Carbohydrate nutrition Facts

• Carbohydrates are chemical compounds that are made up of oxygen, hydrogen andcarbon.
• Carbohydrates can be divided into 4 chemical groupings; monosaccharides and disaccharides (simple carbohydrates often referred to as sugars), as well as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates).
• Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy (calories) and are a key fuel source for exercise and sport.
• Carbs are easily digested and are broken down into glucose, which the body then uses to do its various tasks. Protein and fat on the other hand, are more difficult energy sources to digest and are needed to build tissues and cells in the body.
• Carbohydrates are where most of our daily energy intake should come from, but our bodies have a limit. Too many carbs and the body will covert the extra to fat.
• Most food items we consume contain carbohydrates. All fruit and vegetables, all breads, grains and cereal products are carbohydrates as well as sugars and sugary foods.
• Some foods have more carbohydrates in them than others, pasta, bread, rice, milk,potatoes, baked goods, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and popcorn are all high in carbohydrates.
• Starch is the most common carbohydrate in the typical diet of a human being.Potatoes, rice, wheat and corn all contain large amounts of starch.
• Carbohydrates are not all alike. Man-made refined carbs act differently in our bodies compared with more natural complex carbs.

• Processed, man-made carbs offer little in terms of nutrition and are broken down, digested and used very fast by our bodies. Eating these carbs will give a temporary burst of energy, but soon after we feel tired or hungry again. Refined carbs, are found in foods such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, sugar, cookies, cakes, and fruit juices which require a number of processing steps in their manufacture.
• More natural complex carbs on the other hand are loaded with nutrients like fiber,vitamins and minerals. These carbs do not cause the same spike in blood sugar levels, our body breaks them down and digests them much slower, so we feel full for longer. Non-manufactured foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain breads, cereals, pastas and brown rice are all healthy natural carbs.
• It is possible for humans to live healthy lives while eating very low levels of carbohydrates, because our bodies can convert proteins into carbohydrates.

Corn nutrition Facts for Kids

• Corn is called maize by most countries, this comes from the Spanish word ‘maiz’.
• Corn is a cereal crop that is part of the grass family.
• An ear or cob of corn is actually part of the flower and an individual kernel is a seed.
• On average an ear of corn has 800 kernels in 16 rows.
• Corn will always have an even number of rows on each cob.
• A bushel is a unit of measure for volumes of dry commodities such as shelled corn kernels. 1 Bushel of corn is equal to 8 gallons.
• With the exception of Antarctica, corn is produced on every continent in the world.
• There are over 3,500 different uses for corn products.
• As well as being eaten by the cob, corn is also processed and used as a major component in many food items like cereals, peanut butter, potato chips, soups, marshmallows, ice cream, baby food, cooking oil, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, and chewing gum.
• Juices and soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain corn sweeteners. A bushel of corn can sweeten 400 cans of soft drink.

• Corn and its by products are also found in many non-food items such as fireworks, rust preventatives, glue, paint, dyes, laundry detergent, soap, aspirin, antibiotics, paint, shoe polish, ink, cosmetics, the manufacturing of photographic film, and in the production of plastics.
• Corn is also used as feeding fodder for livestock and poultry and found in domesticpet food.
• As of 2012, the United States produces 40% of the worlds total harvest making it the biggest maize producer in the world (273,832,130 tonnes produced in 2012).
• An area termed the "Corn Belt" in the US where growing conditions are ideal includes the states of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky.
• In the days of the early settlers to North America corn was so valuable that it was used as money and traded for other products such as meat and furs.
• Corn is now a completely domesticated plant so you're unlikely to find it growing in the wild.
• Corn can be produced in various colors including blackish, bluish-gray, purple, green, red, white and the most common yellow

Strawberry nutrition Facts for Kids

• Strawberries come from a plant called ‘fragaria’.
• Strawberries are edible (and rather tasty) but technically they are receptacles (the thickened part of a stem) rather than berries.
• Making things even more confusing, the little hard pieces that appear to be seeds on a strawberry are actually a type of dry fruit (called achene)....that contain their own seeds!
• When ripe, strawberries are bright red, juicy and very sweet.
• Strawberries have lots of vitamin C.
• Strawberry plants decline in quality and production after a few years so are typically replanted.
• Strawberries are picked with part of the stem still attached.

• Unlike some other fruits, they don’t continue to ripen after being picked.
• A large number of different pests, such as slugs and fruit flies, like to feed on strawberries.
• They are also susceptible to a number of diseases, especially those of the fungal variety.
• Strawberries survive in a range of conditions and will grow happily in most places around the world.
• Strawberries are eaten in a number of different ways including fresh, dried, as a jam, in a drink or even in a muesli bar.
• Strawberry is also a popular artificial flavor added to a variety of foods.

Orange nutrition Facts for Kids

• The orange is a citrus fruit and is a hybrid of the pomelo and mandarin.
• Oranges have been grown since ancient times and originated in Southeast Asia.
• As of 2010, Brazil grows one third of all the world’s oranges.
• California and Florida are large producers of oranges in the US.
• Around 85% of all oranges produced are used for juice.
• Marmalade is orange jam.
• Oranges have a high amount of vitamin C.
• Oranges are domesticated so you are unlikely to find them growing naturally in the wild.
• Because oranges do not spoil easily and are full of vitamin C during the years of world exploration sailors planted orange and other citrus trees along trade routes to prevent scurvy which is a disease that develops from a deficiency of vitamin C.
• It is believed that Christopher Columbus was the first to bring orange seeds to America during his second voyage to the region in 1493.
• There are now over 600 varieties of oranges worldwide.

