But it does much more for us than gasoline does for an automobile. No one expects his automobile to get bigger because he keeps putting gasoline in it. He does not expect the gasoline to mend a punctured tire, either. But our food makes us grow, and it furnishes the materials we have to have to mend cut fingers and broken bones. Food also gives us materials that make our bodies run in just the right way.
Getting the food we need does not mean the same thing as getting enough food. Sugar, for instance, is good food. It gives us a great deal of energy. But we could not live on pure sugar. It does not have any building materials in it. It makes us go but not grow. We need food for so many different kinds of things that we have to have many different kinds of foods. Milk is sometimes called a perfect food. Actually it is a perfect food only for little babies. But it is one of the foods all growing boys and girls should have.
Some of the foods we eat are especially good for us because they have vitamins in them. Vitamins are marvelous substances that help keep our bodies working as they should. We get many of the vitamins we need from fruits and vegetables.
Some of the foods we eat are especially good for us because they have minerals we need in them. Some minerals are necessary for building strong bones and strong teeth. Cereals are one of the kinds of foods that furnish the minerals we need.
Meat and eggs are good for building muscles. They are good "grow" foods. A person should know the kinds of foods he needs and how much he should eat of each.
