Chapter 1: Food and Your Body

Chapter Introduction

Hi. I am the Bear.

I teach about food. Food is one of the most important things in your life. You eat food every day. Your body uses that food to do everything you do — to run, to play, to learn, to laugh, to grow.

This is the first time you and I are talking about food together. We will keep talking as you grow up. There is a lot to learn. We will take our time.

In this chapter, you will learn three big ideas.

The first big idea is what food really is. Some food grew in the ground. Some food came from animals. Some food was made in a factory. You will learn to notice the difference.

The second big idea is why food matters. Your body is busy all the time. Your heart is beating right now. Your brain is reading these words. Food gives your body the power to do all of that.

The third big idea is the most important one. Your body sends you signals about food, and the trusted grown-ups in your life help you understand them. You and your grown-ups work together. You are never alone with food choices. Not now, not ever.

You are eight or nine years old. That is the perfect age to start learning these ideas. Are you ready? Let's go.

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Lesson 1.1: What Is Food?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Name what real food is and give five examples
• Name what factory food is and give three examples
• Tell where real food comes from (plants and animals)
• Notice the difference between real food and factory food in your kitchen
• Understand that people have been eating real food for a very, very long time

Key Terms

Picture This

Picture an apple.

A real apple grew on a tree. The tree had roots in the ground. The roots took in water. The leaves took in sunlight. Slowly, over weeks, the apple grew. Then someone picked it. Now it is in your hand.

That apple is real food. It came from a plant.

Now picture a candy bar in a shiny wrapper. The candy bar did not grow on a tree. It was made in a factory. People mixed sugar, oil, milk powder, and other things in a big machine. Then they wrapped each bar in plastic. Then a truck brought the bars to a store.

That candy bar is factory food. It was made by machines.

Both things are food. But they are very different.

Where Real Food Comes From

Real food comes from two places. Plants and animals.

Plants give us:

• Vegetables, like carrots, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes
• Fruits, like apples, bananas, oranges, berries, melons, and pears
• Nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and sunflower seeds
• Beans, like black beans, pinto beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Whole grains, like rice, oats, wheat, and corn

Animals give us:

• Meat, like beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and turkey
• Fish, like salmon, tuna, cod, and sardines
• Eggs, from chickens, ducks, and other birds
• Milk and things made from milk, like cheese, yogurt, and butter

These are real foods. They have been food for as long as people have been people.

That is a long, long time. Picture a line of grown-ups, each one holding the hand of the next, going all the way back. Thousands of grown-ups, holding hands, going back through time. All of them ate real food. They had no factories. They had no shiny wrappers. They picked food from plants and got food from animals. Your body is built to use real food because real food is what people have always eaten [1, 2].

That does not mean factory food is bad. It just means factory food is new. Real food has been around forever.

What Factory Food Looks Like

Factory food is made by machines in big buildings. It often comes in a box, a bag, a can, or a wrapper. It often has many ingredients on the back of the package. Some of the ingredients are long words you may never have seen before.

Some factory foods are:

• Candy and chocolate bars
• Soda and sweet drinks
• Chips and crunchy snacks
• Cookies and cake from a box or a bag
• Frozen pizza
• Sugary breakfast cereal
• Ice cream and frozen treats

Factory food is not bad. People all over the world eat some factory food. But the Bear wants you to notice it. When you can tell the difference between real food and factory food, you are using your brain. You are learning. You are seeing what is really there.

A note: some foods are sort of in between. A loaf of bread from a bakery is mostly real food, but a machine helped bake it. A jar of peanut butter is mostly peanuts, but a factory made the jar. You do not have to sort every food perfectly. Just notice. That is enough.

The Bear's Reminder

Real food is not "good food." Factory food is not "bad food." The Bear does not talk that way. Food is not good or bad like a kid is not good or bad. Food is just what it is.

The Bear teaches you to see what kind of food you are eating. Once you can see it, you have learned something important. The trusted grown-ups in your life will help you figure out what to do with what you see.

Lesson Check

1. What is real food?
2. What is factory food?
3. Name three foods that come from plants.
4. Name three foods that come from animals.
5. Why does the Bear say "real food has been around forever"?

