What we put in our bodies is very important!

What we eat is important because different food groups contain different nutrients and we need a balanced diet of different types of food for our bodies to stay healthy. 

A lot of children in developing countries eat staple foods such as wheat, rice, maize, millet or other grains.  These are good sources of carbohydrate but they do not always contain enough vitamins and minerals.

Regular weight gain is the most important sign that a child is developing and growing well.  Children are usually weighed on a regular basis to determine their weight.  If a child does not gain weight for two months they may need more food, or different types of food than what they are getting or they may become ill.

There are programmes aimed at helping families and communities grow and eat a greater variety of foods. 

Diet in developed countries poses a different problem.  Often foods with the right nutrients are available but the challenge is to educate and convince people to eat the right foods.  For example we may be more attracted to eating foods with a lot of sugar and fat in them such as donuts!  These can increase our weight but do not give our bodies the goodness they need to fight off diseases and keep healthy. 

In the New Zealand Ministry of Health 2007 National Children's Nutrition Survey 28% of children surveyed were either overweight or obese.  Obese is extremely overweight to a point where it can cause us health problems.  Listen next time your parents tell you to eat your vegetables!!