Why Does Mom Pack Me Broccoli?

1/26/2022 8:40:14 PM
Image: dietetist.com

Do you know?

  • A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
  • Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet. A healthy diet comprises a combination of different foods.

Let's explore more about a healthy diet!

Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:

Listen and complete the passage.

immune mainly balanced
minerals disappointment  


We’ve all had lunchbox . You open your lunchbox hoping for a bag of chips, a can of soda, and a slice of leftover pizza. Instead, you find the worst. You have a whole-wheat sandwich of cold cuts, an apple, and a small salad. Your parents say this kind of food is good for you. But what does that even mean?

Well, your parents pick out your food for a reason (and it’s not to disappoint you). Eating a diet is important. Our government even tells us to do so. They want half of what we eat to be fruits and vegetables. They want one quarter to be grains, such as bread and rice. The last quarter should be proteins. We get proteins from meat. If you eat a balanced diet, you’re on your way to being healthy! 

What does it mean to be healthy? Well, healthy means a lot of things. You’ll probably think of good health as not being sick. That’s definitely one part. By eating healthy, you improve your system. This helps you fight off germs, so you’ll be sick less often. You are also less likely to have serious health issues, such as heart disease, later on in life. 

But wait—there’s more! Eating a balanced diet means that you get all the vitamins and you need to grow tall and strong. Certain vitamins, like Vitamin A, help you see clearly and in bright colors! Vitamin C keeps your muscles healthy, and Vitamin D keeps your bones and teeth hard and strong. You can make sure you get enough vitamins by eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

Read and answer the following questions.

Why Does Mom Pack Me Broccoli?

Written by Marvin Ferraz 

A list of foods to improve the immune system. Image: pinterest.com

We’ve all had lunchbox disappointment. You open your lunchbox hoping for a bag of chips, a can of soda, and a slice of leftover pizza. Instead, you find the worst. You have a whole-wheat sandwich of cold cuts, an apple, and a small salad. Your parents say this kind of food is good for you. But what does that even mean?

Well, your parents pick out your food for a reason (and it’s not to disappoint you). Eating a balanced diet is important. Our government even tells us to do so. They want half of what we eat to be fruits and vegetables. They want one quarter to be grains, such as bread and rice. The last quarter should be proteins. We mainly get proteins from meat. If you eat a balanced diet, you’re on your way to being healthy! 

What does it mean to be healthy? Well, healthy means a lot of things. You’ll probably think of good health as not being sick. That’s definitely one part. By eating healthy, you improve your immune system. This helps you fight off germs, so you’ll be sick less often. You are also less likely to have serious health issues, such as heart disease, later on in life. 

But wait—there’s more! Eating a balanced diet means that you get all the vitamins and minerals you need to grow tall and strong. Certain vitamins, like Vitamin A, help you see clearly and in bright colors! Vitamin C keeps your muscles healthy, and Vitamin D keeps your bones and teeth hard and strong. You can make sure you get enough vitamins by eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

Source: Mobymax Reading Stories G3.0-3.3

According to the passage, fruits and vegetables should account for _____ of our diet.

  • 20%
  • 30%
  • 40%
  • 50%

Which kind of vitamins helps to strengthen your vision?

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin C

How can you get enough vitamins for your body?

  • By eating bread and rice
  • By eating fruits and vegetables
  • By eating poultry meat
  • By eating whole-wheat sandwich

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

  • Eating healthy enhances your immune system.
  • Proteins should account for 25% of your diet.
  • Your parents pick out your food by chance.
  • A balanced diet contributes to a healthy life.

What is the main idea of the passage?

  • It doesn't matter what you eat when you're young.
  • Junk food like pizza or soda is unhealthy.
  • It is important to eat right in order to be healthy.
  • Kids hate eating vegetables like broccoli.

Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms

She was _____ from dozens of applicants for the job.

  • picked up
  • picked on
  • picked out
  • picked apart

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in a bracket. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given. Do not change the word given

He's about to establish himself among the top ten players in the world. (WAY)

=> He’s himself among the top ten players in the world.

That meeting really gave me food for _____ - I might invest in their company after all.

  • point
  • thought
  • idea
  • opinion

Rearrange the words in the correct order to make a complete sentence.