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Lesson 1.2: Why Food Matters to Your Body

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Explain that food gives your body energy to play, learn, and grow
• Name four big jobs food does in your body
• Match four kinds of food to the job each one helps with
• Tell why your brain needs food
• Notice that different foods do different jobs

Key Terms

A Quick Bear Story

When I am hungry, I notice it. My belly tells me. I get a little slower. I think about food. Then I eat. After I eat, I feel strong again. I can move. I can think.

Your body works the same way.

Your body is busy all the time. Right now, while you are reading, your heart is beating. Your lungs are breathing in and out. Your brain is reading these words. Your bones are growing. Your hair is growing. Your fingernails are growing. All of that work needs power.

Food gives you that power. That power has a name. It is called energy.

The Car and the Plant

Picture a car. A car needs gas to go. With no gas, the car will not move. The gas gives the car the power it needs.

Picture a plant. A plant needs water and sunlight to live. With no water, the plant will dry up. The water and sunlight give the plant what it needs.

Your body needs food the same way [3, 4]. Food gives your body energy. With no food, your body would get tired and would not work right. That is why you eat. That is why every person you have ever met eats. Food is how your body gets its energy.

But food does more than give you energy. Food has four big jobs.

Job 1 — Food Gives You Energy

Every time you run, jump, climb, dance, or even walk to school, your body burns energy. The food you eat is where that energy comes from.

This is why kids feel hungry. You play hard. You learn hard. Your body uses energy fast. So your body asks for more food.

Foods that give you good steady energy include:

• Whole grains like oats, brown rice, and whole-grain bread
• Fruits like bananas, apples, and berries
• Vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas
• Beans and lentils

These foods have carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are how your body gets energy fast [5, 6].

Job 2 — Food Helps You Grow

You are still growing. Your bones are getting longer. Your muscles are getting bigger. Your brain is getting smarter. Even your skin and hair and nails keep growing.

To grow new parts of your body, you need protein.

Protein is in:

• Meat, like chicken, beef, and turkey
• Fish, like salmon and tuna
• Eggs
• Beans and lentils
• Milk, cheese, and yogurt
• Nuts and seeds

Without enough protein, your body cannot build new parts well [7, 8]. The Bear wants you to know that growing kids need plenty of protein. Your trusted grown-ups know how much your body needs.

Job 3 — Food Helps Your Brain Work

Your brain is doing a lot. Right now your brain is reading these words. It is thinking about what they mean. It is remembering things you read on other pages. Your brain is doing math, even when you are not in math class. It is keeping you breathing without you having to think about it.

Your brain needs food. The brain uses a kind of food called healthy fat to build itself and to keep working well [9].

You can find healthy fats in:

• Fish, like salmon, sardines, and tuna
• Avocados
• Nuts, like walnuts and almonds
• Seeds, like flax seeds and chia seeds
• Olive oil and butter
• Eggs

Your brain also uses some carbohydrates for quick energy. So fruits and whole grains help your brain too. The brain is hungry. Feed it real food and it works better.

Job 4 — Food Keeps Your Body Healthy

Inside your body, there are very tiny helpers called vitamins. Vitamins keep your body running well. There are many different vitamins. Each one has a different job.

• Vitamin C helps you heal cuts and fight off colds. It is in oranges, strawberries, peppers, and broccoli.
• Vitamin A helps your eyes see. It is in carrots, sweet potatoes, eggs, and leafy greens.
• Vitamin D helps your bones get strong. It is in fish and eggs, and your body even makes some when you are outside in the sunshine.
• The B vitamins help your body turn food into energy. They are in meat, eggs, beans, and whole grains.

You do not need to remember every vitamin. You just need to know that real foods have lots of vitamins. Fruits and vegetables are full of them. Meat, fish, eggs, and milk have them too. When you eat many different real foods, you get many different vitamins [10].

Different Foods Do Different Jobs

Here is the big idea of this lesson:

Different foods do different jobs. That is why people eat many kinds of food. Not just one kind.

If you ate only apples, you would get some vitamins and some quick energy, but not much protein for growing.

