Having the right proportion of the different food groups to provide enough energy to the person
Different people have different energy requirements from their diet
Teenagers have higher energy needs than elderly people as they require energy for growth
Active people require more energy than non-active people as their muscles are respiringfaster
Males usually have higher energy needs than females
Pregnant women have higher energy needs than non-pregnant women
Breastfeeding women have higher energy needs than non-breastfeeding women
Factors that affect the requirements in a diet
age
gender (sex)
body mass/weight
Lifestyle or activity level
occupation
pregnancy & breastfeeding
Females between the ages of 13 and 50 also need a higher iron content in their diet as they menstruate each month (have their period), they lose blood which contains iron
How to measure the amount of energy in food
1. Pour cold water into a boiling tube
2. Record the starting temperature of the water
3. Record the mass of the food sample
4. Heat the food until it catches fire
5. Heat the water using the flame from the burning food
6. Record the final temperature of the water + calculate the rise in temp
Energy
Often measured in kilojoules (kJ) per 100g of food
