Nutrients are substances that provide energy the body needs to function during the day, and they are: carbohydrates or glucids, fats or lipids, proteins, vitamins, water and mineral salts. Carbohydrates or carbon hydrates are nutrients whose main function is to provide immediate energy to the body. In a diet, the most abundant carbohydrates are:
– Starches or feculae found in legumes and potatoes.
– Sugars are split into simple (or monosaccharides) found in foods like: glucose in honey and fruit and lactose in milk. Complex glucids (or disaccharides) are made up of fructose and glucose and are found in sacarose (common sugar).
Fats perform numerous functions within the body, but the most important one is supplying calories to the body. We find them in vegetable oils and animal fats.
Proteins are complex organic compounds that are generally needed in a person’s growth stage and serve as raw material for the formation of digestive juices, hormones, plasmatic proteins, hemoglobin and enzymes. They are obtained from foods of animal (meat, fish and eggs) and vegetable (legumes, grains (cereals), nuts, among others) origin.
Vitamins are organic substances that are essential to the metabolic process and the body’s growth, as well as for cellular activity. Foods that supply vitamins are mainly fruits and vegetables.
Water is fundamental for subsistence because it is the body’s main component and over half of its weight. It is essential in processes like digestion and the absorption and elimination of waste.
Mineral salts (calcium, potassium, iron, among others) help regulate bodily functions and we find them in fruits, vegetables, fish and shell fish and common salt.
Classification of foods
One of the classifications has to do with their origin (animal or vegetable), as well as with their type (fruits, vegetables, meats, etc.). According to this distribution, it is split into the following groups:
Groups 1: Milk and its derivates.
Group 2: Meats, fish and eggs.
Groups 3: Legumes, nuts and potatoes.
Group 4: Vegetables.
Group 5: Fruits.
Group 6: Bread, grains, pasta, sugar and candy.
Group: 7: Fats and oils.
They can also be classified according to the function they fulfill within the body, and three types are distinguished:
– Regulating or plastic foods: they are foods that help in growth and in developing muscles and bones. Foods in groups 1 and 2 have a high protein content, a high content of minerals like iron and zinc and of vitamins A, B and D.
– Energetic foods: as their name states, they are the ones that supply us with energy. Foods rich in carbohydrates (like those in group 3 and 6) belong to this group, as well as those that contain lipids (like the ones in group 7).
– Regulating foods: they contain substances that are essential in order to keep the body in good shape. These foods are the ones that contain a great amount of vitamins (mainly A and C) and belong to groups 4 and 5.
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