If you ate only chicken, you would get a lot of protein, but not many vitamins or quick energy from carbohydrates.

If you ate only ice cream, you would get a little energy but not much else.

Your body is happiest when it gets a mix. A little of this. A little of that. Real food from plants. Real food from animals. Many colors. Many flavors. That is how people have eaten for a very, very long time, and your body is built to do well on that kind of mix.

Lesson Check

1. What does the word energy mean?
2. Name two foods that have a lot of protein.
3. What kind of food does your brain need to work well?
4. What is a vitamin?
5. Why does the Bear say "different foods do different jobs"?

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Lesson 1.3: Listening to Your Body and to the Grown-Ups You Trust

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Name the two main signals your body sends about food (hunger and fullness)
• Explain why these signals are helpful most of the time
• Name three trusted grown-ups you can talk to about food
• Say what to do if you ever feel worried or weird about food
• Understand that food is something you do with your family, not alone

Key Terms

A Quick Bear Story

When I am hungry, my belly tells me. I notice the feeling. Then I eat. When I have had enough, my body tells me that too. I notice that feeling. Then I stop eating. Then I go do something else.

Your body talks to you in the same way. The Bear wants you to learn how to listen.

Your Body Sends Signals

Right now your body is sending signals to your brain about lots of things. If your hand touched something hot, your brain would get a signal that said "ouch, pull back." If you stood up too fast, your brain might get a dizzy signal that said "slow down." These signals help you take care of yourself.

Food has signals too. There are two big ones.

Hunger. This is the signal that says, "I need food." Your belly might feel empty. You might feel a little tired. You might think about food. You might get cranky. All of these can be hunger signals. Hunger is your body asking for fuel [11].

Fullness. This is the signal that says, "I have had enough food for now." Your belly feels comfortable. You feel calm. You stop thinking about food. You are ready to go do the next thing. That is fullness.

Both signals are helpful. They have been helping people for a very long time. Your body knows what it is doing.

Sometimes Signals Get Mixed Up

Most of the time, hunger and fullness signals work well. But sometimes they get a little mixed up. That is normal. The Bear wants you to know this so you do not get worried when it happens.

Here are some times when signals can feel mixed up:

• When you are really sad or really excited, you might not feel hungry even though your body needs food.
• When you are at a party with lots of treats, you might feel like eating even when you are full.
• When you are tired or did not sleep enough, your hunger signals can feel stronger or weaker than usual.
• When you are sick, your appetite often goes away for a while.
• When you are growing fast, you might feel hungry all the time. That is your body asking for what it needs to grow.

None of this is bad. None of this means anything is wrong with you. Bodies are wise, but they are not perfect. That is why we have trusted grown-ups.

You Are Not Alone With Food

This is the most important part of the whole chapter. Read it twice if you want.

Kids do not make food choices alone. Not now. Not at your age. You are eight or nine. You are smart and you are growing fast. But the grown-ups in your life are the ones who help you figure out food. They shop for the food. They cook the meals. They sit with you while you eat. They notice how you are doing. They make the big food decisions, and you and they figure out the smaller ones together.

This is the way it should be. This is the way it has been for a very, very long time. Long ago, kids ate with their families. Today, kids eat with their families. Food is a family thing. It is a together thing. The Bear wants you to know that this is normal and good [11, 12].

Here are some things kids should not try to do alone:

• Skip meals, especially breakfast
• Decide on their own to eat much less than usual
• Decide on their own to cut out a whole kind of food
• Try a special diet without a doctor's help
• Eat foods that hurt their body (like food a kid is allergic to)

If any idea like this ever pops into your head — maybe I should skip lunch, or maybe I should not eat carbs anymore, or maybe I should eat less — the first thing to do is talk to a trusted grown-up. Not your friend. Not a video on the internet. A real grown-up who takes care of you.

Who Are Trusted Grown-Ups?

A trusted grown-up is a grown-up who takes care of you, knows you, and loves you. They want what is good for you.

For most kids, trusted grown-ups include:

• A parent or step-parent
• A grandparent
• An aunt, uncle, or older family member
• A foster parent or other caregiver
• A teacher you trust
• A school nurse
• A school counselor
• Your doctor or pediatrician

Different kids have different trusted grown-ups. That is okay. What matters is that you have at least one, and that you know who they are.

