Nutrition and health
The nutrients our body needs, a balanced diet, and how digestion works. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.
Know it already? Jump straight to the quiz
Nutrients
| Nutrient | Job | Food |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | Quick energy | Bread, pap, rice |
| Proteins | Growth and repair | Meat, eggs, beans |
| Fats | Stored energy | Butter, oil |
| Vitamins | Keep the body working | Fruit, vegetables; vitamin D from sunlight |
| Minerals | Calcium: bones and teeth; iron: blood carries oxygen | Milk, spinach |
| Fibre | Helps digestion | Whole grains, vegetables |
A balanced plate
The biggest part of your plate should be vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Too much sugar and fat raises the risk of obesity and disease. Energy you take in but do not use is stored as fat. Too little iron: the blood carries less oxygen.
| Disease | What causes it |
|---|---|
| Tooth decay | Sugar feeds bacteria that make holes in teeth; brush twice a day |
| Obesity | Taking in more energy than the body uses over a long time; it raises the chance of heart disease |
| Diabetes (type 2) | Linked to lots of sugar and little movement over years |
| Deficiency diseases | Too little of one nutrient: too little protein → kwashiorkor; too little vitamin C → scurvy; too little iron → anaemia |
Digestion
- Chew well: it breaks the food into pieces.
- The stomach churns the food with acid; the liver makes bile to break up fat.
- Too little fibre: digestion becomes sluggish.
- Test for starch: drop iodine on the food; blue-black means starch, as in bread.
Remember this and test yourself
- Carbohydrates give energy (the quickest); proteins build and repair tissue; fats store energy.
- Vitamins and minerals make the body work properly: calcium for bones, iron for blood.
- Fibre helps digestion; water carries nutrients around.
- Malnutrition: the body does not get the right amounts; a shortage of one nutrient can cause a deficiency disease (e.g. scurvy).
- The small intestine absorbs most nutrients. Iodine turns blue-black with starch.
Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.
Carbohydrates = Car fuel. Proteins = Parts (building blocks). Fats = Future energy (savings).
Important words
First say what the word means, then turn the card over.
Match column A to column B
Tap a word in column A, then its meaning in column B. You can also start in column B.
True or false?
Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.
Now the real quiz!
The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.
Take the quiz: Nutrition and health- Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
- The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.
Follows CAPS for Grade 6 Natural Sciences and Technology. Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.