Nutrition Basics

What Is Nutrition?
Nutrition: The
study of how your
body uses the food
that you eat.
What Is Nutrition?
Nutrition is the
science of food,
the nutrients in
foods and how
the body uses
those nutrients.
• Actions in the body include:
– Ingestion
– Digestion
– Absorption
– Transport
– Metabolism
– Excretion
Food:
is anything solid or liquid that has a chemical
composition which enables it, when
swallowed to do one or more of the following:
1-Provide the body with the material from
which it can produce energy.
2-Provide material to allow growth,
maintenance, repair or reproduction.
Health: is defined by the World Health
Organization as the “ State of complete
physical, mental and social well- being
and not merely the absence of disease
and infirmity (or ill- health/illness)”
Nutrients
Foundation
The Nutrients
• Nutrients are substances obtained from food
and used in the body to promote growth,
maintenance & repair.
Six Classes of Nutrients
1. Carbohydrates
2. Fat
3. Protein
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
6. Water
Variables which affect nutrient needs:
1. Age
2. Gender
3. Activity Level
4. Climate
5. Health
6. State of nutrition
Energy-Yielding Nutrients
• Energy: capacity to do work

• Calorie: unit used to measure energy
• Energy-yielding nutrients include:
Carbohydrates 4 cal/g
Protein 4 cal/g
Fats 9 cal/g
Calorie Calculation
(Example)
• Heather consumes 2000 calories per day and
wishes to obtain 20% of her calories from fat:
2000 calories x 20% = 400 calories from fat

per day
400 calories from fat = 44 grams of fat/day

Food provides nutrients
Food is eaten and digested in the body to
allow the absorption of energy and nutrients.
There are two different types of nutrients:
1) macronutrients;
2) micronutrients.
Macronutrients
There are three macronutrients that are

essential for health. These are:
• carbohydrate;
• protein;
• fat.
carbohydrate
Carbohydrate provides an important source of
energy for the body.
The two main types of carbohydrate are:
• Simple
– sweets, fruit
– individual glucose or fructose molecules
• Complex
– pasta, rice, breads, potatoes
– Chains of glucose molecules
sources of carbohydrate
Some examples of sugar sources

(carbohydrate) are sucrose (found in table
sugar), lactose (found in milk), and fructose
(found in fruit).
Some examples of food sources for starchy

carbohydrates are bread, pasta, and cereal.
protein
• The body needs protein to repair tissue.
Some people have extra protein needs.
• Babies, children and adolescents need
protein for growth.
• Pregnant women need extra protein for the
growth of their baby. Women who are
breastfeeding need protein to produce milk.
• Vegans and strict vegetarians need to eat a
wide variety of foods to meet their protein
needs.
Types of Protein
• Sources of Protein
– Animal (complete)
• meats, dairy
– Vegetable (incomplete)
• beans, nuts, legumes,
grains
• Types of Amino Acids

– Nonessential (14) – can be made by body
– Essential (8) – from food
Sources of protein
Protein is found in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy

foods
Protein is also found in non-animal sources, e.g.

cereal products, nuts
fat
• Fat provides the body with essential fatty

acids and energy.
• Fat also provides protection for the major
organs in the body.
• Fat carries important fat soluble vitamins
(A, D, E and K) and is important for their
absorption.
Types of Fats
• Saturated
– Animal sources
– Solid at room temperature
• Unsaturated (poly- or mono-)
– Vegetable sources
– Liquid at room temperature
Source of fat
Saturated fat can be found in meat, coconut oil,
cakes, biscuits
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat can

be found in some plant oil, olive oil, oily fish,
avocado and some margarines.
Recommendations for Fat Consumption
• Dietary Fat Recommendations
– 20% of calories in diet from fat
– 50%of dietary fat should be saturated
• Ways to Decrease Intake of Fat
– Minimize "fast" foods
– Minimize processed foods
– Use better cuts of meats
– Use low fat alternatives
– Eat lower fat snacks
Micronutrients
The micronutrients are divided into:
• vitamins;
• minerals.
Vitamins
• Organic substances that regulate
physiological processes in the body
• Do not contain calories
• Two types
– Fat soluble
– Water soluble
Fat Soluble Vitamins
• Consist of Vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Absorbed at the small intestine in the
presence of bile (a fatty substance)
vitamin A
• is needed for normal structure and