Take a moment right now. In your head, name two trusted grown-ups you could talk to about food. Just think of their names. Knowing who they are is the first step.

What to Do If You Feel Worried About Food

Sometimes kids have big feelings about food. That is normal. But if any of these feelings ever come up, please talk to a trusted grown-up:

• You feel scared of eating, or scared of certain foods
• You feel like you want to eat much less than usual, on purpose
• You feel like you want to hide what you eat
• You feel weird or bad about your body
• You feel like food is taking up most of your thinking
• You feel sad or angry after meals, more than just once or twice
• A friend or sibling is acting in any of these ways

Telling a grown-up is brave. Telling a grown-up is smart. Telling a grown-up does not get you in trouble. The grown-up will listen. The grown-up will help. If the grown-up needs more help, they will find it.

Sometimes families call helpers on the phone. The Bear wants you to know these phone numbers exist, so that grown-ups in your life can use them if they ever need them. You do not have to remember them. The grown-ups can look them up.

Helpers grown-ups can call about food worries:

• The National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline: 866-662-1235. Real people answer. They help families [13].

Helpers grown-ups can call about big sad or scary feelings:

• The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988. Real people answer, day or night.
• Crisis Text Line: text the word HOME to 741741. Real people answer by text.

Helpers grown-ups can call about other big worries:

• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. Real people answer, day or night.

If you are reading this and any of those feelings sound like you, please go tell a trusted grown-up right now. Not later. Now. The Bear is here, and the Bear is glad you came to learn. The Bear also knows that real grown-ups in real life are the ones who can really help.

Bodies Are Different, and That Is Good

One more thing. People come in all shapes and all sizes. Some people are tall. Some are short. Some are bigger. Some are smaller. Some have light skin, some have dark skin, some are in between. Some have curly hair, some have straight hair.

All of this is normal and healthy and good. Bodies are different the way snowflakes are different. The Bear thinks every kind of body is wonderful. Your body is wonderful. The body next to you is wonderful. The body across the room is wonderful.

Food is not about changing your body to look a certain way. Food is about giving your body what it needs to do its work and to grow. That is what the Bear teaches. That is what your trusted grown-ups know.

Lesson Check

1. What are the two main signals your body sends about food?
2. What does hunger feel like? What does fullness feel like?
3. Why does the Bear say "kids do not make food choices alone"?
4. Name two trusted grown-ups in your life. (You can say them out loud or write them down.)
5. If you ever felt worried or weird about food, what is the first thing you should do?

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End-of-Chapter Activity: A Kitchen Walk With a Trusted Grown-Up

The Bear has one activity for you. It is fun. It takes about twenty minutes. You will do it with a trusted grown-up.

What You Need

• A trusted grown-up
• Your kitchen
• A piece of paper and a pencil

What You Do

Step 1. Find a trusted grown-up at home. Ask them, "Can we do a kitchen walk together for school? It is about twenty minutes."

Step 2. Together, go to the kitchen. Open the fridge. Look at five things. For each thing, ask: Is this a real food, or a factory food? Talk about it with your grown-up. There are no wrong answers. Some foods are in between, and that is okay.

Step 3. Now open the pantry or the cabinet where snacks live. Pick five more things. Same question: Real food or factory food? Talk about each one.

Step 4. On your piece of paper, write a list. Title it: "What I Saw In My Kitchen." Write down at least three real foods and at least three factory foods you saw.

Step 5. Ask your trusted grown-up one question from this list:

• "What was your favorite real food when you were my age?"
• "What is one real food you ate this week?"
• "What is one real food you would like our family to try?"

Step 6. Write down their answer at the bottom of your paper.

Step 7. Bring the paper to class to share, or keep it at home if you are learning at home.

What You Will Get From This

You will notice the food around you in a new way. You will share a small time with a grown-up who loves you. You will start a habit that the Bear wants you to keep your whole life: looking at food, noticing what it is, and talking about it with people who care about you.

That is a small thing. It is also a big thing. The Bear thinks both are true at the same time.

