Food gives energy

In your book, a teacher asks the class if they ate breakfast. Everyone says yes! Then she asks them to stand, stretch, jump and run in place. 'How are you able to move?' she asks. 'Because of energy,' they reply.

When we do not eat, we may feel tired. When we eat, we feel active and ready to play. That is because the food we eat gives us the energy we need. Even our brain uses energy — while we sit, sleep or think.

Animals need energy too — a dog to run, a bird to fly, a fish to swim, and all of them to find food and protect themselves. They get it from food, just like us. Food is the source of energy for all living things.

Our body also stores energy for later. That is why we can still walk or run even if we skip a meal: the body uses its stored energy. Batteries, like the ones in a torch or a toy, also contain stored energy.