Healthy Eating for Growing Bodies

A food's group depends on what it is made from. A mixed dish can belong to several groups. Start by looking at its ingredients.

Meet the groups

A food group holds foods that give your body similar useful things.

Protein foods come from plants as well as animals. Hummus is made from chickpeas, so it is a plant protein food. Peanut butter belongs with protein foods too. A calcium-fortified soy drink can be an alternative to milk. “Fortified” means useful nutrients have been added.

Take one dish apart

Picture a pita filled with chicken, lettuce, tomato, and yogurt sauce.

1. The pita is made from flour: a grain food.
2. Chicken is a protein food.
3. Lettuce and tomato are vegetables.
4. Plain yogurt in the sauce is dairy.

The dish has four groups. You do not need four separate bowls to eat four groups.

Eggs can be tricky because stores keep them near milk. Dairy means made from milk. Eggs come from hens, so they are protein foods. Butter and cream come from milk but are mostly fat. Most guides do not count them as dairy-group choices.

Check your guide's names

Countries sort some foods differently. Canada puts milk, yogurt, and cheese among protein foods. The UK's Eatwell Guide joins fruit and vegetables in one group. It puts potatoes with bread and rice in a wider starchy foods group. Australia puts potatoes among vegetables. Beans and lentils can count as protein foods or vegetables in many guides.

Everyday foods and extras

Candy, cookies, chips, and soda often bring lots of sugar, salt, or fat. Guides usually show these as extras or sometimes foods. A little ketchup is a topping; it does not replace a serving of vegetables. Fries start as potatoes, but frying and salt change what comes with them.

Your body needs some fat. Nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetable oils can provide it. Added oils and spreads are used in small amounts.

Food guides can look like circles, plates, or pyramids. The picture and its words work together. They help you choose a useful mix of foods over time.

Read the whole picture

First, find the names of the groups. Look at the foods pictured inside each one. Bigger sections usually show foods to eat in larger shares. Smaller sections show smaller shares. Read the labels beside the picture too. Water may sit outside the main shape because it is the main drink. Its position does not mean you should drink only a little.

The UK uses the Eatwell Guide circle. Australia uses the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating circle. Canada uses a plate. In January 2026, the United States introduced an upside-down food pyramid, widest at the top. Use the newest guide for your country.

These guides share several messages: choose plenty of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, varied protein foods, and water. Keep foods high in added sugar, salt, or fat small.

Choose variety inside a group

Eating from every group is one kind of variety. Changing foods within a group helps too. Red peppers, green beans, carrots, and purple grapes give different mixes of vitamins and minerals. You can spread these choices across the week.

A whole grain keeps all its grain parts. Oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread are examples. They keep more fiber than refined grains. White rice and white bread have had some grain parts removed. Choose whole grains for most grain foods.

Check a day's mix

Here is Eli's day: toast and milk, cheese and crackers, a pear, and noodles with a little tomato sauce.

• Grains appear several times: toast, crackers, and noodles.
• Milk and cheese supply dairy.
• The pear supplies fruit; the sauce supplies some vegetables.
• There are few vegetables. There is no separate protein food such as beans, eggs, or fish.

Eli could add tofu and broccoli to the noodles. The tofu adds a protein choice; broccoli adds more vegetables. Canada's guide would also count Eli's dairy as protein foods. Group names matter when you check a day.

The picture does not require every meal to look alike. Breakfast can differ from dinner. Birthday cake can fit at a celebration too. Healthy eating depends on the pattern across days and weeks.

Food fuels running, reading, growing, and even sleeping. It gives you energy and nutrients. Nutrients are useful substances your body needs to work and grow.

Remember three main jobs

Foods often do several jobs. These group jobs help you remember why a mix matters.

Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth. Many protein foods give iron, which helps blood carry oxygen. Fiber helps food move through your gut so you poop regularly. Whole grains and plant protein foods give fiber too. Fats provide energy and help your body use some vitamins. Nuts, seeds, avocado, fish, and olive oil are useful sources.

Follow the jobs in a meal

Amira has brown rice, lentils, spinach, and plain yogurt.

1. Brown rice gives energy and fiber.
2. Lentils supply protein for growth and repair, plus fiber.
3. Spinach supplies vitamins and minerals.
4. Yogurt supplies protein and calcium.