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Vocabulary Review

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Chapter Review

These questions are not a test. They are a way to check what you remember. Take your time. Look back at the lessons if you need to. There are no tricks.

1. What is the difference between real food and factory food?

2. Name one real food that comes from a plant and one real food that comes from an animal.

3. What are the four big jobs that food does for your body? (Hint: think energy, growing, brain, and staying healthy.)

4. What is hunger? What is fullness?

5. Who are two trusted grown-ups in your life that you could talk to about food?

6. If you ever felt worried about food, what is the first thing the Bear says you should do?

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Instructor's Guide

This guide is for parents, caregivers, teachers, and other grown-ups using this chapter with a child in Grade 3 (ages 8-9).

What This Chapter Teaches

This is the first chapter the child will read about food in the CryoCove Library. It is the foundation. The chapter teaches three big ideas at age-appropriate depth:

1. What food is. The chapter introduces a simple distinction between real food (foods that grew from plants or came from animals) and factory food (foods that were made in factories from many ingredients). The framing is descriptive, not moral. The child is taught to notice, not to judge.

2. Why food matters. Food gives the body energy, helps it grow, helps the brain work, and keeps the body healthy through vitamins. Four big jobs. Four kinds of nutrient roles (carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat, vitamins) introduced concretely with example foods the child will recognize.

3. Listening to the body and to trusted grown-ups. This is the safety-critical lesson. The child learns that hunger and fullness are real signals. The child also learns that food decisions are not something kids handle alone — food is a family thing, and trusted grown-ups are the ones who help kids figure out food.

What This Chapter Does NOT Teach

This chapter is intentionally light on certain content that becomes appropriate at later grades:

• No calorie math. Calorie literacy begins in Grade 6.
• No portion sizes or serving counts. Not appropriate at this age.
• No body weight discussion. None. Bodies-come-in-all-sizes framing is explicit and protective.
• No specific diet recommendations. The Bear teaches understanding, not prescriptions.
• No fasting, restriction, or "good food vs. bad food" framing. All of that is contrary to the chapter's preventive purpose.

If your child asks questions in these areas, the best answer is: "That is a great question. Let's figure it out together." Then you, the trusted grown-up, decide what to share.

How to Support the Child

A few things you can do that align with the chapter's framing:

• Eat together. Even a few shared meals a week make a real difference. The chapter's strongest message is that food is something families do together.
• Talk about food calmly. Not as a reward, not as a punishment, not as a moral test. Just as food.
• Let your child experience hunger and fullness. Trust the signals as much as you can. Avoid pressure to clean the plate or to stop eating before they're full.
• Model curiosity about food. When you cook, let your child see what real food looks like before it becomes a meal.
• Be the one your child can come to. The chapter explicitly tells the child to talk to a trusted grown-up if any food worry comes up. Make sure they know you are that grown-up.

Watching for Warning Signs

Children ages 8-9 are not too young to develop disordered eating patterns. The chapter is preventive, not reactive. But if you notice any of the following in your child, please contact your pediatrician or a qualified provider:

• Strong, repeated refusal to eat
• Eating in secret or hiding food
• Anxiety or distress before, during, or after meals
• Negative talk about their body or weight
• Sudden interest in cutting out whole categories of food
• A friend or sibling who has shown any of these patterns

Verified resources (May 2026):

• National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline: 866-662-1235. Licensed therapists, weekdays.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, 24/7.
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741, 24/7.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357, 24/7.

Note: the NEDA helpline (1-800-931-2237) is not functional as of this writing. Use the National Alliance for Eating Disorders number above instead.

Pacing

If you are using this chapter in a classroom:

If you are using this chapter at home, two lessons per week is comfortable. There is no rush.

Lesson Check Answers

Lesson 1.1:

1. Food that grew from a plant or came from an animal. 2. Food that was made in a big factory by machines. 3. Apples, carrots, bananas, broccoli, rice, beans, almonds — any plant food. 4. Chicken, beef, fish, eggs, milk, cheese — any animal food. 5. Because people have been eating real food for thousands of years, long before factories existed. Bodies are built for real food.

