones, immune system). Each station has a container or basket labeled with the body part it represents.

  Why: Reinforces each nutrient's job in the body and highlights the amazing teamwork inside the Body Nation, as every part works tirelessly together to keep everything functioning.

2. “Super Foods” Lap Book 📚🥕 Language, Art

• How: Ask children to pick 3 vitamins and 3 minerals (like Vitamin C, Vitamin A, or Iron) and research foods that contain it. They can create a lap book, with drawings or cut-out pictures from grocery weekly broshures , showing their chosen nutrient’s benefits and the best food sources for it.

• Why: Encourages children to explore nutrient-rich foods and they discover how each nutrient plays a unique role in keeping their bodies healthy.

3. Simple vs. Complex Carbs Experiment 🍞🍬 Research related with going out

• How: After research a group of children set up a " taste test " with small bites of foods that have simple carbs (like chocolate) and complex carbs (like whole-grain bread ) . Have children eat each, wait 15 minutes, and then note how much energy they feel. The researching group need to interview the participant and organise the collecte data. Do the simple carbs give a quick energy burst? Does the complex carb last longer?

• Why: Helps children explore how different types of carbohydrates affect energy levels, showing the quick boost from simple carbs and the longer-lasting energy from complex carbs. Through data collection and organization, children gain memorable experience in research and learn which foods support sustained energy for their activities. Presenting their results also builds their confidence in sharing findings with an audience and organising information.

4. Vitamin and Mineral “Treasure Hunt” 🕵️‍♀️🥬 Research, community building activity

• How: Children can create a “treasure map” where each stop represents a nutrient or vitamin, like Vitamin B12 or Magnesium . Write crads with clues about what each nutrient does and foods that contain it, and invite other children to find matching foods from a basket cutout pictures for each of the stop.

• Why: Makes learning about vitamins and minerals interactive, allowing children to practice organisation and researching skills. To discover and identify nutrient-rich foods and their benefits in a fun, exploratory way by involving everyone in the community.

5. Build a “Nutrient Wheel” 🎡🍎 Geometry and carboard project

• How: Give children materials to create a wheel (paper, cardboard, markers, compass ). Divide the wheel into sections for each nutrient—proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals. In each section, children can draw foods and add facts about how those nutrients help their bodies.

• Why: Helps children visualize the variety of nutrients and their sources, connecting each nutrient to its unique role in the Body Nation.

6. From where does bread come from 🍞🚚✈️ conenction to human geography material

• How: Explore where bread comes from, by sequencing cards which represent each role: farmer, miller, baker, and shopkeeper. This activity visually demonstrates the journey of bread from field to table, fostering an understanding of societal interdependence.

• Why: Builds awareness of daily nutrition, helping children understand from where each food comes from and the interdependency

With Montessori joy,

Vanina 😊