FOOD GROUPS

Macronutrients

Nutrient Function Sources

Carbohydrate
All starchy foods, such as bread,
rice, potatoes, pasta, cereals and
Provides energy for the
cereal products; fruit and starchy
body.
vegetables, milk and milk products,
sugar, preserves and confectionery.

Protein
Provides amino acids
(building blocks) that we
can’t make ourselves. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy foods, cereal
Needed for growth, products such as bread, soya
development and repair products, nuts and pulses.
of the body. Also
provides energy.

Fat Provides essential fatty

acids (that we can’t make
ourselves but need in Fats and oils, meat and meat
small amounts), as well products, dairy foods, oily fish, nuts,
as energy. It also carries cakes, biscuits, pastry products,
important fat-soluble crisps and other snacks, chocolate.
vitamins and is important
for their absorption.

Micronutrients
Water-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in our bodies and are readily excreted.
These include vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate and
vitamin C.

Nutrient Function Sources

Vitamin B1
(Thiamin) Helps to release energy from Whole grains, nuts, meat
carbohydrate. It is also (especially pork), fruit and
involved in the nervous system vegetables and fortified breakfast
and the heart. cereals.

Vitamin B2 Helps to release energy from

(Riboflavin) Milk and milk products, eggs, rice,
food and is needed for the
fortified breakfast cereals, liver,
normal structure and
pulses, mushrooms and green
functioning of the skin and
vegetables
body linings.

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Vitamin B3 Helps to release energy from
(Niacin) food, and is important for the
Meat, wheat and maize flour,
normal structure of the skin
eggs, milk and milk products and
and body linings. It also keeps
yeast.
the digestive and nervous
systems healthy.
Vitamin B6 Helps to release energy from
Poultry, white fish, milk and milk
protein, and helps to form
products, eggs, whole grains,
haemoglobin in blood (the
soya beans, peanuts and some
substance which carries
vegetables.
oxygen around our bodies).
Vitamin B12
Important for making red blood
Meat, fish, milk and milk products,
cells and to keep the nervous
cheese, eggs, yeast extract and
system healthy. Also helps to
fortified breakfast cereals.
release energy from food.

Folate/ Folic acid Needed for the formation of

healthy red blood cells. It is Green leafy vegetables,
also needed for the nervous wholegrain products, liver, nuts,
system and specifically for the peas, oranges, bananas and
development of the nervous fortified breakfast cereals.
system in unborn babies.
Acts as an antioxidant and is
Vitamin C important for the normal
Fruit especially citrus fruits and
structure and functioning of
berries; green vegetables,
body tissues. It also helps the
peppers and tomatoes. Also
body to absorb iron from non-
found in potatoes (especially new
meat sources such as
new potatoes).
vegetables, as well as
assisting the healing process.

Fat-soluble vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the gut with the help of fat. These include
vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K.

Nutrient Function Sources

Important for the normal structure
Vitamin A Liver, whole milk, cheese,
and functioning of the skin and
butter, spreads, carrots, dark
body linings, e.g. in lungs. It also
green leafy vegtables and
helps with vision in dim light as well
orange-coloured fruits, e.g.
as keeping the immune system
mangoes and apricots.
healthy.
Needed for the absorption of
Vitamin D calcium and phosphorus from Oily fish, eggs, meat, fortified
foods, to keep bones healthy. cereals and spreads. Most is
Recent research also suggests that obtained through the action of
vitamin D enhances immune sunlight on our skin during the
function and improves muscle summer months.
strength.

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Vitamin E

Acts as an antioxidant and protects

Vegetable and seed oils and
the cells in our bodies against
spreads, nuts and seeds.
damage.

Vitamin K
Needed for the normal clotting of
Green leafy vegetables, meat
blood and is required for normal
and dairy products.
bone structure.

Minerals
There are certain minerals we need to keep our bodies healthy. These include
calcium, fluoride, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium,
sodium and zinc.

Nutrient Function Sources

Milk and milk products,
Calcium cheese and other dairy
Important for the formation
products, some green leafy
and maintenance of strong
vegetables such as
bones and teeth, as well as
broccoli, fortified soya bean
the functioning of nerves and
products, canned fish (if
muscles. It is also involved in
containing bones that are
blood clotting.
soft and can be consumed)
and bread.
Fluoride
Helps with the formation of
Fluoridated water, tea, fish
strong teeth and protects
and toothpaste.
against dental decay (caries).

Iodine
Needed to make thyroid
hormones, which control
many metabolic processes,
and keep our bodies healthy.
Milk and milk products, sea
fish, shellfish, seaweed and
iodine-fortified foods, such
as some salt.

Iron Required for making red

blood cells, which transport
Liver, red meat, pulses,
oxygen around the body.
nuts, eggs, dried fruits,
Also needed for normal
poultry, fish, whole grains
metabolism and the
and dark green leafy
functioning of enzymes that
vegetables.
remove unwanted
substances from the body.

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Magnesium
Helps to release energy from
food and to maintain water
balance. It is also important
for the formation of strong
muscles, bones and teeth.
Found widely in foods,
particularly green leafy
vegetables, nuts, bread,
fish, meat, milk and milk
products.

Phosphorous
Needed for the formation of
Red meat, milk and milk
healthy bones and teeth, and
products, fish, poultry,
for the release of energy from
bread, rice and oats.
food.

Potassium Controls water balance in our Fruit (especially bananas),

bodies and helps maintain a vegetables, meat, fish,
healthy blood pressure. It is shellfish, milk and milk
also involved in the normal products, nuts, seeds and
functioning of nerves. pulses.
Very small amounts in raw
Sodium foods. Often added during
Helps regulate the water processing, preparation,
content in the body and the preservation and serving.
balance of electrolytes. Also Currently intakes of sodium
involved in the use of energy, are too high and so
as well as the functioning of although some sodium is
the central nervous system. essential, most people need
to reduce their intake
substantially.
Selenium An important component of
the body’s defence system
that protects our bodies
against damage. It is also
Brazil nuts, bread, fish,
necessary for the use of
meat and eggs.
iodine in thyroid hormone
production, as well as the
normal functioning of the
reproductive system.
Zinc
Helps to release energy from
food. Needed for cell division, Meat, milk and milk
growth and tissue repair. Also products, cheese, eggs,
necessary for normal shellfish, wholegrain
reproductive development, cereals, nuts and pulses.
the immune system and
healing of wounds.

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Non-nutrients
Water and fibre are non-nutrients, but are important substances that we need
to include in our diets to stay healthy.

Non-nutrient Function Sources

Water
Not a nutrient in the classical
sense, but is essential for our
bodies to work properly, for
example for regulating body
temperature, cushioning the
joints, controlling blood
pressure and keeping the
body in balance.
All drinks including water,
milk, and juices. We actually
get roughly 20% of our
water requirements from the
food we eat. Water-rich
foods include fruit and
vegetables, soups, stews
and sauces.

Fibre Not a nutrient, but improves

the movement of the gut
contents and helps prevent
Cereals, beans, pulses,
constipation. Some types of
lentils, fruit and vegetables.
fibre also help lower blood
cholesterol and glucose
levels.

Adapted from British Nutrition Foundation - www.nutrition.org.uk

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