Used in cooking include simple sugars such as glucose and fructose (from fruit) and starches from sources such as cereal flour, rice, arrowroot and potato.

Come from both animal and plant sources. In cooking it provide tastes and textures. When used as the principal cooking medium (rather than water), they also allow the cook access to a wide range of cooking temperatures. Common oil-cooking techniques include sautéing, stir frying, and deep- frying. Commonly used fats and oils include butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, lard, beef fat, canola oil, and peanut oil.

Edible animal material, including muscle, offal, milk, and egg white, contains substantial amounts of protein. Almost all vegetable matter ( in particular legumes and seeds ) also includes proteins, although generally in smaller amounts. These may also be a source of essential amino acids.

Minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen which are present in common organic molecules. Sometimes these "minerals" come from natural sources such as ground oyster shells. Sometimes minerals are added to the diet separately from food, such as mineral supplements, the most famous being iodine in "iodized salt". Other minerals are calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur. These minerals are obtained from milk, other dairy products, cereals, legumes, bone meal, meat, fish, all fruits, vegetables and sea salt etc.

Vitamins are essential for the normal growth and development. It is a ket nutrient that the body needs in small amounts to grow and stay strong. Examples are vitamins A, C, and E. Vitamins are found in many fruits and vegetables; especially green peppers, citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, leafy greens, potatoes, animal foods, such as live, whole eggs and milk.