fbpx

KidsKonnect

Food Groups Facts & Worksheets

Each of us, regardless of age, needs a balanced and healthy diet. This ensures that we get all the micro and macro nutrients the body needs to develop and function efficiently.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Science /Health /Food Groups Facts & Worksheets

Premium
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Each of us, regardless of age, needs a balanced and healthy diet. This ensures that we get all the micro and macro nutrients the body needs to develop and function efficiently. Our diet must include fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, dairy, and a little bit of oil.

See the fact file below for more information on Food Groups, or you can download our 27-page Food Groups worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

FOOD GROUPS AND EATING HEALTHY

  • Whether you are a child, an adolescent, or even an adult, eating healthy is essential in ensuring your body grows and develops healthily. Eating healthy ensures that all nutrients needed will be supplied to our body.
  • What does a balanced and healthy diet look like? The nutrient requirement might differ for each age group, but we all need to include the five food groups in our diets: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Oil is also essential but only in small amounts.
  • Tracking the number of macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, might be overwhelming and challenging.  
  • Thus, classifying different types of food into food groups that contain similar kinds of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals is helpful in making sure that we eat healthily.

FRUITS

  • Adding color to our diet is very important and one way to do this is by incorporating fruits into our meals. 
  • Fruits provide us with vitamins such as Vitamins A and C. It also provides us with antioxidants and nutrients such as potassium and folic acid. Fruits, specifically whole fruits, are also a good source of fiber.
  • Due to the various nutrients, vitamins, and minerals fruits provide, it helps reduce an individual’s risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.
  • Eating fruits is also linked to improving heart health, as potassium helps maintain blood pressure.
  • Fruits rich in potassium include bananas, prunes, jackfruit, guava, kiwifruit, prune juice, and orange juice, to name a few.
  • Fruits are also rich in dietary fiber, which is known to improve blood cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. Fruits, whole or cut, are also necessary for proper bowel function.
  • Citruses, such as oranges, kiwis, strawberries, and tomatoes, are a good source of vitamin C. This vitamin must be taken daily as it is water-soluble and is not stored well by our cells.
  • Vitamin C is essential for the growth and repair of cells. It contains antioxidants needed to repair the damage done by free radicals. 
  • The daily recommended intake of fruits varies depending on one’s age, sex, height and weight, and even physical activity. 
  • Fruits can be consumed as whole, cut, or juice. It is also recommended that whole fruits should make up at least half of your daily recommended fruit intake.
  • Table 1 shows the recommended daily intake of fruits for each age group.
Table 1

VEGETABLES

  • Just like fruits, vegetables also add color to our meals. Like fruits, vegetables are also good sources of potassium, fiber, folic acid, vitamins A, E, and C, and phytonutrients or antioxidants.
  • As vegetables provide mainly the same nutrients as fruits, it has the same effects on our body. It helps reduce risks for cardiovascular diseases, lowers blood cholesterol levels, regulates bowel function, and even helps in the growth and repair of cells.
  • Vegetables are divided into subgroups: dark green, red, and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and others.
  • This classification is based on the similarities in nutrients each subgroup provides.
  • Dark green vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli, bok choy, and cilantro are good sources of vitamins A, C, E, and K, folate, carotenoids-antioxidants, and dietary fiber. 
  • It is also a good source of iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
  • Red-orange vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, acorn squash, and many more are good sources of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber.
  • Vitamin A is helpful in maintaining healthy skin, teeth, and good vision. 
  • Beans, peas, and lentils, also known as pulses or legumes, have nutrients similar to that of the other vegetable subgroups and the protein group.
  • Like the other vegetable subgroups, legumes are good sources of folate, fiber, and potassium. Therefore, they are also necessary for ensuring proper bowel function and maintaining cardiovascular health.
  • Legumes also contain nutrients similar to the protein group and can be additional sources of protein, iron, and zinc.
  • If your diet is mainly composed of vegetables or plant-based foods, you can consider legumes as a source of protein.
  • Pulses or legumes include black beans, mung beans, edamame, soybeans, hummus, and kidney beans.
  • Meanwhile, green peas and lima beans are classified as starchy.
  • The starchy subgroup mainly provides us with carbohydrates and fiber. It also has high-calorie content. Thus, it is important that we control our consumption of vegetables like potatoes, corn, cassava, taro roots, and yam.
  • The last subgroup of vegetables, others, are rich in different types of nutrients and therefore cannot be classified under the other subgroups with more specific nutritional content.
  • The other vegetables include artichokes, cabbage, okra, cucumbers, celery, and more.
  • Eating a variety of vegetables is also necessary.
  • Table 2 shows the recommended daily intake of vegetables for each age group.
Table 2

GRAINS

  • Food made from wheat, oats, barley, rice, and corn are members of the grains group. This has two subgroups: whole and refined.
  • Whole grains did not undergo the milling process and still contain all their parts: bran, germ, and endosperm.
  • Whole grains have more nutritional content than refined grains, which have been milled, thus having no bran or germ.
  • The removal of bran and germ from a grain removes its dietary fiber, iron, selenium, magnesium, and B vitamins. 
  • Whole grains such as whole-wheat flour, brown rice, and oatmeal are necessary for proper bowel function, in preventing coronary heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer.
  • Table 3 shows the recommended daily intake of grains for each age group.
Table 3

