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Essential Nutrients
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What is food? People often think of food as a way to satisfy their hunger or give them pleasure. But food also provides the body with essential nutrients for energy. Without these nutrients, the body would not be able to function. In the restaurant and foodservice business, having a basic knowledge of proper nutrition and its importance will help in giving customers food that tastes good and is good for them.
Nutrition is the study of the nutrients in food and how they nourish the body. Nutrients are components of food that are needed for the body to function. After consuming nutrients, people digest, absorb, transport, and use them to build and maintain the body. People receive nutrients almost entirely through the food they eat.
The Importance of Nutrition After restaurant and foodservice employees learn about nutrition, they can begin to plan menus and recipes that incorporate nutrition principles and meet customers’ expectations for healthy, tasty cuisine. People need certain nutrients on a regular basis to maintain health and prevent disease. The roles of the different types of nutrients vary.
The body needs nutrients to do the following:
Provide energy
Build and repair cells
Keep the different systems in the body working smoothly, such as breathing, digesting food, and building red blood cells
Malnutrition
Everyone needs to receive nutrients on a regular basis and in the correct amounts. This does not have to occur at each meal. It can happen over a period of time, such as several days or a week. Malnutrition is caused by a lack of nutrients or an imbalance of nutrients. Malnutrition can lead to the following:
Decreased energy
Developmental problems
Decreased focus
Long-term disease
Death
6 Basic Nutrients
There are six basic categories of nutrients that are important to the body. Each nutrient plays an essential role. Each individual is his or her own nutrition coach and must choose the food that will provide all the nutrients his or her body needs. If just one nutrient category is missing in a day, the rest of the team cannot work properly
CARBOHYRATES
Carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source. They help the body use protein and fat efficiently. Sugar, starch, and fiber are the main forms of carbs. Fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables are loaded with phytochemicals, which aid the body in preventing disease.
Simple VS. Complex Carbohydrates
The two types of carbohydrates are simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are differentiated by their chemical structure.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates contain one or two sugars, including fructose, glucose, and lactose. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates because their chemical structure is relatively simple compared to starch and fiber, which are complex carbohydrates. Sugars are found in fruit, milk, and the simple carbohydrates that are used in the kitchen or bakery, such as white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and honey. Simple carbohydrates are digested and absorbed quickly. They provide a short burst of energy. Simple carbohydrates include oranges and soft drinks (sodas). Glucose is a very important simple sugar. It is the primary source of energy. It’s also the main source of energy for the brain and nervous system. Good sources of glucose are fruit, vegetables, and honey.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex Carbohydrates Complex carbohydrates contain long chains that include many glucose molecules. They are found in plant-based foods such as grains, and legumes, bread, cereal, and rice. They provide a long-lasting source of energy. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates.
Good sources of complex carbohydrates include the following:
Dry beans and peas
Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn
Rice
Grits
Pasta
Oatmeal
Breads
Cereals
To maintain good health, it is important to eat lots of complex carbohydrates every day.
Fiber
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. It is the part of the plant that cannot be digested by people. Because it cannot be broken down, fiber is not absorbed in the intestines and is eliminated. Fiber is a chemical cousin to complex carbohydrates, but cannot be digested for energy needs. High-fiber food includes bran, legumes, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Like nutrients, dietary fiber is essential for good health. The two types of fiber each provide a valuable function:
Soluble fiber dissolves in water. When we eat foods that contain soluble fiber, we feel full for a longer time. Soluble fiber also slows down the release of sugar into the blood and helps lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It was once referred to as roughage (RUFF-ij) because it is rough. It acts like a stiff broom to clean and scrub the digestive tract so we can eliminate wastes from our systems more easily.
Although in recent years carbohydrates have been identified as the source of many people’s weight problems, this is not entirely true. Most people shouldn’t fear carbohydrates as a food category. If a person uses all of the energy from the calories he or she eats, it’s unlikely that the person will gain weight when eating normal amounts of carbohydrates. Excess calories from all nutrient sources and a lack of exercise are the actual causes in weight gain.
Hormones
Hormones are special chemical messengers made by bodies that regulate different body functions. The digestive process is not possible without a hormone called insulin, which is produced in the pancreas. It allows glucose, or blood sugar, to travel throughout the body for energy use. Problems with insulin production and blood sugar levels can be symptoms of diabetes or other diseases that put stress on the body, causing weakness and fatigue.
PROTEINS
Protein Proteins are another class of nutrients that can supply energy to the body. They are needed to build new cells and repair injured ones. Proteins provide the building blocks, in the form of amino acids, that the body uses for a variety of things, including muscles, tissues, enzymes, and hormones. Proteins are large complex molecules that contain long chains of amino acids. One of the primary functions of amino acids is to supply nitrogen for growth and maintenance. Amino acids also maintain fluids, keep the body from getting too acidic or basic, and act as transporters when in the form of lipoproteins (molecules combining a lipid and a protein). Twenty amino acids can be found in food. Only nine of them, known as essential amino acids, have to be obtained from food each day. The others can be made by the body.
Protein Packed Foods
Proteins can be found in large quantity in meat, eggs, cheese, beans, nuts, legumes, and milk. Vegetables and grains also contain protein.
