Food groups

• Carbohydrates are foods such as pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and cereals.
• Carbohydrates supply the energy needed for all the reactions in our bodies.
• Carbohydrates are made up of sugars and can be split into two groups: small carbohydrates with only one or two sugar molecules are known as simple sugars, while long chains of sugar molecules joined together are known as complex carbohydrates.
• Starch and cellulose are examples of complex carbohydrates.
• Most of the carbohydrates that you eat will be broken down to glucose and used in respiration to release energy.
• A lack of carbohydrates in your diet is likely to result in a lack of energy.
• When you’re low on glucose, the body breaks down stored fat, which can result in headaches, nausea, dizziness, bad breath and irritability.
• Testing for starch involves adding a few drops of yellow-orange iodine solution to the food and checking for a blue-black color change, indicating the presence of starch.
• Testing for sugars involves adding a few drops of blue Benedict’s solution to the food, heating it in a water bath, and checking for a red-orange color change, indicating the presence of sugar.