Nutrition Unit

5 chemical categories of food:

Carbohydrate - quick energy

Protein - building blocks

Fat (lipids) - stored energy

Minerals - elements needed in body structures

Vitamins - Compounds that help the body function.

            Fiber is also considered an essential nutrient.

            Carbs, Protein, & Fat are considered Macronutrients, the substance of food

            Minerals & Vitamins are called Micro-Nutrients for obvious reasons

You should know this from biology!  Nutrition chemistry is simple.  Science has known this stuff for a long time.  Keep your eating simple.  Balance is the key!  A little of this and a little of that can add up to a very healthy diet!

Simple Nutrition principles from Mr. Brown.

            1. There is No Bad Food!  (food is not good and/or bad)

            2. It is not what you eat, it is what you don't eat.

            3. Americans eat too much!

Behaviors:  Eating well is fun and simple and also good for your health!  Do it!!

Nutrition Label

You must be able to the % calories due to fat in food you are eating.

            Fat Calories/Total Calories X 100 = Fat Calories %

You MUST be able to do these calculation!  The Reason?  You should eat an average of 30% of calories due to fat and this calculation enables you to know how much fat you are eating!

You must be able to do the same for protein.

            4 calories per gram of protein X grams of Protein / Total Calories  X 100 = Protein Calories %.  Protein is the building blocks for a growing and functioning body

Remember:  4 Calories per gram in protein & carbohydrate, 9 Calories per gram in fat.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates food labeling and is responsible for keeping our food supply safe.

            A Federal Agency (reports to the President) but depends on Congress for funding and will therefore respond to pressure from the food industry.

Class Work Assignment:  Food Label Worksheet  Make sure you do this before the test!

On Line label Assignment:   Compare Breakfast Links

I did this with my cross country team to discover the best source of protein.  This assignment will help you understand how much protein a product has.

A web site that will help you understand what you eat.    http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Video:

We watched a Scientific American video with Alan Alda as host:

Colonial feast - We eat a feast often in the US

Pima Indians story -  "fidget factor", "thrifty gene",  importance of exercise and diet.

Super foods story - Corn and B vitamin not active, Raw soy beans are toxic, and Wheat and yeast.

Obesity story - Obese people are not honest with themselves about how much they eat.

Behaviors:  Develop some tricks to eat well in Ridgewood's fast paced life style.