The molecules that cells use to perform different functions and form different substances

are called nutrients.

Required in relatively small quantities. They are
vitamins and minerals, and our good health
requires them in milligram and microgram
amounts.
Required in relatively large amounts for normal
function and good health. These are also energy-
yielding nutrients, meaning these nutrients provide
calories.
Ex: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins and Fibre
Macro Basic unit Functions in body Food Sources How much
nutrient of Total
calories

Carbohydrates Simple 1. Energy production Rice, Bread, 45-65%

sugars 2. Energy storage Pasta, Roti, of total
Glucose 3. Building Vegetables & calories
macromolecules Fruits (Banana, that we
4. Sparring protein Apple, Potato, consume
5. Help in fat Squash, daily
metabolism Pumpkin,
Carrot etc)
Macro Basic unit Functions in body Food Sources How
nutrient much of
Total
calories
Proteins Amino 1. Building blocks of body – Lean meat, 10-35%
Acids Provide structure. poultry and fish, of total
2. Regulate body processes - eggs, milk, calories
enzymes and hormones yoghurt and that we
3. Transport molecules – cheese, seeds and consume
Haemoglobin nuts, beans and daily
4. Produce antibodies legumes soy
5. Energy production products like
6. Cell repair and maintenance tofu etc
Macro Basic unit Functions in body Food Sources How much
nutrient of Total
calories

Fats Triglyceride 1. Absorption of fat- Avocados, Cheese, 20-35% of

from soluble vitamins Eggs, Nuts, olive total
Fatty acids & 2. Provide energy oil, coconut, full calories that
Glycerol 3. Insulate the body fat dairy we consume
4. Necessary for optimal products, fatty daily
brain health fish, oils, ghee
5. Nerve signalling
6. Needed for Cell
structure
Macro Basic unit Functions in body Food Sources How
nutrient much of
Total
calories
Fibre Plant-based 1. Keeps you fuller, lowers Wholegrain Fibre is
carbohydrat cholesterol, stabilizes blood cereals, whole not broken
e not sugar wheat pasta, down in
digested in 2. Softens bowels – prevents wholegrain bread, the body –
the small constipation oats, barley, rye, so does
intestine 3. Helps in production of oranges not
good bacteria, improves broccoli, carrots, contribute
bowel health Potatoes (skin) to calories
4. Can reduce risk of bowel
cancer
 Carbs are fuel – 1gm = 4 cal, If you eat a 2000-calorie diet,
you should aim for about 225 to 325 grams of carbs per
day.
Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches and fibres found in fruits, grains, vegetables and
milk products.
They make up the bulk of the total calories (45 -65%) as they can easily be broken
down into glucose – the simple sugar that cell use to produce ATP – energy.
Glucose is the primary fuel for most of your cells and is the preferred energy for the
brain and nervous system, the red blood cells and the placenta and fetus.

Not all carbs are created

equally - choose your
carbs wisely!
Simple carbs contain 1 or 2 sugar molecules – Complex carbohydrates are starches. They're made
therefore broken down very quickly into glucose up of longer chains of sugar molecules, which
and raise blood sugar quickly. makes them take longer to digest.

These can be natural – found in fruit and milk or When you include complex carbs in your diet –
processed - table sugar, candy, soda. When you choose NATURAL and LEAST PROCESSED
include simple carbs in your diet – choose ones!
NATURAL ones!

Think
Fructose (fruits), lactose (milk) – simple but
WHOLE GRAIN!
natural sugars – have vitamins, minerals and fibre!
Choose your carbs wisely!
Refined or processed carbs whether simple (candy) or complex (refined flour – maida) that don’t have
essential nutrients or enough fibre.
They are linked to increased risk of many diseases - obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Proteins are large, complex molecules that are

found throughout the body—in muscle, bone,
skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or
tissue.
Proteins are made from 20 different Amino acids

1 gm of protein = 4 cal; A 140-pound person should aim for 50 grams of protein each day.
While animal proteins tend to contain a good balance of all the amino acids that we need, some plant
proteins are low in certain amino acids.
Hence vegetarians should eat a wide variety of proteins, not necessarily in 1 meal – PROTEIN
COMBINING – now thought as a myth!