Notice that the foods have overlapping jobs. Calling rice an energy food does not mean it does nothing else. Eating only protein foods would leave out useful foods and nutrients from other groups.

Different people, different meals

A growing child needs nutrients for growth. You may feel hungrier after a long game because you used more energy. Culture, religion, and family choices also shape meals. Many Muslims choose halal food; many Jewish people choose kosher food. Many Hindus avoid beef. Vegetarians eat no meat or fish, but can choose beans, lentils, tofu, eggs, or dairy to suit their diet.

Some differences protect health. A food allergy means the body's defenses react wrongly to a food. Even a tiny amount can make someone ill. People with celiac disease must avoid gluten in wheat, barley, and rye.

Do not share food with a classmate who has an allergy unless an adult says it is safe. Tell an adult right away if someone feels unwell after eating.

A balanced meal brings together several food groups in sensible amounts. A bigger helping of one food does not add a missing group. Look at the mix before the size.

Start with a plate idea

Canada's Food Guide shows half a plate of vegetables and fruit. One quarter holds whole grain foods. The other quarter holds protein foods. Water goes beside it. Other countries divide their guides differently, so check yours.

You can use this order when building a meal:

1. Choose vegetables and give them plenty of space.
2. Add a grain food, such as brown rice or whole-wheat bread.
3. Add a protein food, such as beans, fish, eggs, or tofu.
4. Add fruit or dairy to help fill gaps across the day.
5. Choose water or plain milk to drink.

A meal with three or more groups is a useful starting point. The whole day's food should cover all the groups; every meal need not contain all five.

Build a bowl step by step

Start with a bowl of plain rice. It has a grain food but little variety.

Add black beans. Now the bowl has grain and protein foods. Add cooked peppers and corn, then chopped tomatoes. Vegetables now make a large part of the bowl. Serve melon on the side and water to drink. You have added several groups without simply making the rice pile bigger.

Mixed dishes can be balanced too. A lentil-and-vegetable curry with rice brings protein, vegetables, and grains together. Check the ingredients in soups, sandwiches, and casseroles in the same way.

Make breakfast work for you

Breakfast gives you energy for the school morning. Combine at least two groups: whole-grain toast and an egg, or plain yogurt with oats and peaches. You can add another group when it fits your appetite and the foods available.

Improve a familiar meal

A burger, fries, and soda has a protein food, a bun, and fried potatoes. Some guides count potatoes as vegetables; others put them with starchy foods. Either way, add other vegetables or fruit. You could keep the burger, add a tomato-and-cucumber side, and swap soda for water. You do not have to change every part to improve the mix.

Sometimes you feel hungry before the next meal. A snack is a small amount of food between meals. Many growing, active children need one or two a day.

Pair everyday foods

A useful snack often joins two groups. Try pear slices with plain yogurt, whole-grain toast with bean spread, or cucumber with cheese. These combinations provide a mix of nutrients and help keep you going.

You can choose simple foods without a snack package. A banana, a boiled egg, or washed fruit can be ready quickly. At home, keep washed fruit where you can see it. Keep cut vegetables in the fridge. Packing a snack the night before can help on busy mornings.

Think about timing

Jules finishes swim club feeling hungry. Dinner is still two hours away. A small bowl of plain yogurt and sliced plum gives dairy and fruit. It helps bridge the gap.

Now imagine dinner is almost ready. A large snack could leave Jules too full to enjoy the meal. Ask when you will eat next and notice how hungry you feel. Sitting down for a snack gives your teeth breaks between eating times. Nibbling throughout the afternoon keeps bringing food and sugar to them.

Look past snack names

A package saying “fruit snacks” may hold sugary gummies. Fruit in the name does not make them the same as whole fruit. Granola bars vary too; some contain plenty of added sugar. Check the ingredients and nutrition label with an adult.

Cookies, candy, and chips are sometimes foods. Enjoy a small amount now and then. Having sweet foods with a meal is kinder to your teeth than spreading them across many snack times.

Planning helps you find gaps before you get hungry. You can help by suggesting foods, checking the fridge, or writing a shopping list with an adult.

Make a day plan

Start with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks. Add foods from different groups. Check for vegetables or fruit at most eating times. Choose mostly water or plain milk for drinks.

