it

un
2
Scan this code
to consult the

NUTRITION AND FOOD

glossary for
this unit.

Water

Body-building Body-regulating Energy-producing Minerals

Carbohydrates
Macronutrients
By the amount Proteins
needed By function By composition
Lipids
Micronutrients
Vitamins
they can be classified
Fibre

Nutrients
provide the body with

which we get from

Food
and nutrition

Food which provides Energy through

Cellular
respiration

that it is important to eat

as part of a

Food wheel
following the
Healthy and balanced diet recommendations
of the
Food pyramid

to prevent
Malnutrition

Allergies like Illnesses

and diseases

Foodborne
illnesses and
food poisoning
unit
2 FOOD AND NUTRITION

Nutrition and nutrients

The nutrition function allows us to obtain the matter and
energy we need. For this process, we take oxygen and
several types of nutrients from the environment. Organ systems involved in nutrition
Nutrients are substances found in food that your body
needs to function correctly. We can classify them by their Respiratory system. Obtains oxygen.
function, by how much of each nutrient we need, and by Digestive system. Obtains nutrients.
Circulatory system. Transports substances.
their composition. Excretory system. Expels waste.

By function Energy-
Body-regulating:
water, proteins, fibre, producing: By the amount needed
vitamins and minerals. sugars, starch and
lipids.
Body-building: Macronutrients:
proteins, some Micronutrients:
Carbohydrates, proteins, Vitamins and minerals
lipids, water and lipids and water.
calcium.

By composition

Inorganic Organic
Water Carbohydrates
Water dissolves and transports Sugars, like glucose and sucrose,
substances, enables chemical and starch provide energy.
reactions, has a structural Cellulose, which makes up fibre,
function and maintains body has a regulatory function.
temperature.
Proteins
Most have body-building functions.
Enzymes have regulatory functions.
Antibodies have defensive functions.
Minerals Haemoglobin transports gases.
Some, like sodium, potassium and calcium,
Lipids
regulate body processes, such as muscle
contraction and nerve impulses. Fats provide energy.
Choloesterol and phospholipids
Calcium and phosphorus form part of bone
form cell membranes. Some are
structure and composition.
regulatory hormones.

Vitamins
A wide range of substances that
regulate many processes.
There are water soluble vitamins (C and
B) and fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).
Where do we get our nutrients from?
Different foods are richer in some
types of nutrients than in others.

Nutrient Foods

Drinks (water, juice, milk, soups), and

Water
food such as fruit and vegetables.

Iron in offal, meat, fish, pulses, nuts and vegetables.

Minerals Iodine in iodised salt, fish, shellfish, seaweed and vegetables.
Calcium in dairy products.

In fruit, honey, juice, sugar, cereals and cereal-

Carbohydrates based products (flour, bread, pasta), pulses,
potatoes and other root vegetables.

Animal protein: in meat, fish, eggs, offal, milk and other

Proteins dairy products.
Plant-based protein: in pulses, soya and nuts.

Saturated fats: in butter, margerine, cakes, biscuits, bacon and

Lipids red meat.
Unsaturated fats: in olive oil and seed oils.

In fruit and vegetables.

Vitamins In meat, fish, liver, eggs and milk.
In nuts, pulses and yeast.

Mostly in plant-based foods, especially fruit

Fibre and vegetables, pulses, wholewheat cereals
and nuts.

Cellular respiration
O2 (captured
Organic nutrients in the pulmonary This takes place in the
(glucose) from food alveoli) mirochondria, where the O2
digestion and glucose molecules combine
and release energy.

ENERGY
Each gram of carbohydrate or protein provides 4 kilocalories
and each gram of lipids provides 9 kilocalories
A calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the
H2O temperature of one gram of water by one degree centrigrade.
CO2
 t

2
uni

Food and diet

Eating is a voluntary process through which we
consume food to obtain nutrients. REMEM BER:
H E A LT H Y
Diet is all the food and drink you consume regularly. H AV IN G A
E AT IN G M
EAN
D IE T T H A S
The Mediterranean and Atlantic diets are S U F F IC IE
N T IN Q U T IS
sustainable because they have very little impact on the IS VA R IE D
, BA
A N T IT Y, A
ND
environment. S AT IS FA C L A N C E D , S A F E ,
TOR
S O C IA L , A Y, S U ITA B L E ,
F FO R D A B
To help establish a healthy diet, we classify foods by S U S TA IN A L E A N D
their nutritional content. The food wheel is a very BLE.
useful graphic tool.

Group 3
Group 2 Protein-rich foods
Lipid-rich foods Body-building.
Energy-producing.

Group 4
Milk and dairy products
Group 1
Body-building.
Carbohydrate-rich foods.
Energy-producing.

Group 5 Group 6
Rich in vitamins and minerals. Rich in vitamins and minerals.
Body-regulatory. Body-regulatory.

The larger the segment of the group, the more With the exception of fruit and vegetables, the
you should eat (except the products close to the closer to the centre of the wheel a food item is,
centre). the less frequently you should eat it.
Food pyramid
Occasionally in moderate amounts
The food pyramid tells us how
much of each type of food we
should eat and how often. Weekly in moderate amounts

Dairy produce: Other: < 3

2-3 a day a day

Vegetables: One spoonful

Daily 2-3 a day of olive oil a
R:
Fruit: 3-4 day. REMEMBE D AY
a day 5 T IM E S A
E AT 3 T O CED
L LY S O U R
E AT L O C A C T S
PRODU
E AT W IT H
C O O K A N D R IE N D S
RF
FA M ILY O
Healthy
habits
Emotional Healthy
Adequate balance Energy cooking Physical
hydration balance exercise

Food and health

How we eat affects our health.
diet
Positive effects: preventing, or even curing, diseases. A good
ensures general good health.
gies or
Negative effects: diseases due to malnutrition, food aller
intolerances, and poor food hygiene.

Diseases related
to nutrition
Malnutrition Poor food hygiene
An inadequate diet with a Food allergies and The presence of dangerous
deficiency or excess of nutrients: intolerances contaminants in food:
Undernutrition and diseases related to Adverse reactions Biological
nutritional deficiencies of some people to certain Infection frombacteria: Salmonella
Rickets from lack of food, or from anorexia foods. (causes salmonellosis) and Clostridium
nervosa or bulimia. botulinum (produces the botulinum toxin
Gluten intolerance (coeliac that causes botulism).
Anaemia, due to an iron deficiency, and vitamin disease) and lactose
deficiencies, including scurvy from a lack of intolerance. Other infections: anisakiasis,
vitamin C. tapeworm, etc.
Allergies to food colourings,
Overnutrition to shellfish, etc. Chemical
Obesity due to the excessive Poisoning from pesticides,
consumption of food. heavy metals, etc.