How Do Plants Eat?

Animals eat food. We eat fruit, vegetables, and meat. Food gives us energy to walk, run, and grow. But plants do not have mouths. They do not walk to the store. So, how do plants eat?

Plants make their own food. They use three main things: sunlight, water, and air. This special process is called photosynthesis.

First, plants need water. Water is in the ground. Roots act like straws. They drink water from the soil. The water goes up the plant stem to the leaves.

Second, plants need air. Leaves take in a gas from the air called carbon dioxide.

Third, plants need sunlight. Leaves catch light from the sun.

Inside the green leaves, something amazing happens. The plant mixes the sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide together. This mixture makes sugar. Sugar is plant food. The plant uses this food to grow big and strong.

Plants also make oxygen when they make food. Oxygen is a gas. Animals and humans need oxygen to breathe. So, plants help us every day.

Next time you look at a green leaf, remember it is a tiny kitchen. It makes food using the sun.

Do you have plants at home?