Proteins: Building Blocks of the Body
Skin, hair, nails, muscles, and tendons are all made of protein. When tissues are destroyed—for example, when someone gets burned, has surgery, or has an infection—more protein than usual is needed. Extra protein is also required during pregnancy and times of physical growth.
Complete Proteins
Complete proteins are called complete because they contain all the essential amino acids in the right amount. Good sources of complete proteins are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Incomplete proteins lack one or more of the essential amino acids. Foods from plant sources are incomplete proteins. Dried beans, dried peas, grains, and nuts have more protein than other vegetables and fruits.
To get complete proteins from plant food, combine them with other food. For example, combine cooked dry beans or peas with a grain product (such as lentils and rice), or combine a plant food with an animal protein (such as macaroni and cheese). Complementary proteins are two or more incomplete protein sources that together provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids. Examples of complementary proteins include peanut butter sandwich, macaroni and cheese, tofu with rice, and beans and tortillas.
FATS
Fat is another word for lipids. Lipids are a group of molecules that include fats, oils, waxes, steroids, and other compounds. Many people want to reduce the amount of fat in their diets, although a certain amount of fat is needed for good nutrition. Fat usually refers to both fats and oils, although basic differences exist between the two. Fats are solid at room temperature and often come from animals. Oils are liquid at room temperature.
Function of Fats
Fat is an essential nutrient with many functions, including the following:
Carrying vitamins A, D, E, and K through the body
Cushioning the body’s vital organs
Protecting the body from extreme temperatures
Providing a reserve supply of energy (when the body stores it)
Supplying nutrients called essential fatty acids, such as omega 3-fatty acid (linolenic) and omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic)
The three types of fatty acids are the following:
Saturated
Monounsaturated
Polyunsaturated
Saturated Fats
All fat in food is made up of different combinations of the three types of fatty acids. Some foods have no saturated fats. If a food contains mostly saturated fatty acids, it is considered a saturated fat. If a food contains mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids, it is a polyunsaturated fat. Animal fats generally are more saturated than liquid vegetable oils. Food such as seafood, poultry, and meat contain saturated fats. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils and foods such as peanuts, olives, and avocados.
VITAMINS and MINERALS
Vitamins and Minerals Vitamins and minerals help in growth, reproduction, and the operation and maintenance of the body. In addition, certain minerals, such as the calcium in bones, provide some of the body’s structure. Without the right amounts of vitamins and minerals, people may become deficient and develop deficiency-related diseases. Food should be the primary source for vitamins and minerals. If this isn’t possible, a vitamin-mineral supplement may be helpful. However, too great an amount of a vitamin can be toxic. Vitamins are chemical compounds found in food. They’re needed for regulating metabolic processes, such as digestion and the absorption of nutrients. They are essential for life. Vitamins must be obtained from food because the human body makes insufficient amounts or, in some cases, none at all. The amounts of vitamins and minerals needed by the body are very small when compared to its need for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. However, vitamins help carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals to work properly.
Water VS. Fat Soluble Vitamins
The two types of vitamins are water soluble and fat soluble. Water-soluble vitamins mix only with water, and fat-soluble vitamins mix only with fat:
Water-soluble vitamins (vitamins C and B) are found in food such as oranges and grapefruit. The body needs these vitamin sources every day. These vitamins are vulnerable to cooking and may be destroyed by heat or washed away by steam or water.
Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) are found in food containing fat. They’re stored in the liver and body fat. The body draws on these stored vitamins when needed.
Minerals
Minerals are classified as major or trace, according to how much is needed in the diet. Some examples of major minerals are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Calcium and phosphorus help build strong bones and teeth. Potassium and sodium are needed for maintaining the body’s water balance. Iron, copper, zinc, and iodine are examples of trace minerals. Although they are as important as major minerals, only tiny amounts of trace minerals are required. Iron is essential for replenishing red blood cells.
Even though some minerals are needed in very tiny amounts, getting the right amount is important to good health. Minerals are part of body structures and are also needed for body functions. Vitamins work as chemical keys or triggers for body functions. Some of these involve a body’s energy. Vitamins do not provide any energy. The sources of energy, or calories, are carbohydrate, protein, and fat. In addition to all the other things vitamins do, they also help the body to use energy from food as fuel.
WATER
Water is an essential nutrient, and its importance is often overlooked. Water is essential to all forms of life. People can’t live without it. About 55 to 65 percent of the human body is water by weight. It enables a tremendous number of chemical reactions in the body to take place. Cells, tissues, and organs need water to function.
Water has many important roles, including the following:
Helping with the digestion, absorption, and transportation of nutrients
Helping with the elimination of wastes through the kidneys, colon, and lungs
Distributing heat throughout the body and allowing heat to be released through the skin by evaporation (sweating)
Lubricating joints and cushioning body tissues Besides water itself, other beverages and some types of food (such as fruits and vegetables) contain water.
The human body can live a long time without many other nutrients, but only a few days without water. As you can see, offering customers a cold glass or bottle of water is more than just a courtesy; it is important for their health.
Fruits and vegetables are a wonderful source of water and hydration! Think of all the watery fruits and vegetables you enjoy such as watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, apples, oranges, pineapple, grapes, and other citrus fruits.
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