Balanced Diet: Food Groups and Their Importance

• A balanced diet includes all food groups in the correct proportions.
• An unbalanced diet results in malnutrition, potentially leading to health problems.

Key Food Groups

• Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water are essential.

Sources and Functions of Food Groups

• Carbohydrates are a main source of energy, found in bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes.
• Proteins are vital for growth and repair, sourced from meat, eggs, and nuts.
• Lipids provide insulation and energy storage, present in butter, oil, and nuts.
• Dietary fiber aids in moving food through the intestine, found in vegetables and whole grains.
• Vitamins and minerals are needed to maintain overall health, present in fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy.
• Water is essential for chemical reactions in the body, sourced from water, juice, milk, fruits and vegetables.

Specific Minerals and Vitamins

• Calcium is necessary for strong teeth and bones, and it is involved in blood clotting.
  • Calcium deficiency can cause osteoporosis; sources include milk, cheese, and eggs.
• Vitamin D aids calcium absorption for strong bones and teeth.
  • Vitamin D is found in oily fish and dairy products, and is produced naturally by the body in sunlight.
• Vitamin C is essential for collagen protein, vital for good skin, hair, gums and bones.
  • A deficiency in Vitamin C can cause scurvy; sources include citrus fruits and some green vegetables.
• Vitamin A is required to make pigment in the retina for vision.
  • Sources for Vitamin include meat, liver, leafy green vegetables, and eggs.
• Iron helps the body to make haemoglobin, the pigment in red blood cells that helps to carry oxygen .
  • Iron is found in red meat, liver, leafy green vegetables, and spinach.

Varying Energy Requirements

• Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions in the body.
• Food contains calories, measured in kcal or kJ.
• Consuming fewer calories than burned results in a calorie deficit, which aids in fat loss.
• Consuming more calories than burned results in a calorie surplus, which aids in muscle and fat gain.
• Nutritional needs vary throughout life, where the key food groups always remain the same, but the proportions needed varies from person to person.
• Factors affecting proportion of food groups needed include height, sex, activity levels (active/sedentary), pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
• Energy needs increase from youth to adulthood to support growth.
• Children require a higher proportion of protein for growth compared to adults.
• Energy needs decrease as adults age.

Factors Affecting Energy Needs Summarized

• More active people need more energy for muscle contraction and respiration
• Pregnant individuals need increased energy to support fetal growth, needing more calcium and iron for fetal bone, teeth, and blood development.
• Breastfeeding mothers require extra energy and calcium to produce high-quality breast milk.
• Males generally require more energy than females due to a higher proportion of muscle mass.

Learn about the essential food groups needed for a balanced diet. Understand the sources and functions of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water. Discover how each nutrient is critical for maintaining health and preventing malnutrition.