ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Food energy

Food is like fuel for our bodies. Just like how gasoline helps a car move, food helps our bodies move and do things like run, jump, and even think!

But not all types of food give us the same amount of energy. Some foods, like fruits and vegetables, give us a little bit of energy that lasts a long time. These are called "complex carbs" or "slow-burning" foods.

Other foods, like candy or soda, give us a lot of energy at once, but it goes away very quickly. These are called "simple carbs" or "fast-burning" foods.

To measure how much energy a type of food gives us, we use something called calories. Calories are like little units of energy that tell us how much fuel we're getting from our food.

So, if we eat a lot of fast-burning foods like candy and soda, we might get a big burst of energy at first, but then we'll start to feel tired and hungry again very quickly. But if we eat more slow-burning foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, we'll have a steady source of energy that lasts much longer.