Food and Nutrients

• Lists of food items eaten are identifiable in different parts of India
• A meal consists of chapati, dal and brinjal curry
• Rice, sambar and vegetable preparation of lady finger also make a meal
• Appam, fish curry and vegetables provides another meal variant
• Meals contains at least one item of grain, dal or meat and vegetables
• Items like curd, butter milk and pickles may form part of a meal
• Meals in different regions varies
• Meals contains such a wide distribution because our body needs different kinds of food

What Different Food Items Contain

• Each dish is made up of one or more ingredients we get form plants or animals
• Ingredients contain components that are needed by our body

Nutrients

• Nutrients are the components in food
• Major nutrients in our food are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals
• Dietary fibres and water are also needed by our body
• Cooked food or a raw ingredient contains one or more of these nutrients
• Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are simpler nutrients to test for
• Tests require solutions of iodine, copper sulphate and caustic soda, test tubes and a dropper
• Tests done on cooked food items and raw materials

Preparing Solutions

• A dilute solution of iodine is prepared by adding a few drops of tincture iodine to a test tube half filled with water
• Dissolving 2 g of copper sulphate in 100 mL of water prepares copper sulphate solution
• Caustic soda solution is made with 10 g of caustic soda dissolved in 100 mL of water

Testing for Starch

• Take a small quantity of a food item or a raw ingredient
• Put 2-3 drops of dilute iodine solution on it
• If the food turns blue-black, this indicates that it contains starch

Testing for Protein

• For testing solid food items first make a paste or powder of it
• Put the food item in a clean test tube with 10 drops of water and shake
• Add two drops of copper sulphate solution and ten drops of caustic soda solution to the test tube and shake well
• Leave the test tube to stand for a few minutes; violet color indicates presence of proteins

Testing for Fats

• Take food and wrap it in paper and crush it, being careful not to tear the paper
• Straighten the paper and observe it carefully
• If there's an oily patch, fat is present

What Nutrients do for our Body

• Carbohydrates mainly provide energy to our body
• Fats also afford provide energy
• Fats provide much more energy compared to the same amount of carbohydrates
• Foods containing fats and carbohydrates are called 'energy giving foods'
• Proteins are needed for growth and repair of our body

Vitamins

• Vitamins help in protecting our body against diseases
• They help in keeping our eyes, bones, teeth, and gums healthy
• Vitamin A keeps our skin and eyes healthy
• Vitamin C helps body to fight against many diseases
• Vitamin D helps our body to use calcium for bones and teeth
• All types of vitamins are needed in small quantities

Minerals

• Required by Body
• Needed by body in small amounts; essential for proper growth and to maintain good health
• Food items usually have more than one nutrient
• In a given raw material, one particular nutrient has more quantity than the others
• Rice has more carbohydrates than other nutrients and is a carbohydrate-rich food

Dietary Fibres and Water

• Body needs dietary fibres and water besides nutrients
• Dietary fibres are also known as roughage
• Roughage is mainly provided by plant products in our foods
• Whole grains and pulses, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables are main sources of roughage
• Roughage does not provide any nutrient to our body, but is an essential component of our food and adds to its bulk
• This helps body get rid of undigested food
• Water helps body to absorb nutrients from food
• It also helps in throwing out some wastes from body as urine and sweat
• Body gets water from liquids we drink such as water, milk and tea, and from adding water to most cooked food
• Many food materials have water

Balanced Diet

• The food we normally eat in a day is our diet
• The diet should have all the nutrients our body needs, in right quantities for growth and maintenance of good health
• The diet also should contain a good amount of roughage and water
• Pulses, groundnut, soyabean, sprouted seeds, fermented foods, a combination of flours, banana, spinach, sattu, jaggery, available vegetables provide many nutrients
• Fruits and vegetables shouldn't be washed after cutting or peeling to avoid loss of vitamins
• Cooking improves taste of food and makes it easier to digest but results in loss of certain nutrients

Deficiency Diseases

• Lack of nutrients leads to deficiency
• Deficiency can cause diseases or disorders in our body
• Diseases that occur due to lack of nutrients over a long period are called deficiency diseases
• If a person does not get enough proteins, they are likely to have stunted growth, swelling of face, discolouration of hair, skin diseases and diarrhoea
• If the diet is deficient in both carbohydrates and proteins for a long period of time, the growth may stop completely; the person becomes lean, thin and weak
• Excess intake of fat rich foods can result in obesity
• Deficiency results in certain diseases or disorders that can be prevented by taking a balanced diet

Learn about the nutrients found in food, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Understand the importance of dietary fibers and water for a balanced diet. Explore how different food items from plants and animals contribute essential components to our body.