Here is one plan:

Check the groups. Oats, bread, and noodles are grains. Milk is dairy. Egg, hummus, and chicken supply protein foods. Kiwi and grapes are fruit. Tomatoes, carrots, and green beans are vegetables. The day covers all the groups. This check shows variety; it is not a count of how many servings you must eat.

Pack a lunch

Choose a grain-and-protein main part, a vegetable, a fruit, dairy, and water. A tuna sandwich, pepper strips, a peach, and plain yogurt is one mix. Keep foods needing cold in an insulated bag with two cold sources, such as frozen packs. Put the bag in a fridge when one is available.

Change choices across the week

If you often have chicken, suggest lentils or fish another day. Choose different vegetables and grains. You can try one new food during the week. Meals from different family traditions can all have a balanced mix.

Plan for busy places and days

In the cafeteria, include the vegetable side. At a restaurant, ask for water and add vegetables. At a party, enjoy the treat and include some fruit or vegetables too.

Frozen vegetables, canned fruit, and canned beans can make meals easier. Choose canned fruit in juice or water and vegetables with less salt. Dried lentils and beans can be low-cost choices. Adults decide what is bought, but your ideas can help. If one day lacks variety, make a useful addition to the next day's plan.

You can help make food by washing, mixing, spreading, and assembling. Before starting, ask an adult which jobs you can do. Sharp tools and hot dishes need adult help.

Clean and separate

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Wash again after using the toilet, touching pets, or handling raw meat or eggs. Tie back long hair and wipe the work surface. Rinse fruit and vegetables under running water, including foods you will peel.

Keep raw meat, chicken, fish, and eggs away from ready-to-eat food. Use separate boards and plates for raw meat and salad. Germs can move from a board onto food without leaving a mark. They can cause food poisoning, with stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Chill and cook

Milk, yogurt, meat, and suitable leftovers need refrigeration. Keep them cold until eating. Perishable food should not sit at room temperature beyond two hours. Above 90°F (about 32°C), the limit is one hour. An insulated lunch bag needs two cold sources to help keep food cold.

An adult should check meat and chicken with a food thermometer. Color alone cannot tell you whether food is cooked safely. Follow package storage instructions and check date labels with an adult. Food can carry harmful germs even when it looks and smells normal.

Use tools with help

Ask before using knives, the stove, oven, or microwave. Use oven mitts for hot dishes. An adult can show you a claw grip: curl your fingertips back while holding food. For a bridge hold, arch your hand over the food and cut beneath the arch, away from your fingers.

Make a crunchy wrap

1. Wash your hands. Rinse lettuce, a carrot, and cucumber.
2. With an adult, grate the carrot and slice the cucumber.
3. Spread hummus on a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Add the vegetables and grated cheese, then roll it up.
5. Ask for help cutting it. Serve with fruit and water.

The tortilla supplies grain, hummus supplies plant protein, and cheese supplies dairy. Helping prepare the meal also lets you learn how ingredients taste together.

More than half your body is water. Your blood uses it to carry nutrients and oxygen. Water also helps make saliva, cools you through sweat, and carries waste out in pee.

Replace water through the day

You lose water when you breathe, sweat, and pee. This happens on quiet days too. Have drinks regularly at meals and breaks. Carry a refillable bottle and refill it when you can.

Feeling thirsty is a clue to drink. Dark yellow pee, tiredness, a headache, or trouble concentrating can be clues too. Pale yellow pee usually means you are getting enough fluid. Tell an adult if you feel unwell.

Your needs can change

The amount you need depends on age, activity, and weather. The American Academy of Pediatrics gives about five cups of fluids daily for ages 4–8, and about seven to eight cups for older children. These amounts include water and milk. A cup is 8 fluid ounces, about 240 mL. Hot weather and active play increase your needs. An adult can help you work out what suits your day.

Foods such as watermelon, cucumber, oranges, and soup also supply water. Drinks still need a place throughout your day.

Plan a refill

Nina takes a 16-fluid-ounce water bottle on a school trip. That holds two cups. She drinks it during the morning, then refills it at lunch. A full bottle at the start does not help once it is empty. Planning where to refill makes water easier to reach.

Choose everyday drinks

Water is the best everyday drink. It has no sugar and is kind to teeth. Safe tap water is a low-cost choice. Plain sparkling water is another option. Plain milk gives fluid, protein, and calcium.

If plain water seems dull, add cucumber or orange slices for flavor. Soda contains water too, but its added sugar makes it a poor everyday choice. You do not need soda to replace the water you lose.

