Section 1 - Food, Nutrition & Health

• Macronutrients


  • Proteins
  • Fats
  • Carbohydrates
• Macronutrients


  Large nutrients our bodies need in large amounts
• Proteins


  • Needed for growth, repair and maintenance
  • Made up of amino acids
• Amino acids


  • Non-essential
  • Essential
• Non-essential amino acids


  Amino acids our bodies can make
• Essential amino acids


  Amino acids our bodies cannot make, so we must get them from food
• High biological value (HBV) proteins


  Contain all the essential amino acids
• Low biological value (LBV) proteins


  Missing one or more essential amino acids
• Protein complementation


  Combining different LBV protein foods to get all the essential amino acids
• Dietary reference values


  Estimates of the amount of nutrients people should have in their diet
• An average male should consume 55g and an average female should consume 45g of protein each day
• Growing children, physically active people, pregnant women and breastfeeding women need more protein
• Protein excess


  Puts strain on the liver and kidneys
• Protein deficiency


  Slows growth, poor condition of hair/skin/nails, weakens immune system, causes digestive issues, can lead to oedema and kwashiorkor
• Alternative protein sources


  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Nuts
  • Eggs
  • Soya
  • TVP
  • Mycoprotein
  • Tofu
• Alternative proteins usually don't taste of much on their own, but are good at absorbing flavours
• Fats


  • Provide energy, nutrients and insulation
  • Made up of fatty acids and glycerol
• Saturated fatty acids


  Only have single C-C bonds
• Unsaturated fatty acids


  Contain at least one C=C double bond
• Saturated fats


  Generally solid at room temperature, can increase cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease
• Unsaturated fats


  Generally liquid at room temperature, can lower cholesterol
• Monounsaturated fats


  Contain one C-C double bond
• Polyunsaturated fats


  Contain more than one C-C double bond
• Fat should make up no more than 35% of our daily food energy, with no more than 11% coming from saturated fat
• An average adult should consume 70g of fat per day, with a maximum of 20g of this being saturated fat
• Fat excess


  Can lead to weight gain, obesity, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease
• Fat deficiency


  Leads to reduced absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, weight loss, feeling colder
• Carbohydrate types


  • Sugar
  • Starch
• Sugar


  Can be found naturally or added during manufacturing, often referred to as 'empty calories'
• Starch


  Found in foods like potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and cereals, contains nutrients and fibre
• Simple carbohydrates


  Monosaccharides and disaccharides, digested quickly
• Carbohydrates


  Needed for Energy
• Types of carbohydrates


  • Sugar
  • Starch
• Sugar


  Can be found in food naturally (e.g. sugars in fruits and vegetables) or can be added to food during the manufacturing process (e.g. sugars in cakes, sweets and fizzy pop)
• Added sugars


  Often referred to as 'empty calories' because they have no nutritional benefit other than energy
• Starch


  Can be found in foods such as potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and cereals, as well as vegetables and fruit (in smaller amounts)
• Starchy foods


  • Contain lots of nutrients including B vitamins, iron and calcium
  • Wholegrain starch foods also have really high fibre content
• When we eat carbohydrate-based foods

  Our body breaks down the sugar and starch into glucose, which is absorbed into our blood and used by our body for energy
• Simple carbohydrates


  Are digested quickly
• Types of simple carbohydrates

  • Monosaccharides (e.g. glucose and fructose)
  • Disaccharides (e.g. sucrose made up of glucose and fructose)