Lesson 1.2:

1. The power your body uses to move, think, and grow. It comes from food. 2. Chicken, fish, eggs, beans, milk, yogurt, or any other protein food. 3. Healthy fats — found in fish, avocados, nuts, and seeds. (The brain also uses some carbohydrates for quick energy.) 4. A tiny part of food that keeps your body working well. Different vitamins do different jobs. 5. Because no single food has everything your body needs. Carbohydrates give energy, protein helps you grow, healthy fats feed your brain, vitamins keep you healthy. You need a mix.

Lesson 1.3:

1. Hunger and fullness. 2. Hunger feels like an empty belly, low energy, or thinking about food. Fullness feels like a comfortable belly, calm energy, and being ready to do something else. 3. Because food decisions are big and complicated, and kids are still learning. The grown-ups in a kid's life help with food the same way they help with crossing the street or going to the doctor. Food is a family thing. 4. Any two real people in the child's life who care for them: parent, grandparent, teacher, nurse, doctor, etc. 5. Talk to a trusted grown-up.

Chapter Review Answers

1. Real food grew from a plant or came from an animal. Factory food was made in a factory by machines, often from many mixed ingredients. 2. Plant food example: apple, carrot, banana, rice, etc. Animal food example: chicken, egg, fish, milk, etc. 3. Energy (to play and move), growing (bigger and stronger), helping the brain think and work, and keeping the body healthy with vitamins. 4. Hunger is the feeling that you need food. Fullness is the feeling that you have had enough food. 5. Any two real grown-ups in the child's life who care for them. 6. Talk to a trusted grown-up.

Discussion Prompts

Open-ended questions to ask the child after the chapter:

1. What real food did you eat today? Where did it come from — a plant or an animal?
2. What is your favorite real food? Why do you like it?
3. Have you ever felt hungry between meals? What did your body feel like?
4. Have you ever felt full and decided to stop eating? What helped you notice?
5. Who is one trusted grown-up you could talk to about food? Why that person?
6. What is one new thing you learned about food in this chapter?
7. The Bear says "different foods do different jobs." Can you give an example?
8. If a friend told you they wanted to skip lunch, what would you say to them? (Hint: the Bear would say tell a trusted grown-up.)

Common Child Questions

• "Is sugar bad?" Sugar is not bad. Some foods that have a lot of sugar are factory foods, like candy and soda. Real foods like fruit have natural sugar in them, and that is fine. The Bear does not call foods good or bad. The Bear teaches you to notice.
• "Why can't I just eat candy?" Candy gives you a little energy for a short time, but it does not have the protein for growing, the healthy fats for your brain, or the vitamins for staying healthy. Your body needs lots of different real foods to do its jobs.
• "Why do I get hungry between meals?" Because kids are growing fast and your body is busy. Hungry between meals is normal. A small snack is usually a good idea. Ask a trusted grown-up what is best.
• "Am I eating too much?" That is a great question to ask a trusted grown-up. Most kids eat about the right amount. Bodies are wise. The Bear trusts the grown-ups in your life to help with this.
• "My friend says she doesn't want to eat lunch." That is something to tell a trusted grown-up about. The grown-up can help your friend.

Parent Communication Template

Dear families,

Your child is beginning the first chapter of the CryoCove Library Coach Food curriculum — Food and Your Body. This is a Grade 3 chapter at the very start of a long curriculum that will continue through high school and beyond.

What the chapter covers:

• What real food and factory food are
• The four big jobs food does in the body
• How to listen to hunger and fullness signals
• Why food is something families do together
• Who trusted grown-ups are and when to talk to them

Tone: The chapter is warm, descriptive, and non-prescriptive. No diets are recommended. Body weight and body shape are not discussed. Food is never described as "good" or "bad." The strongest message is that children should never try to manage food choices alone — trusted grown-ups (parents, caregivers, teachers, school nurses, doctors) are always part of the picture.

What this chapter does not teach: calorie counting, portion control, fasting, restriction, weight management, or specific diets. Those are not appropriate at Grade 3 and are not part of this curriculum at this age.