Sugars can be inside a food already or put in during preparation. Knowing the difference helps you read labels and choose everyday drinks.

Natural and added sugars

Whole fruit and plain milk contain natural sugars. Fruit also gives fiber; milk gives calcium and protein. Added sugars are sugars and syrups put into food or drinks. Honey and maple syrup count when you add them, even though they come from nature.

Children should have as little added sugar as possible. National advice uses different measures. The US 2025–2030 guidelines recommend no added sugar for ages 5–10. The NHS in the UK gives a daily maximum of 24 grams of free sugars for ages 7–10. Free sugars include added sugars and the sugars in juice. That UK amount is a maximum, not a goal to reach.

Picture grams as teaspoons

One teaspoon of sugar weighs about 4 grams. Divide the sugar grams by four.

A fruit drink has 28 grams of sugar in its carton:

That is about seven teaspoons. The teaspoons help you picture the sugar already dissolved in the drink.

Sugar also turns up in cereal, flavored yogurt, sauces, and snack bars. Plain yogurt with berries can give a sweet flavor without added sugar.

Compare drinks

Whole fruit is a better everyday choice than juice. Keep juice small and have it with a meal. The UK example is at most 150 mL a day, about 5 fluid ounces. Adding water makes juice less concentrated, but does not remove sugar if you drink all of it.

A “no added sugar” drink may still contain natural sugar. Diet soda usually has no sugar, but its acid can wear away tooth enamel. Choose water instead.

Your teeth face sugar from more than candy. Juice, honey, sweetened cereal, and flavored milk can all feed bacteria on teeth.

Follow sugar to acid

Plaque is a sticky layer of bacteria on teeth. The bacteria use sugar and make acid. Acid attacks enamel, the hard outer tooth layer. Repeated attacks can lead to cavities, or holes in teeth. A dentist needs to treat them.

Saliva helps wash acid away and repair early damage. An acid attack can last up to about an hour. More sugary bites or sips can keep acid levels high and leave less recovery time.

Compare two afternoons

Owen has a small sweet dessert with lunch, then drinks water during the afternoon. His teeth get time to recover after lunch.

Harper slowly sips sweet tea through the afternoon. Each sip brings more sugar to the bacteria. Even if the drink amount is small, spreading it over hours keeps giving them sugar. Having sweet food or a little juice with a meal reduces separate sugary eating times.

Sticky foods such as gummy candy, toffee, and dried fruit can cling to teeth. The sugar stays available to bacteria longer. How often sugar touches teeth matters as well as how much you eat.

Acid can act another way

Soda, sports drinks, and juice can contain acid already. That acid can wear enamel away directly. This is erosion. Diet soda can cause erosion even without sugar. Tooth decay involves bacteria making acid from sugar; erosion can happen from the drink's own acid.

Build tooth-friendly habits

• Choose water and plain milk for everyday drinks.
• Have sweet foods with meals instead of nibbling them all day.
• Drink some water after a sugary snack.
• Brush twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
• Make bedtime one of those brushing times. Have no sugary food or drink afterward.
• Visit the dentist for checkups.

Fluoride helps protect enamel. Brushing and fewer sugary eating times work together; brushing does not make all-day sipping harmless.

The ingredient list tells you what went into a packaged food. A plain apple has just one ingredient, so it needs no list.

Use the order

Ingredients usually run from greatest to smallest weight. The first is the largest single ingredient. That does not always mean it makes up more than half the food.

Read this cracker list: “whole wheat flour, water, sunflower oil, sugar, salt.” There is more whole wheat flour than any other single ingredient. Sugar is present even though it comes near the end. The list does not tell you its exact weight.

Recognize sugar names

Sugar may appear as cane sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, or syrup. Examples include corn, maple, and rice syrup. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, dextrose, and maltose are sugar names too. Fruit juice concentrate can also be used to sweeten a food.

A bar lists “oats, rice syrup, honey, raisins, oil.” Oats come first, but two separate ingredients are added sugars. Splitting sugars across names can make each appear lower down. You cannot add up their weights from list order; use the nutrition label for amounts.

Check whole-grain claims

Look for “whole wheat flour” or “whole grain oats,” especially near the start. “Wheat flour” or “enriched flour” means refined flour. A brown loaf or the word “multigrain” does not tell you whether the grain parts stayed whole. Multigrain only tells you that more than one kind of grain is used.