Mix legumes (lentils,

beans, peas etc, nuts and
seeds (almonds, pista,
flax seeds), whole grains
(wheat, quinoa, oats,
wild rice) and vegetables
and fruits (corn, Animal protein – poultry,
broccoli, Brussel seafood, eggs, dairy, red meat
sprouts, asparagus etc)
Because foods contain a lot more than protein, it’s important to
pay attention to what else is coming with it.

That’s why the Healthy Eating Plate (click link to find out
more!) encourages choosing healthy protein foods.
Saturated fats have no double bonds in their Their chemical structure contains one or more
chemical structure. They are “saturated” with double bonds – liquid at room temperature.
hydrogen atoms. Because of their chemical
structure, they have a solid consistency at room
temperature.
They can be monounsaturated or
polyunsaturated.
Mono – Olive, canola, nuts, avocados
Saturated fats-ex: beef,
Poly – Omega 3 and omega 6 in safflower,
poultry, pork, plant oils,
sunflower, tuna, salmon, walnuts, chia seeds etc.
dairy products – butter,
cheese, processed meats – Unsaturated fats are considered
bacon, pre-packaged foods – healthier than saturated fats
crackers, chips, cookies
 Some studies have shown that consuming a high amount of saturated fats may increase your LDL and,
therefore, your risk of heart disease.

Limit high cholesterol foods – eggs, cheese, fried food, processed meat etc
Cholesterol is a type of lipid. It contributes to the cell membranes, steroid hormones, bile and Vit D.
Your body almost all the cholesterol it needs, but it also absorbs a relatively small amount of cholesterol
from certain foods, such as eggs, meat and full-fat dairy products.

Cholesterol and triglycerides (excess energy in body is stored as triglycerides)

need to be transported in blood. They cannot travel on their own – need
lipoproteins.
Lipoproteins can be of 3 types based on cholesterol, triglyceride and protein ratio.
HDL – high protein levels – GOOD cholesterol – transports cholesterol back to liver
LDL – high cholesterol/low protein BAD cholesterol as they contribute to fatty build ups
VLDL – high triglyceride/low protein in arteries and heart disease
Food manufacturers harden oil in a process called hydrogenation, usually to increase the shelf life of
processed foods like crackers, chips and cookies. Partial hydrogenation converts some, but not all,
unsaturated fatty acids to saturated ones. Others remain unsaturated but are changed in chemical
structure. These are the health-damaging trans fats.
Trans fats raise insulin resistance, lower HDL and raise LDL - BAD

Look out for Partially hydrogenated

oils on nutrition labels

Total fat intake should be between 20 and 35

percent. This equals to 44 to 77 grams of total
fat daily on a 2,000-calorie diet. Out of this
saturated fat should only be 13 gms.
Fibre is the indigestible part of plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and legumes. It is
type of a carbohydrate that helps keep our digestive systems healthy
Functions on slide 6
It is not broken down by the human body, it does not contribute any calories. The grams of fiber can
actually be subtracted from the total grams of carb you are eating if you are using carbohydrate
counting for meal planning.

A high sugar low fibre diet is essentially a refined diet. Consuming

such a diet on a long term can lead to weight gain, increased risk of
heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Also this diet changes the bacterial
population in the mouth – leading to tooth decay and in the gut
leading to problems with digestion.

The average person should eat between 20-35 grams of fibre each day.
Each macronutrient is almost always found in every item of food - the only difference
is how the macronutrients are balanced.

As an example, the nutritional composition of an avocado is generally made up of 75% (good) fats,
20% carbohydrates and 5% protein, therefore this is clearly a fat-based food. On the other hand a
banana consists of 95% carbohydrates, with only small amounts of protein and fats.
https://medium.com/@loudfitness/diet-talk- http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/sites/de
everything-you-need-to-know-about-complex- fault/files/Fibre-2014.pdf
carbohydrates-bfb6f61954b1
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving
https://www.innerbody.com/nutrition/macron /basics/fibre.html
utrients#understanding-proteins
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/goo
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nity/dietary-needs/what-are-macronutrients-
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