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What foods should you eat to help your body function at its best? When you consider the wide range of nutrients the human body needs to grow and be healthy, it may not be surprising that three-fourths of the U.S. population does not meet daily recommended dietary allowances. Here, learn about these key nutrients and the foods that provide them.

NOVA. "Nutrients Your Body Needs." Accessed March 25, 2013. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/nutrients-body-needs.html Grade Level: 4 and up Description: This is an interactive website that looks into how carbs, protein, fiber, and more help our body and what they do when digested.

Seymour Simon, Guts: Our Digestive System (New York: HarperCollins Children's Books, 2005). Age Level: 6-10 years Publisher Description: The latest in Simon's books about the human body explains how the digestive system works. In his signature style, accessible without being cute or condescending, he describes the complex facts and processes of the physiology, from the time food enters the mouth until all the various organs transform it into energy, nutrients, and waste. Some of the text is quite dense, but the clearly labeled, full-page color photos show the anatomy close-up, from an X-ray of the colon and a photo of a dissected pancreas to a microscopic view of what heartburn looks like in the stomach. Simon also includes a page about a healthy diet. The facts of how the body works are astonishing. Readers older than the target audience may want to look at this, too.

Center for Disease Control. "Food and Nutrition." Accessed March 25, 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/bam/nutrition/index.html Grade Level: 3 and up Description: The character Kendra is the 'Food & Nutrition' expert. Get advice from her about smart food choices and ways to stay powered up. The Right Fuel Delivers for You! Healthy foods and drinks give your body what it needs to give you back lots in return - energy, powerful muscles, and more. There is an interactive game to play and a link to healthy recipes.

Atkins, Jeannine, and Venantius J. Pinto. Aani & the Tree Huggers. New York: LEE & LOW BOOKS, Inc., 1995. Age Range: 6 and up Based on true events in northern India, this is the story of a little girl's bravery. One day, Aani hears the roaring of the tree cutters. Hoping to get the workers to put down their saws and hatchets, Aani and the village women explain that the trees provide food, fuel, and homes for animals, but to no avail. Finally, Aani wraps her body around one of the trees, with surprising results. Distinctive color illustrations, inspired by Indian miniature painting, accompany the moving story.

My name is Ikashe. I'm from southern Ethiopia and last week I traveled with my eleven month old son Mare to the local health center in Yirba. He is severely malnourished. We live in a very dry part of the country and many other mothers from this region bring their children to the center every week. My family lives off a small plot of land. I grow maize and root crops such as sweet potato. In 2008, we hardly grew anything. Since then, we've been depending on food aid to feed our family.

PBS. "D4K: Nutrition." Accessed March 26, 2013. http://unctv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/idptv11.sci.life.reg.d4knut/nutrition/ Grade Level: 4-6 Description: This video segment from IdahoPTV's D4K demonstrates the path food takes in our body in order for us to absorb nutrients. The functions of the 6 nutrients of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals and water are described with examples of each nutrient.

Kids Health. "Staying Healthy." Accessed March 25, 2013. http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/ Grade Level: 2 and up Description: Find out how to take care of your body, eat healthy, and stay fit through different articles and activities.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. "Eat Well, Play Well." Accessed March 25, 2013. http://www.omsi.edu/exhibits/ewpw/ Grade Level: 1 and up Description: Explores the importance of proper nutrition and what our body needs through interactive games and activities. There are resources also for parents and teachers and is also available in English and Spanish.

DK Publishing, Who's in Charge? (New York: DK Publishing, 2010). Age Level: 7 and up Publisher Description: A completely offbeat guide to the government and ruling bodies, Who's in Charge? investigates the world's political systems and presents them to kids in a fun, appealing way. From the Roman Republic to modern democracies, Who's in Charge? is packed with information on evolving notions of citizenship, rights, power, and elections, along with eye-opening trivia facts that might even teach adults a thing or two.