Macronutrients

• Proteins fats and carbohydrates are macronutrients
• Protein is needed for growth repair and maintenance
• Our body can make some amino acids, they are called non-essential amino acids
• We get protein from meat, fish, dairy, nuts, seed, beans
• High biological proteins contain all essential amino acids
• Low biological value proteins are missing one essential amino acids
• HBV proteins are mainly in animal sources but also soya beans and quinoa
• LBV proteins are only found in plant sources

  e.g peas, lentils, nuts, seeds and most beans
• Protein complementation combines LBV protein foods
• Pregnant women need 6g more protein
• Growing children and physically active people need more protein
• protein:

  male- 55g

  femal— 45g
• Too much protein strains the liver and kidney
• Protein deficiency:

  • weakened immune system
  • slowed growth
  • oedema ( build of fluid which cause swelling)
  • kwashiorkor ( swollen abdomen)
  • struggle to digest food properly
• Tofu is made by curdling soya milk
• Texture vegetable protein is made from soya beans
• Mycoprotein is made from a mushroom-like fungus and egg white
• Fats provide energy, nutrients and insulation
• Fats are a source of vitamins A, D, E, K
• Our bodies use fat to make cholesterol, essential part of cell membranes
• Fats are made of fatty acids and glycerol in the form of tryglycerides
• saturated fatty acids only have single C-C bonds
• Unsaturated fatty acids contain at least 1 C=C double bond
• Monounsaturated fats contain 1 C=C double bond.

  found in olive oil, almonds, peanut butter, avocados
• Polyunsaturated fats contain more than 1 C=C double bond.

  found in sesame oil, soybean oil, seeds, oily fish
• Fats should make up less than 35% of our daily food energy, with no more than 11% coming from saturated fats
• Recommended adult should intake 70g of fat with a maximum of 20g of this being saturated
• Excess fat:

  • weight gain - leads to obesity
  • type 2 diabetes
  • high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, CHD
• Fat Deficiency:

  • vitamin deficiency
  • less insulation
  • less protection from knocks
• Carbohydrates are needed for energy
• simple carbohydrates such as sugar are monosaccharides and disaccharides
• Complex carbohydrates such as starch are polysaccharides
• Added sugars are referred to as empty calories
• Whole grain starch foods have high fibre content
• Monosaccharides are basic sugar molecules

  e.g glucose and fructose
• Disaccharides are made up of 2 monosaccharides

  e.g sucrose ( glucose + fructose)
• Polysaccharides are made up of lots of monosaccharides
• Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, so they gradually increase blood sugar levels
• Glycaemic index (GI) rates how quickly carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels

  high GI: digested quick, rapid rise in blood

  low GI: digested slowly, gradual rise in blood
• 50% of our energy should come from carbohydrate, ideally mostly from starch