• There are typically ten segments inside an orange.
• Ideal conditions for growing oranges are in sub-tropical areas that have good amounts of sunshine yet moderate to warm temperatures (15.5°C - 29°C (60°F - 84 °F).
• Orange peel can be used by gardeners to sprinkle over vegetables as a slug repellent.
• The white orange blossom, is the state flower of Florida. It is highly fragrant and has long been used in weddings as cake decoration, in bridal bouquets and in head wreaths. The blossom essence is an important component in the making of perfume and the petals can also be made into "orange blossom/flower water".

Pineapple nutrition Facts for Kids

• The pineapple plant is a tropical fruit that is indigenous to South America. Originally coming from the area between southern Brazil and Paraguay.
• The pineapple spread throughout South America, the Caribbean, Central America andMexico, where it was cultivated by the Mayas and the Aztecs. Columbus came across the pineapple in 1493 and took it back to Europe.
• The word 'pineapple' was recorded in 1398 to describe 'pine cones'. It was not until 1694 that pine cones were first called pine cones. On arrival to the Americas,European explorers called the tropical fruit pineapples around 1664 because they resembled the pine cone.
• An individual pineapple can take over two years to grow, although they are usually picked slightly earlier than this.
• The most famous pineapple entrepreneur was James Dole who moved to Hawaii and started a pineapple plantation in 1900, just after John Kidwell first introduced a pineapple industry to Hawaii. 'Dole' is still a major company in the pineapple industry today.
• The top of a pineapple, after cleaning and drying, can be planted in soil and a new plant will grow.
• When growing its fruit the pineapple plant produces over 200 flowers varying in  colorfrom lavender, through to light purple and red. The individual scale like fruits of these flowers then join together to create the pineapple.

• The individual fruit segments of a pineapple interlock in two helices, 8 in one direction, 13 in the other, each of which is a Fibonacci number.
• Pineapple flesh and juice is used in many cuisines throughout the world, it is often cooked, eaten raw or canned in its juices as chunks or cored slices. It is a commonly used fruit for fruit salads and eaten with dairy desserts such as ice cream and yogurt. It is also used in Asian stir fry's such as sweet and sour pork or as a topping on pizzas such as the Hawaiian pizza.
• Most tropical countries sell pineapple on roadsides as a snack either whole or halved.Pineapple juice is also a popular tropical drink and it is the main ingredient in the Piña colada cocktail.
• The skins, core and ends of a pineapple are not discarded in pineapple canneries but instead used to make a number of products such as vinegar, alcohol and animal food.
• Raw pineapple can be a great source of manganese and vitamin C. Also bromelain is an enzyme that breaks down protein and is present in raw pineapple making the fruit useful as a digestive aid and an effective anti-inflammatory.
• High bromelain content also makes raw pineapple juice helpful as a meat marinade and tenderizer.
• As of 2009, the Southeast Asian countries of the Philippines and Thailand were the top two producers of pineapple in the world followed by Costa Rica.

Banana nutrition Facts for Kids

• Bananas are the fruit produced by various banana plants.
• When rip they are usually long and curved with a soft inside covered by a yellow skin(peel).
• Bananas can be found in other colors, including red.
• Banana plants are not trees, they are a type of herb.
• Humans have grown bananas for thousands of years.
• Most species of banana plant originated in Southeast Asia.
• Bananas grow in large, hanging bunches.
• A row of bananas is sometimes called a 'hand', while a single banana is called a 'finger'.
• The average banana weighs around 125 grams.
• Bananas contain around 75% water.
• Bananas have high nutritional value and are a healthy snack.
• The Gros Michel banana was a popular variety before crops were destroyed by Panama disease in the 1950's. Panama disease attacks the roots of banana plants.
• The most popular type of banana sold in stores these days is the Cavendish banana, it is resistant to the strain of Panama disease that effectively wiped out the Gros Michel banana but there are concerns that it too may eventually suffer a similar fate.
• Lady Finger bananas are small, sweet and have relatively thin skins.
• Plantains are harder and contain less sugar than normal bananas, they are often used in cooking.
• Wild bananas grow with large, hard seeds.
• India is the leading producer of bananas.
• Bananas sent overseas are picked green and ripened under special conditions when they reach their destination.

• Fibre taken from banana plants can be used to make clothes.
• Bananas contain a lot of potassium, making them more radioactive than other fruits. You don't need to worry though as this naturally occurring radiation has very little effect on the body. Other foods rich in potassium include potatoes, beans, seeds and nuts.

Apple nutrition Facts for Kids

• Apples are the fruit of apple trees and are one of the most widely grown tree fruit.
• Millions of tonnes of apples are grown every year.
• There are thousands of different varieties of apples including Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious,Golden Delicious, Pink Lady and Granny Smith.
• Granny Smith apples originated in Australia in 1868 accidentally after a chance seedling by a woman named Maria Ann Smith.
• While most apples are eaten fresh, they have other uses including juice making andcooking.
• The apple tree originated in Central Asia.
• China is the leading producer of apples.

• Apples were taken to North America by European settlers.
• Apple trees can be vulnerable to a number of different diseases and pests. Chemicalsprays are often used to limit the damage but organic methods are also popular.
• Honey bees are commonly used to pollinate apple trees.
• Apple trees typically blossom in spring with fruit maturing in autumn.
• Apple seeds contain a cyanide compound. Our body can handle small doses of this naturally occurring poison so you'd have to eat a huge number of seeds for it to have an effect, and even then the seeds are covered in a protective coating which keeps the cyanide compound safe inside.
• An average apple contains around 130 calories.
• It is believed that the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" originated inWales in the 19th century. Sadly eating apples doesn't guarantee good health but they do have nutritional value and potential health benefits.
• The apple genome was decoded in 2010.