Guide to Healthy Eating: Nutrients, Functions, and Tips

Healthy Eating Plate

• Oils:

  Olive oil for cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter, avoid trans fat.

• Water:

  Drink water, tea, or coffee with little or no sugar. Limit milk (1-2 servings a day) and juice (1 small glass a day). Avoid sugary drinks.

• Vegetables:

  The more veggies and variety, the better. Potatoes and French fries don't count.

• Whole Grains:

  Eat a variety of whole grains like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice. Limit refined grains like white rice and white bread.

• Fruits:

  Eat plenty of fruits of all colors.

• Healthy Protein:

  Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat and cheese; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats.

Foods and Nutrients

The difference between food and nutrients is that nutrients are a composite part of different types of food.

Inorganic Nutrients

• Water:

  It gets to the body by drinking and eating foods that contain water. Function: solvent, transportation of substances, chemical reactions, regulation of body temperature. Example: watermelon.

• Mineral Salts:

  It gets to the body dissolved in drinking water, as part of food, added to food. Function: for muscle contraction and nerve transmission, for bones and teeth. Examples: Ca2-milk, K-banana, Fe-sardine.

Organic Nutrients

• Carbohydrates:

  It gets to the body from plant sources (fruit, cereals, potatoes), sugar, and flour. Function: provide most of the energy. Example: glycogen-bread, pasta rice.

• Lipids:

  It gets to the body from plant sources (vegetable oils, nuts, margarine) and from animal sources (butter, bacon). Function: provide energy. Example: cholesterol-butter, nuts.

• Proteins:

  It gets to the body from animal sources (fish, meat, milk, eggs) and plant sources (legumes, cereal). Function: defense of the body, carrying oxygen in the blood. Example: antibodies, collagen-eggs, meat, fish, milk, cheese.

• Vitamins:

  It gets into the body in fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables, also milk, eggs, nuts, fish, oil, and cereal. Function: for growth and many organic processes. Example: D, E, A-orange, pineapple, meat.

Food Functions

• Building Blocks:

  Provide the structure for cells, tissues, and organs. Enable growth and repair damaged structures. Characteristics: high in proteins.

• Energy Producers:

  Produce energy to be used immediately or stored for use later. Characteristics: high in carbohydrates and lipids.

• Body Regulators:

  Provide essential substances that regulate the use of other foods and enable the body to carry out its functions. Characteristics: high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.

TDEE

• BMR + Physical Activity + Digestion.
• BMR: Weight x 22.
• Physical Activity: 0.5 x BMR.
• Digestion: BMR + Physical Activity x 0.10 (calories).

BMI

Weight (kg) / Height (m^2).

Calories

• 1 kcal: 4.18 kJ.
• 1 cal: 4.18 J.