By Bill Conley
Moral
of the Story:
Staying healthy starts with making
smart choices about what you eat. A balanced diet gives your body the energy
and strength it needs to grow, think, and play. While sweet treats are fun once
in a while, real health comes from trying a variety of foods—even the ones
you’re unsure about. When you listen to your parents and take an “adventure
bite,” you might just discover a new favorite and build healthy habits for
life.
In the bustling tree village of
Maplewood Hollow, a cheerful little chipmunk named Charlie loved three things:
snacks, naps, and more snacks.
But Charlie didn’t like just any
food—he only liked sweet stuff.
He loved honey muffins, berry jelly,
and crunchy sugar-coated acorns.
When Mama Chipmunk made meals with
spinach, carrots, or squash, Charlie would wrinkle his nose and say, “Eww! No thank
you!”
“You can’t live on sugar,” Mama said
gently. “You need strong food that helps your body grow.”
“But sugary food makes me happy,”
Charlie insisted.
“It makes your tastebuds happy,”
Mama replied. “But too much of it makes your tummy tired and your body slow.”
One evening, Papa Chipmunk set the
table with roasted veggies, nuts, and a small piece of grilled mushroom.
Charlie stared. “Where’s dessert?”
Papa smiled. “No dessert tonight,
son. We’re eating food that fuels us.”
Charlie crossed his arms. “I’m not
eating mushrooms. Or broccoli. Or squash.”
Mama scooped a little of each food
onto his plate.
“You don’t have to eat it all,” she
said. “But I want you to take one adventure bite of everything.”
Charlie blinked. “Adventure bite?”
Papa nodded. “It’s when you take a
brave bite of something new. You might love it—or not—but you’ve tried it, and
that makes you strong.”
Charlie poked the broccoli with his
fork.
“One bite?” he asked.
“One brave, bold, adventurous bite,”
Mama confirmed.
He closed his eyes, opened his
mouth, and nibbled.
Chew… chew…
“Hmm,” he said. “Not as bad as I
thought.”
Then he tried the mushroom. It was
chewy and earthy.
He tried the squash. It was sweet
and buttery.
He took a sip of water and looked
around.
“I survived!” he announced.
Everyone laughed.
“See?” Mama said. “You can’t say you
don’t like something until you try it. That’s part of growing up.”
The next day, Charlie visited his
friend Daisy the Deer.
Her mom served salad with apple
slices and walnuts.
Charlie didn’t love lettuce, but he
remembered the adventure bite.
He took one. Then two. Then three.
“Yum!” he said. “I never knew salad
could be crunchy and sweet!”
At school, when their teacher
brought in a rainbow of veggies to learn about colors, most kids avoided the
green peppers.
Not Charlie.
He grabbed one, smiled, and said,
“Adventure bite time!”
Soon, his friends started trying it
too.
That week, Charlie noticed something
strange—he had more energy. He ran faster, stayed focused longer, and even felt
happier.
His mom said, “That’s what happens
when you fuel your body with the right kinds of food.”
Charlie still enjoyed the occasional
honey muffin, but now he also liked carrots, squash, and roasted nuts. He
didn’t pout at dinner. He didn’t demand dessert.
He just asked, “What’s the adventure
bite tonight?”
Mama and Papa beamed with pride.
From that day on, Charlie became
known as The Bravest Eater in Maplewood Hollow. He encouraged friends to
try new things, always took a sample, and reminded everyone: “Healthy food
helps you shine from the inside out.”
Moral
Poem to End the Story:
Try something new with an open mind,
An adventure bite can be a find!
Too much sugar won’t help you grow—
But healthy food gives strength to show!
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