PROTEINS

  • Protein foods provide us not just with proteins but also with B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium. This food group also provides us with calories along with fats and carbohydrates.
  • Protein foods are essential as it serves as the building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and even blood. Our hormones, enzymes, and vitamins are also made up of protein.
  • B vitamins are necessary for building tissues, releasing energy, and forming red blood cells. Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, a protein that helps bind oxygen gas to blood.
  • Magnesium aids in building bones and supporting muscle function. Lastly, zinc provides support to our immune system.
  • The sources of protein vary from meat, poultry, seafood, and even vegetables. 
  • Having variation in our protein intake is necessary as each protein source provides different vitamins and minerals.
  • For vegetarians, consuming protein foods is not a problem since beans, peas, and lentils are also members of the vegetable group. Eggs and soy products can also be consumed by vegetarians.
  • Table 4 shows the recommended daily intake of proteins for each age group.
Table 4

DAIRY

  • Milk, cheese, and yogurt make up the dairy food group. This food group mainly provides the body with calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B12, and D. It also provides us with zinc, choline, magnesium, riboflavin, and more.
  • Dairy products such as cream cheese, sour cream, cream, and butter contain low amounts of calcium but are high in fat and are not considered part of the dairy food group.
  • Plant-based milk such as almonds, oat, rice, and coconut contains calcium but is not considered dairy food. This is because they do not have the same nutritional content as those found in the dairy food group.
  • Consuming foods from the dairy group is essential as it provides calcium, vitamin D, and protein necessary for building bones and teeth.
  • This food group helps prevent osteoporosis, a disease wherein bone strength is decreased, resulting in increased chances of fractures.
  • The dairy group is also a good source of vitamin D which is necessary for maintaining levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body, which are necessary for sustaining bone health.
  • Cardiovascular health can also be improved by consuming enough amounts of dairy foods as it is also a good source of potassium and vitamin B12.
  • Moreover, consuming yogurt, which contains probiotics, can improve our gut health as it can enhance the good bacteria in our intestinal tract.
  • Table 5 shows the recommended daily intake of dairy for each age group.
Table 5

MALNUTRITION

  • Consuming the daily recommended intake of various nutrients needed by the body is essential in making sure that the body grows, develops, and functions properly.
  • Having a healthy diet is necessary for preventing all forms of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
  • Malnutrition is characterized by a deficiency or excess of the nutrients needed by the body. Overnutrition and undernutrition are both forms of malnutrition.
  • Overnutrition takes place when an individual consumes more than what is needed by the body.
  • As a result, body fat accumulates which becomes a risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
  • Meanwhile, malnutrition is when an individual consumes less than what is needed by the body. Forms of undernutrition include kwashiorkor and marasmus.
  • Kwashiorkor is a condition wherein an individual has severe protein deficiency. This is due to having a diet that mainly consists of carbohydrate-rich foods. Meanwhile, marasmus is a condition wherein an individual has both protein and calorie deficiency. 
  • Malnutrition is not just a matter of making healthy choices but also of food security. According to World Bank, food security means that all people at all times have access, physically and economically, to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs to maintain an active and healthy life.

Food Groups Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Food Groups across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Food Groups. Each of us, regardless of age, needs a balanced and healthy diet. This ensures that we get all the micro and macro nutrients the body needs to develop and function efficiently. Our diet must include fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, dairy, and a little bit of oil.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Food Groups Facts
  2. Word Search
  3. Fact or Bluff
  4. Classifying Foods
  5. The Essentials
  6. Healthy Plate
  7. My Diet
  8. Body Mass Index
  9. Food Security
  10. Food and Medicine
  11. A Call For Action

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the five food groups?

The five food groups are fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy (or non-dairy alternatives). These groups make up the components of a healthy and balanced diet and provide a variety of essential nutrients.

Why is it important to eat from each food group?

Eating from each food group helps ensure that you are getting a balanced and varied diet that provides all of the essential nutrients your body needs. Each food group provides different nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein that are important for maintaining good health.

How much of each food group should you eat?

The amount of each food group you should eat depends on several factors such as age, sex, and physical activity level. Generally, it is recommended to aim for a balanced plate at each meal, with half of your plate consisting of fruits and vegetables, one-quarter of grains, and one-quarter of protein foods. The recommended daily servings for each food group may vary depending on individual needs.

What are some examples of foods in each food group?

Some examples of foods in each food group include:

  • Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, berries, grapes
  • Vegetables: spinach, broccoli, carrots, peppers, tomatoes
  • Grains: bread, pasta, rice, oats, quinoa
  • Protein foods: meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts
  • Dairy (or non-dairy alternatives): milk, cheese, yogurt, soy milk, almond milk

Are all foods created equal within each food group?

No, not all foods are created equal within each food group. For example, some fruits and vegetables are more nutrient-dense than others, and some grains are more whole and less processed than others. It is important to choose a variety of foods within each food group to ensure you are getting a variety of nutrients. For example, choosing whole grains instead of refined grains, and lean protein sources instead of processed meats.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Food Groups Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 11, 2023

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources