Why Do We Need to Eat?

O
Owlo

Good afternoon, Koko! You look like you just ran all the way here from the garden.

K
Koko

I did, Owlo! I was helping pull out the big carrots, and now my tummy is making the loudest noises.

O
Owlo

That rumbling sound means your body is sending you a message. It is telling you that it is hungry.

K
Koko

But why does my body even need food? Can't it just keep going on its own?

O
Owlo

That is such a wonderful question, Koko. Let me think of the best way to explain it.

K
Koko

Please explain it fast, because my tummy is being very loud right now.

O
Owlo

Your body is like a very busy little machine. It needs fuel to keep running, just like a car needs petrol.

K
Koko

So food is like petrol for my tummy?

O
Owlo

Exactly right. Food gives your body something called energy. Energy is what lets you run, jump, think, and even breathe.

K
Koko

Wow, so when I was pulling those big carrots, I was using my energy?

O
Owlo

You were using a lot of energy. That is why your tummy started rumbling. It wanted more fuel.

K
Koko

That makes so much sense! But how does food turn into energy? That sounds like magic.

O
Owlo

It does sound like magic, doesn't it? Let's go to the science lab and I'll show you something that will help.

O
Owlo

Here we go. Now, look at this picture of the human body. See this part here? This is the stomach.

K
Koko

It looks like a little bag. A squishy one.

O
Owlo

That is a perfect way to describe it. When you eat, food goes down into that bag. The stomach squishes and mixes the food all up.

K
Koko

And then what happens to it?

O
Owlo

Then the food travels further, and the good parts get sent all around your body through your blood. Those good parts are called nutrients.

K
Koko

New-tree-ents? That is a funny word. What are they?

O
Owlo

Nutrients are the special things inside food that your body uses. Some give you energy. Some help your bones grow big and strong.

K
Koko

Like the calcium in milk that makes my teeth strong?

O
Owlo

Exactly like that. You already knew one. Calcium is a nutrient. Vitamins are nutrients too. They help keep you from getting sick.

K
Koko

So when I eat a carrot, it has nutrients inside it that help my body?

O
Owlo

Yes it does. Carrots have vitamins that are very good for your eyes. So all that gardening today was extra helpful.

K
Koko

I was helping my own eyes without even knowing it. That is pretty cool.

O
Owlo

It really is. And here is one more important thing. Your brain needs food too. Without enough fuel, it is hard to think clearly.

K
Koko

Is that why I feel grumpy when I skip a snack? My brain runs out of fuel?

O
Owlo

That is exactly why. A hungry brain finds it hard to focus, and sometimes it makes us feel a little grumpy or tired.

K
Koko

I am going to tell Mom that skipping snacks is bad for science reasons.

O
Owlo

I think that is a very reasonable thing to tell her. Now, before we go find you a snack, can you tell me what you learned today?

K
Koko

Okay! So, our bodies are like machines, and food is the fuel. When we eat, our stomach mixes everything up and sends the good stuff, called nutrients, all around our body.

K
Koko

Nutrients give us energy to run and play, help our bones and teeth grow strong, keep us from getting sick, and even help our brain think. And if we skip eating, our brain gets grumpy. Just like me before a snack.

O
Owlo

That was a perfect summary, Koko. Now let's go find those carrots you picked. I think your body has earned them.

K
Koko

Yes! And next time I want to learn about why we sleep. I have a feeling my body is full of secrets.