End-of-chapter activity: Your child will do a brief kitchen walk with you (about 20 minutes). They will look at five items in the fridge and five items in the pantry and discuss whether each is a real food or a factory food. They will also ask you one question from a short list. Please support this activity — it is designed to give you a small, easy, low-pressure way to talk about food together.

Warning signs we ask families to notice: This chapter teaches your child to talk to a trusted grown-up if they ever feel worried about food. If you notice repeated refusal to eat, hiding food, anxiety around meals, or negative body talk, please contact your pediatrician. Verified resources are included in the Instructor's Guide section of the chapter.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher or to us at the CryoCove team.

Warmly, The CryoCove Curriculum Team

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Illustration Briefs

Lesson 1.1 — Real Food vs. Factory Food Placement: After "Picture This." Scene: Split picture. Left side: a red apple on a tree branch with a bright sun above and a small label "Real food — grew on a plant." Right side: a candy bar in a shiny wrapper sitting on a conveyor belt with a cartoon factory building behind it, label "Factory food — made in a factory." Coach Food (the Bear) in the middle, gentle smile, pointing at each side with one paw. Mood: warm, clear, friendly, never scary, never moralizing. The factory side should look interesting, not threatening. The Bear's face is calm and neutral toward both sides. Aspect ratio: 16:9 web, 4:3 print.

Lesson 1.2 — The Four Jobs Placement: After "The Car and the Plant." Scene: A simple four-square chart. Top-left: a kid running, label "Energy to play." Top-right: a kid measuring height against a doorway with a pencil mark, label "Grow bigger and stronger." Bottom-left: a kid reading a book with a small thought bubble, label "Help your brain think." Bottom-right: a small shield with a heart inside, label "Keep your body healthy." Coach Food (the Bear) in the center, holding the four squares together with both paws. Mood: bright, hopeful, clear, like a friendly poster in a classroom. Aspect ratio: 16:9 web, 4:3 print.

Lesson 1.3 — Two Signals Placement: After "Your Body Sends Signals." Scene: A simple kid drawing showing the same child twice. On the left, the child looks a little tired and is holding their belly, with a small thought bubble showing a sandwich. Label "Hunger — my body needs food." On the right, the child looks calm and content with their hands at their sides, with a small thought bubble showing a flower or a ball — something other than food. Label "Fullness — I have had enough." Coach Food (the Bear) stands between them, smiling warmly, one paw on each child as if to say "both feelings are okay." Mood: gentle, calm, never anxious, never about restriction. Aspect ratio: 16:9 web, 4:3 print.

Lesson 1.3 — Trusted Grown-Ups Placement: After "Who Are Trusted Grown-Ups?" Scene: A wide friendly drawing showing a child in the center with several trusted grown-ups in a half-circle around them: a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, a school nurse with a stethoscope, a doctor. All adults are diverse — different skin tones, different ages, different body types. The child is reaching out toward them with a small smile. Coach Food (the Bear) stands behind the child, one paw resting gently on the child's shoulder. Mood: safe, warm, inclusive, hopeful. Background simple, no busy details — keep the focus on the connection between the child and the trusted grown-ups. Aspect ratio: 16:9 web, 4:3 print.

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Citations

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7. Phillips, S. M., & Van Loon, L. J. C. (2011). Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29 Suppl 1, S29-38.

8. World Health Organization. (2007). Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition: report of a joint WHO/FAO/UNU expert consultation. WHO Technical Report Series 935.

9. Innis, S. M. (2008). Dietary omega 3 fatty acids and the developing brain. Brain Research, 1237, 35-43.

10. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition (Kleinman, R. E., & Greer, F. R., Eds.). (2020). Pediatric Nutrition (8th ed.). American Academy of Pediatrics.

11. Birch, L. L., Savage, J. S., & Ventura, A. (2007). Influences on the development of children's eating behaviours: from infancy to adolescence. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 68(1), s1-s56.

12. Satter, E. (2007). Eating competence: definition and evidence for the Satter Eating Competence model. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 39(5 Suppl), S142-S153.

13. National Alliance for Eating Disorders. (2026). Helpline information. allianceforeatingdisorders.com. Helpline: 866-662-1235, weekdays 9am-7pm ET.