Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth.
Explanation:
The food groups are divided based on the nutritional properties they offer. Foods that animals eat can be classified based on the amount of nutrients and the type of nutrients they provide for subsistence and survival. It is highly recommended to eat portions of food from the different groups in order to live a healthy lifestyle. This will provide you with a complete set of nutrients for better health.
There are seven major classes of nutrients and they are
carbohydrates
fibre
fats
protein
minerals
vitamins
water
These nutrient classes can be classified either into macronutrients or nutrients that are needed in large quantities and micronutrients or nutrients that are needed in small amount. Macronutrients include the carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre, and water while the micronutrients include vitamins and minerals.
Macronutrients provide the body with energy. Water and fibre are exempted. The energy is measures in terms of kilocalories or joules. Kilocalories are written as C in order to differentiate them with gram calories. For every gram of carbohydrate, seventeen kilo joules or four kilo calories are provided for your body. Fats provide your body with thirty seven kilo joules or nine kilo calories for every gram. Vitamins, fibre, minerals, and water do not provide the body with energy but they are needed for other purposes.
Carbohydrate molecules are made up of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms. Monosaccharides like glucose, fructose, and galactose are types of carbohydrates. An example of a complex carbohydrate is starch. Fats are made up of the same kinds of atoms as carbohydrates. They are made of triglycerides or fatty acid monomers that bind to glycerol.
Protein molecules are made up of nitrogen atoms plus carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. These nitrogen monomers are essential amino acids needed by the body. They perform functions that are essential in metabolism. They are used for energy and fuel for the body. Antioxidants and phytochemicals are other micronutrients that are essential to the body.
Most of the foods that you consume are made up of several of the classes of nutrients. Some of the nutrients are needed by the body all the time while the others are needed once in awhile. People’s health deteriorates because of the imbalance of nutrients. There can be too much of a nutrient or a deficiency in it.
