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For teachers · Science · Years 2–3

What’s on the card?

Pupils find out what energy, fibre, protein, carbohydrates and vitamin C are, and why our bodies need each one.

Learning objectives

  • Name the five things measured on a Veggie Trumps card.
  • Explain in simple words what each one does for our bodies.
  • Understand that different fruit and vegetables are good at different things.

Curriculum links

  • Science, Year 2“describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene”
  • Science, Year 3“identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat”

What they mean

EnergyMeasured in kilocalories (kcal). Our bodies use energy to move, grow, think and keep warm.
FibreHelps our digestion work properly and helps us feel full.
ProteinHelps our bodies grow and repair, like building muscles and healing cuts.
CarbohydratesOur main source of energy. Includes natural sugars and starch.
Vitamin CHelps keep our skin, gums and immune system healthy. Our bodies can’t store it, so we need some every day.

Lesson plan

  1. Starter10 min
    Show the Apple card on the board. Ask: what do you think the words on the green bars mean? Collect ideas without correcting yet.
  2. Teach10 min
    Go through the five measures using the “What they mean” box below. Act them out: energy = run on the spot, fibre = “keeps things moving”, protein = flex a muscle, carbohydrates = fuel tank, vitamin C = shield against germs.
  3. Group task15 min
    In groups, pupils deal out the cards and hunt for the card with the highest number for each measure. They write the winners on the worksheet.
  4. Plenary10 min
    Share winners. Ask: was the same card best at everything? (No: different fruit and veg are good at different things, which is why we eat a variety.)

Support and challenge

  • SupportGive pupils just two measures to compare (energy and vitamin C) and a smaller set of 10 cards.
  • ChallengeAsk pupils to find a card that scores well on three or more measures, and explain why it might be a good snack.

The Apple card

Show this on the board for the starter.

The Apple card: Energy 47 Kcal, Fibre 1.8g, Protein 0.4g, Carbohydrates 11.8g, Vitamin C 6mg

More lessons

Science / PSHEYears 1–3

Eat the rainbow

Pupils sort the cards by colour and plan a rainbow of fruit and veg to try over a week.
MathsYears 2–5

Number battles

Playing Veggie Trumps is comparing numbers. Pupils play in pairs and record each battle using <, > and =.
MathsYears 3–6

Fruit and veg data detectives

Pupils collect real nutrition data from the cards, draw a bar chart and answer questions about it.