Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

AT A GLANCE

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Identify sources of food

• State the functions of nutrients, water and dietary fibre that
are found in food
• Identify the different food groups in My Healthy Plate

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Food Sources

• Fresh food is raw food that comes straight from the

animal or plant and that has not been frozen, dried or
preserved. It is perishable and has to be consumed
quickly before it spoils.

• Processed food is obtained from processing raw

food in the factory so that it can be kept for a longer
time and for easy consumption.

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Plant Sources

• Food from plants can be categorised according to

their different parts.

Seed Root Tuber

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Plant Sources
Stem Leaf Bulb

Flower Fruit Grain

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Animal Sources

• Animal sources include the following:

Beef Pork Lamb

Offal Fish Shellfish

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Animal Sources
Poultry
Duck Chicken Turkey

Dairy products
Milk
Cheese

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Classification

• Nutrients which provide our body energy:

Carbohydrates and Fats

• Nutrient which helps our body grow and repair itself:

Protein

• Nutrients which protect our body from diseases and

keep us healthy: Vitamins and Minerals

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Nutrients that Provide Energy

Carbohydrates
Function Plant Health risks
Provide the sources • May cause tooth
main source Rice, noodles, decay
of energy for potatoes, bread and
• Excess carbohydrates
sugar cane
the body’s will be converted to
daily activities fats, resulting in
and basal weight gain over
metabolism time

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Nutrients that Provide Energy

Fats
Functions Plant Health risks
• Prevent heat sources • Excessive
loss and Vegetable oils consumption of
keep our food high in fats
body warm Animal may lead to obesity
• Protect sources and heart diseases
internal Lard, butter and
organs ghee
• Transport
fat-soluble
vitamins 9
 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Nutrients for Growth and Repair

Proteins
Functions Plant Health risks
• Help in the sources • Excess proteins in the
growth, Green beans, bean body will be
maintenance and curd and tempeh converted to fats and
repairing of cells Animal stored in the body,
and tissues resulting in weight
sources gain over time
• Provide energy if Meat, fish, eggs
there is and dairy products
insufficient intake
of carbohydrates
or fats
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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Nutrients for Protection from Diseases

• Vitamins and minerals are nutrients which

protect our body from diseases and keep us
healthy.
• They are needed in small amounts in our body.
• We may develop deficiency diseases over
time if our body lacks any particular vitamin
or mineral.

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins
• Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in our liver
and fatty tissues.
• Consuming too much of these vitamins can be
toxic to our body.

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Fat-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A
Functions Sources Vitamin A
• Keeps our Papaya, broccoli, Deficiency
liver and cheese
eyes healthy • Dry skin
so that we • Night blindness
can see better (not able to see
in dim light clearly in dim
• Helps in light)
maintaining
healthy skin
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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Fat-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin D
Function Sources Vitamin D
Helps in the Egg yolk, milk and Deficiency
salmon
absorption of Rickets in children
calcium from (legs are bowed)
food to build
strong bones
and teeth

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Fat-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin E
Functions Sources Vitamin E
• Keeps the immune Nuts, vegetable Deficiency
oils, seeds and
system strong green leafy Severe deficiency
against viruses vegetables can cause red blood
and bacteria
• Helps in the
cells to rupture
formation of red
blood cells
• Protects body
tissues from
damage
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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Fat-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin K
Function Sources Vitamin K
Needed for Dried prunes, Deficiency
spring onion and
normal blood kiwi fruit Blood is unable to
clotting after clot properly
an injury

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins
• Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water
and are not stored in our body.
• They are constantly removed from our body
through urination.

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Water-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B-group
Functions Sources Vitamin B1 Deficiency
Cereals, milk, meat • Beri-beri
• Helps in and eggs
releasing
energy from Vitamin B2 Deficiency
food • Swollen tongue and
cracked lips
• Vitamin B1
is required
Vitamin B3
for normal Deficiency
growth in • Pellagra
children
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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Water-soluble Vitamins

Vitamin C
Functions Sources Vitamin C
• Helps in Tomatoes, citrus Deficiency
fruit, berries and
healing green leafy Scurvy (bleeding
wounds vegetables gums and loose
• Helps in teeth)
absorbing
iron from
food

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Nutrients for Protection from Diseases

• Minerals are elements which are present in

small amounts in food.
• Similar to vitamins, minerals are needed in
small quantities by our body.

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Minerals

Calcium
Functions Sources Calcium Deficiency
Bean curd, ikan Osteoporosis (bones are
• Maintains strong bilis, sardines and weak and brittle)
bones and teeth spinach
• Helps in blood
clotting after an
injury
• Required for
muscles and
nerves to
function properly
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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Minerals

Iron
Function Sources Iron Deficiency
Forms Liver, red meat and Anaemia (pale
dark green
haemoglobin in vegetables such as complexion, feeling
red blood cells kailan weak and tired)
which
transports
oxygen around
the body

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Minerals

Sodium
Function Sources Sodium
Maintains Salt, canned food, Deficiency
salted fish and
fluid balance sauces Muscle cramps
in the body

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Water

Functions Sources Health risks

• Transports Soup, fruits and • Dehydration
beverages
nutrients • Severe
• Acts as a dehydration may
solvent lead to heat stroke
• Removes waste and death
products
• Regulates body
temperature
• Lubricates the
joints
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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Dietary Fibre

Function Sources Health risk

Absorbs water
Almonds, kiwi and • Constipation
whole-grain cereal
and helps the
body to remove
solid waste more
easily

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Fill a quarter
of plate with
brown rice and
wholemeal
bread
Fill half of
your plate with
fruit and
Fill a quarter of vegetables
your plate with
meat and others

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Fruit and vegetables

• Main source of vitamins, minerals and dietary
fibre
• Reduce the risk of developing heart diseases,
stroke and some cancer

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Brown rice and wholemeal bread

• Main source of carbohydrates and may also
contain vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre
• Whole-grains should be consumed over
refined grains such as white rice
• Reduce the risk of developing heart diseases
and diabetes

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Meat and others

• Main source of proteins and calcium
• Lean meat and low-fat dairy products should
be consumed over full-fat dairy products to
reduce the risk of obesity and other health
problems

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Besides the three food groups, we also need to:

• consume healthier oils in moderation;
• drink enough water each day instead of sugar-
sweetened beverages;
• be active.

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Use healthier oils

• Healthier oils are recommended in our diet to
reduce the risk of developing heart diseases
• Fats should be consumed in moderation

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Choose water
• Water should be consumed over sugar-
sweetened beverages
• Helps reduce the risk of obesity

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

My Healthy Plate

Be active
• A healthy lifestyle also involves being active
every day.
• Examples include brisk walking, cycling,
taking the stairs and skipping.

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

One Serving

• A serving is a standard amount of food suitable for one person.

For example:
1 serving is equals to
• 1 palm-sized piece of meat, fish or poultry
• 3 eggs
• 2 glasses of milk
• 1 small apple or orange
• 1 wedge of papaya or watermelon
• ¾ mug or 100g cooked leafy vegetables
• ¾ mug or 100g cooked non-leafy vegetables
• ½ bowl brown rice or whole-grain noodles
• 2 slices of wholemeal bread

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 Chapter 2 Nutrients in Food

Physical Activity Guidelines

• There are three different levels of physical

activity:.
• Aerobic activity is any form of physical activity that
involves the movement of the body’s large muscles.
• Strength activity is any form of weight-carrying activity
that improves the strength of bones, joints and skeletal muscle.

• Sedentary activity is any form of activity that does not

increase energy expenditure much more than when resting.

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