Read allergy information

Labels identify common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish. You may see bold words, a “Contains” line, or a “may contain” warning. Someone with a food allergy needs an adult to help check every label, every time. A familiar brand's recipe can change.

Judge the ingredients, not the list length

A soup could list carrots, beans, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and several other vegetables. Its long list can include many useful foods. Look at which ingredients it contains and where sugar or salt appears. Counting the words alone misses that information.

The nutrition table gives amounts for energy and nutrients. In the US it is called the Nutrition Facts label. Before using its numbers, check how much food they describe.

Start with serving size

A serving is the amount used for the label's numbers. One package may hold several servings. It is not an instruction to finish the package or eat exactly that amount.

A tub holds three servings. Each serving has 6 grams of total sugar. To find the whole tub's sugar:

The tub contains 18 grams. That is about four and a half teaspoons because 18 divided by 4 is 4.5. Reading only “6 grams” would miss two servings.

Compare the same amount

Two cereal labels can show different serving sizes. Cereal A has 4 grams of sugar per 20 grams. Cereal B has 6 grams per 40 grams.

To compare 40 grams of each, double Cereal A's numbers. It has 8 grams of sugar per 40 grams; Cereal B has 6. Cereal B has less sugar for the same food amount, even though its printed serving has the bigger sugar number. A “per 100 g” column can make comparisons easier.

Total and added sugar

Total sugars includes natural and added sugars together. When the label also shows added sugars, that number is already inside the total. A yogurt with 10 grams total and 4 grams added has 6 grams from natural sugars. Adding 10 and 4 would count the added sugar twice.

Check salt or sodium and fiber too. One sugar number does not describe everything useful about a food.

Use energy and front signs

Energy may be shown in Calories, kcal, or kilojoules (kJ). One kcal is about 4.2 kJ, so 100 kcal is about 420 kJ. Energy is fuel your body needs.

Countries use different front signs: UK traffic-light colors, Australian and New Zealand Health Star Ratings, Canada's “High in” symbol, or Nutri-Score letters A–E in several European countries. Green means low, amber medium, and red high on UK traffic lights. More health stars indicate a healthier choice among similar foods. Use signs to compare cereal with cereal, not cereal with milk.

Food ads are made to encourage buying. They can appear on TV, in games, in videos, or on food packages. Some are easy to mistake for ordinary entertainment.

Spot what grabs your attention

Cartoon characters, toys, prizes, bright colors, catchy songs, and famous people can make a food appealing. So can “limited edition” or “free gift.” Online, look for “ad,” “sponsored,” or “paid partnership.” These words can show that someone was paid to promote a food.

Enjoying a character or athlete does not tell you what is inside the food. A paid athlete's drink needs the same label check as any other drink.

Check a true claim

A snack says “Made with vegetables.” Its ingredients start “potato flour, oil, salt,” with a little spinach powder later. The claim may be true: it contains some vegetables. It leaves out how much, and the snack is not the same as a side of spinach.

“Natural,” “contains vitamins,” “low fat,” and “no artificial colors” each tell only part of the story. A low-fat food can still have lots of added sugar. Check the ingredients and nutrition table before deciding.

Ask five questions

1. Who made this message?
2. What do they want me to buy or do?
3. What grabs my attention?
4. What useful facts are missing?
5. What do the label and food guide show?

These questions work for a brochure or website too. Your country's health department, a dietitian, doctor, or school nurse can help check food advice. Be wary of “magic” results, a single food claimed to solve everything, or messages telling you to drop a whole food group.

Make a polite choice

Friends and family influence food choices too. You can say, “I'd like water, please,” even when a friend chooses soda. You could suggest a fruit platter for a class event. You do not need to argue about someone else's plate.

Trying different foods makes it easier to find a mix you enjoy. You do not have to love a food the first time you taste it. Tastes change as you grow.

Let your senses help

Choose a new food that is safe for you. If you have an allergy, check it with an adult first. Never taste a food you are allergic to.

Look at the food's shape and color. Smell it, then touch it. Notice sounds when it breaks or crunches. Take a small “learning bite” when you are ready. Describe what you notice.

Your tongue senses five basic tastes:

Texture means how food feels in your mouth. Words such as crunchy, creamy, chewy, smooth, and juicy help you describe it.