functioning of the skin
• It also helps with vision in dim light,
• as well as keeping the immune system
healthy.
source of vitamin A
Vitamin A is found: in liver, whole milk,
cheese, butter, margarine, carrots, dark
green leafy vegetables and orange coloured
fruits, e.g. mangoes and apricots.
vitamin D
• Vitamin D is needed for the absorption of
calcium and phosphorus from foods, to keep
bones healthy.
• Vitamin D is also a fat soluble vitamin.
• A lack of vitamin D causes rickets in children,
where the legs are bent. Osteomalacia
occurs in adults
Source of vitamin D
• The sources of vitamin D include oily fish,
eggs, fortified cereals and margarine.
• The body can make vitamin D when the
skin is exposed to sunlight.
Water Soluble Vitamins
• Consist of B complex and vitamin C
Water Soluble Vitamins
• B-1 (thiamine)
• B-2 (riboflavin)
• B-6 (pyridoxine)
• B-12 (cobalamin)
• Niacin (nicotinic acid)
• Pantothenic Acid
• Folic Acid (folacin)
• Biotin
• C
B vitamins
needed for the :

• release of energy from food.
• There are many different B vitamins and

each has a specific function in the body.
Source of B vitamins
can be found in a variety of foods, such as

bread, cereals, milk, meat, potatoes, and
fortified breakfast cereals.
vitamin C
needed for the :
• normal structure and function of body
tissues, e.g. collagen.
• Vitamin C also helps the body to absorb

the mineral iron from non meat sources
such as vegetables.
• This deficiency disease is called scurvy.

Source of vitamin C
Sources of vitamin C include: fresh fruits,

especially citrus fruits , green vegetables,
peppers and tomatoes.
Vitamin C is also found in potatoes
(especially in new potatoes).
Minerals
• Inorganic elements found in food that are
essential to life processes
• About 25 are essential
• Classified as major or trace minerals
Calcium
Calcium is an important mineral needed by

the body:
1.to form, strengthen and maintain bones
and teeth;
2.for normal functioning of muscles;
3.for blood clotting.
Source of calcium
• The sources of calcium are milk, cheese and

other dairy products, some leafy green
vegetables such as broccoli, fortified soya
bean products and bread.
• Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium.
Iron
• Iron is used by the body to form a
substance called haemoglobin in red blood
cells. These transport oxygen around the
body.
• Iron is also required for normal metabolism
and removing waste substances from the
body.
• A lack of iron leads to iron deficiency
anaemia.
Source of iron
• Iron is found in animal and plant sources.

• Sources high in iron include liver, red meat,
nuts, eggs, dried fruits, poultry, fish, whole
grains and dark green leafy vegetables.
• Iron from meat sources is easier for the
body to absorb.
sodium
Sodium is found in all cells and body fluids.
• It helps to regulate body water content and
balance electrolytes.
• Sodium is also involved in the use of
energy, as well as the functioning of the
central nervous system.
• High intakes of sodium are linked to high
blood pressure which increases the risk of
heart disease.
Source of sodium
• Sodium is found in very small amounts in

raw foods.
• Sodium is often added as salt during
processing, preparation, preservation and
serving.
Fiber
• Different compounds are found in plant foods
such as vegetables, fruits outer layer of grain .
• The body can not digest in order to benefit only
because it helps facilitate digestion and
absorption to other foods
• also prevent constipation
• Recommendation: 25-40g per day
Ways to Get More Fiber
• Eat more fruits

and vegetables
• Eat whole grain
foods
45
Water
• Helps the body get rid of toxic and harmful
substances in the urine or feces.
• Helps cells to function.
• Moisturizes the body in hot weather .
• Helps to mix food in the stomach and absorbed in
the intestine.
• Aids in the digestion of food.
• Essential in the formation of blood cells and all the
different body fluids.
• Help the kidneys to perform its functions and also
helps save the balance of salts in the body
The Food Pyramid

Nutrition Basics

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What Is Nutrition?

• Energy: capacity to do work

2000 calories x 20% = 400 calories from fat

400 calories from fat = 44 grams of fat/day

There are two different types of nutrients:

There are three macronutrients that are

Some examples of sugar sources

Some examples of food sources for starchy

• Types of Amino Acids

Protein is found in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy

Protein is also found in non-animal sources, e.g.

• Fat provides the body with essential fatty

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat can

The micronutrients are divided into:

• is needed for normal structure and

needed for the :

• There are many different B vitamins and

can be found in a variety of foods, such as

• Vitamin C also helps the body to absorb

• This deficiency disease is called scurvy.

Sources of vitamin C include: fresh fruits,

Calcium is an important mineral needed by

• The sources of calcium are milk, cheese and

• Iron is found in animal and plant sources.

• Sodium is found in very small amounts in

• Eat more fruits

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