The Journey of Food Through the Digestive SystemOne sunny morning, a boy named Leo ate a sandwich filled with ham, cheese, and lettuce. As soon as he chewed the first bite, the journey of food began. His teeth broke the food into small pieces, and his saliva started softening it so it could slide smoothly down his throat.After swallowing, the food traveled down the esophagus, a long tube that pushed it into the stomach. Inside the stomach, it was mixed with strong juices that broke it down further into a thick liquid. Then the food moved into the small intestine, where the most important part of the journey happened — the nutrients were absorbed by the body and sent into the blood to give Leo energy.The leftover parts of the food went to the large intestine, where water was absorbed. Finally, the waste left the body through the rectum. That’s how food travels through the digestive system, giving the body what it needs and removing what it doesn’t.