NUTRITION

Nutrition is the process of taking in food to get energy and maintain life. It is also called feeding in living organisms.

FOOD

Food is any substance which when eaten is used to maintain life and growth.

Importance of Food

To give energy
To maintain life
It makes us grow
To make one stay healthy
It helps to build the body and repair worn-out tissues
It enables the body to fight against diseases.

FOOD ITEMS OR FOOD STUFFS

These are items or things that we eat. Examples are rice, beans, yam, garri, fish, groundnut etc.

Meal – This is a combination of two or more food items eaten together.

Diet – This refers to the meals that we eat everyday

SOURCES OF FOOD

Food items can be classified into two sources

Plants
Animals

Plant sources

Rootsg. cassava, carrot, etc.
Underground stems e.g. Irish potato, yam, onion etc.
Fruitsg. palm oil, tomato, guinea corn, maize etc.
Seedsg. beans, groundnut oil, rice etc.

Animal Sources

These include meat, cheese, chicken, egg etc.

CLASSES OF FOOD

Food can be grouped according to the nutrients they contain and the functions they perform:

Carbohydrates:

Sources: Rice, Cassava, wheat, maize, millet, potato etc.

Function: It gives us energy.

Protein

Source: Meat, Fish, beans, groundnut, milk, egg, melon etc.

Functions: (i) Repairs of worn-out tissues

(ii) It promote growth

(iii) It gives us energy when carbohydrates is lacking in the body.

Fats and oils

Sources: Palm oil, groundnut oil, margarine, butter

Functions: (i) Act as insulator and prevent heat loss

(ii) Provides much energy

(iii) It forms part of cell membrane

(iv) It cushions body organs.

Vitamins

Source: Leafy vegetables, fruits (like oranges, pawpaw, etc.), egg, liver, palm oil.

Functions: (i) Promotes healthy body and growth in children.

(ii) Prevent diseases

Mineral salts:

Sources: Fruit, eggs, milk, dried fish, vegetables

Functions: (i) Aids the formation of good bones, teeth, blood, meat and liver

Water:

Source: Rain, spring, river, well

Functions: (i) component of the blood and flesh

(ii) Aids digestion

Roughages:

Source: Vegetables

Functions: (i) makes food to pass through the digestive system easily.

NUTRIENTS

A nutrient is a chemical or food that provides what living things need to live a healthy life and grow well. The different classes of food can also be called nutrients.

BALANCED DIET

It is a diet that contains the correct combination of all the classes of food in the required amount or proportions.

Importance of Balanced Diet

It makes us to stay healthy
It helps to prevent malnutrition
It helps to protect the body from diseases.

CLASSWORK

What is food?
State four importance of food
Mention three sources of carbohydrate

ASSIGNMENT

SECTION A

Which of these is not a major function of food? (a) to provide energy (b) to sustain life (c) to make us fairer (d) to make us grow
The following are classes of food except (a) protein (b) vitamins (c) fruits (d) carbohydrates
The diet that contain all the six classes of food in their right proportion is called (a) appetizer (b) balanced diet (c) complete food (d) charismas food
Which of these foot items aids digestion? (a) vegetables (b) fat and oil (c) protein (d) carbohydrate
Which of the following is an arrangement of protein, carbohydrate and vitamin respectively (a) rice, juice and yam (b) milk, garri and palm oil (c) corn, beans and cassava (d) juice, milk and egg

SECTIOIN B

Define balanced diet
State three importance of balanced diet
List the classes of food
State two functions of protein