Make a small tasting note

Sofia tries a baked slice of zucchini. She writes: “Green edge, soft middle, a little savory.” She is unsure about the soft texture. Next time, her family cooks thin pieces until the edges are crisp. It is the same vegetable with a different texture.

Some people need eight to ten tries, or more, before enjoying a food. You can try a small amount another day. Roasted carrots differ from raw sticks; soup differs from a steamed vegetable. One first taste does not decide every future meal.

Be kind about other people's food

Try saying, “I'm still learning to like it,” or “It's too sour for me.” These words explain your experience without insulting a family's food. Do not tease someone about their lunch.

Foods from many cultures can supply a balanced mix. Dal with rice and spinach, bean tacos with salsa, fish with rice and vegetables, and vegetable noodle dishes all bring groups together. Ask about a family dish and how its ingredients are prepared.

Your body sends clues about eating. Paying attention takes practice, especially when a screen or a busy day grabs your attention.

Learn your body's signals

Hunger can feel like a rumbling or empty tummy. You might feel low on energy, grumpy, or find focusing hard. Fullness can feel like a comfortable tummy. Food may seem less interesting and you may want to slow down.

A simple hunger scale can help you name the feeling:

1. Very hungry
2. Hungry
3. Comfortable
4. Full
5. Uncomfortably stuffed

Try to eat when you are hungry, around 2. Pause when you feel comfortable or full, around 3 or 4. You do not need to reach 5.

Slow down enough to notice

At dinner, Mateo is hungry and takes a helping of stew. He eats slowly and talks with his family. Before taking more, he pauses. His tummy feels comfortably full, so he stops. He asks an adult to save the remaining stew safely.

You do not have to clear a plate after you feel full. You can say, “I've had enough, thank you.” Taking a smaller first helping next time may leave less to save. Turn off screens at meals so you can notice your body's clues and the food's taste.

Notice other reasons for wanting food

An ad can make a snack look appealing even after lunch. Boredom, sadness, worry, or a party can also make you want to eat. Ask yourself how your body feels. If you are not hungry, playing, going outside, or talking with someone may meet the need better.

Regular meals and snacks help you avoid becoming so hungry that slowing down feels hard. Your appetite can change with your day.

Enjoy company

Shared meals give you time to talk and try family foods. You can help set the table or prepare part of dinner. Everyone's needs differ. Keep comments about other people's bodies and plates to yourself.

Before food reaches your plate, people use land, water, energy, and work to produce it. Following its journey helps you see why using food well matters.

From plants and animals to your table

Fruit, grains, vegetables, beans, and nuts are grown. Milk, eggs, and meat come from farm animals. Fish and seafood are caught or farmed. People also hunt or gather wild foods. Hunting, fishing, and gathering are important food traditions for many Indigenous peoples.

Follow a carton of milk: cows are raised on a farm, milk is collected and treated for safety, then packed and transported. A store sells it, and your family keeps it cold at home. Transport and preparation are part of the food's journey too.

Processing changes food

Processing means changing food after harvest or collection. Washing, cutting, grinding, freezing, and canning are kinds of processing. Frozen peas, canned beans, oats, and plain yogurt can all be useful foods.

Highly processed snacks and drinks often have many ingredients, with lots of added sugar, salt, or fat. Packaging alone does not tell you which kind of food is inside. Read what it contains. Frozen vegetables keep nutrients well. Choose canned fruit in water or juice, and vegetables with less salt.

Notice place and season

Local food is produced near you. Seasonal food is harvested during its natural growing season there. The two words mean different things. A nearby greenhouse may grow a crop outside its usual outdoor season.

Harvest times depend on place. Apples are commonly picked in North America around September and October. In Australia and New Zealand, many apples are picked from February to May. Local, seasonal food often travels a shorter distance.

Save food and the work behind it

Take a first helping you expect to eat; you can have more. Plan meals and a shopping list with an adult. Use oddly shaped produce that is safe to eat. Chill suitable leftovers for another meal. Compost suitable peels and scraps. A garden can help you learn how food grows.

A class finds six unopened yogurts left after lunch. They plan a way to keep unwanted, safely chilled yogurts available for later, following school rules. Counting again shows whether the plan reduces waste.

Choosing more plant foods helps too. Beans and lentils generally need less land and water to produce than beef.