Food nourishes life. The nutrients in food are vital for children to grow and maintain
sound health. The completeness of children’s nutrition depends on the food taken.
FOOD AND NUTRIENTS
• Different foods provide different nutrients,and in different amounts.
• No single food can meet all the nutritionalneeds of children.
• A wide variety of foods is required toensure that children get all the nutrientsthey need daily.
THE MAIN NUTRIENTS IN FOODS
ENERGY
• Energy is required to generate heat formaintaining body temperature and for fuelling all body functions, including:
- Voluntary (physical) activities: walking, sitting, talking, working, playingand everything else children do through the day.
- Involuntary (basal) activities: breathing, digesting food, blood circulation, maintaining muscular tone, transmitting nerve impulses.
• Carbohydrates, protein and fats provide energy; fats provide 21/4 times (9 kilocalories
per gram) more energy than carbohydrates or protein (4 kilocalories per gram).
• Energy from food must be sufficient to make sure that growth is achieved without compromise.
CARBOHYDRATES
• Both complex (starches) and simple (sugars) carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the fuel that the body needs.
• Fibre, a type of complex carbohydrate, is essential for maintaining good health.
• Main sources of carbohydrates are grains, cereals and tubers.
• Carbohydrates are also found in fruits, vegetables and legumes (beans and pulses).
• Carbohydrates protect other nutrients from being used as energy sources.
PROTEIN
• Protein is the building block for muscles and other body parts.
• Protein also repairs and replaces tissues as well.
• Sources of protein include fish, meat, poultry, legumes, milk and dairy products.
• Adequate protein intake ensures optimum growth.
FATS
• Fats are important for providing energy, maintaining body temperature and making hormones and cells in the body.
• Fat from food is important for transporting fat-soluble vitamins and providing essential fatty acids that the body cannot manufacture on its own.
• Essential fatty acids are important for the development of the brain, nervous system and eyes.
• Main sources of fat are cooking oil, meat fats and table spreads.
• Fats are not unhealthy unless taken in excessive amounts.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
• Vitamins and minerals are organic compounds that cannot be manufactured by the human body.
• Vitamins can be divided into: u Fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E and K. Water-soluble vitamins: B-group vitamins and vitamin C.
• Minerals can be divided into:
- Macrominerals: calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulphur.
- Trace minerals: iron, manganese, iodine, zinc, selenium, fluoride, copper and cobalt.
• Vitamins and minerals are vital for health as they perform hundreds of functions in the body.
• A balanced diet can supply all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
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PROBLEMS RELATED TO FOOD & NUTRITION
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