Digestion and Excretion

Nutrition

Why do you eat?

How do you decide what to eat and when to eat it? You
could survive for weeks without food. However, you might
feel hungry just a few hours after eating a meal.
Hunger is your body’s way of telling you that it needs
food. Why does your body need food? Food contains
energy. Food gives your body the energy and nutrients it
needs to survive.

Energy
Every activity you do, such as riding a bike and even
sleeping, uses energy. Your digestive system processes the
food you eat. It releases the energy from this processed food.
The energy is used for cellular processes and all activities
that you do.
Measuring Energy The amount of energy in food is
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measured in Calories. A Calorie (Cal) is the amount of energy it

takes to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°C.
How much energy do foods contain? Each food contains
a different amount of energy. One grape contains 2 Cal. One
slice of cheese pizza might have 220 Cal. All foods give your
body energy to use.
Your Energy Needs The amount of energy a person needs
depends on several factors. Some of those factors are weight,
age, activity level, and gender. For example, a person with
a mass of 68 kg usually burns more Calories than a person
with a mass of 45 kg. Playing soccer requires more energy
than playing a video game. How does the food you eat
supply you with energy? The energy comes from nutrients.

Nutrients
Food is made of nutrients. Nutrients are substances that
provide energy and materials for cell development, growth,
and repair. People need different types and amounts of
nutrients.
A person’s nutrient requirements depend on the person’s
age, gender, and activity level. Toddlers need more fat in
their diets than older children do. Women need more
calcium and iron than men do. Older men and women need
more calcium than younger adults. Active people need more
protein than people who are less active. There are six groups
of nutrients. Each group plays a role in maintaining your
health.

Groups of Nutrients
The six groups of nutrients are proteins, carbohydrates,
fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Each nutrient has a
different function in the body. To be healthy, you need to
eat nutrients from each group every day. Different foods

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contain different combinations of these nutrients. A
healthful diet includes a variety of foods.

Proteins
Most of the tissues in your body are made of proteins.
A protein is a large molecule that is made of amino acids and that
contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.
Proteins have many functions. Proteins relay signals
between cells and protect against disease. They also
provide support to cells and speed up chemical reactions.
All of these functions are needed to maintain homeostasis.
Homeostasis keeps an organism’s internal condition
consistent even when there are changes to the
organism’s environment.
Combinations of 20 different amino acids make up the
proteins in your body. Your cells can make more than half
of these amino acids. The rest of the amino acids must come
from the foods that you eat. Some foods that are good sources
of protein are red meat, eggs, beans, and peanut butter.
 Carbohydrates
Pasta, bread, and potatoes all have high levels of
carbohydrates (kar boh HI drayts). Carbohydrates are molecules
made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms and are usually the body’s
main source of energy. Carbohydrates are usually found in one of
three forms—starches, sugars, or fibers. All carbohydrates are
made of sugar molecules. These molecules are linked together
like a chain. It is best to eat foods that have carbohydrates
from whole grains. Whole grains are easy to digest. Other
foods that are high in carbohydrates include red beans,
vegetables, and fruit.

Fats
You need a certain amount of fat in your diet and on
your body to stay healthy. Fats, also called lipids, provide energy
and help the body absorb vitamins. They are a major part of
cell membranes. Body fat helps to insulate against cold
temperatures. Most people get plenty of fat in their diets.
Too much fat in your diet can lead to health problems.
Only about 25–35 percent of the Calories you consume
should be fats.
Fats are classified as either saturated or unsaturated. A
diet high in saturated fats can increase levels of cholesterol.
High levels of cholesterol can increase the risk of heart
disease. Most of the fat in your diet should come from
unsaturated fats. Foods such as fish, nuts, and liquid
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vegetable oils are sources of unsaturated fats.

Vitamins
Vitamins are nutrients that are needed in small amounts for
growth, regulating body functions, and preventing some diseases.
You can get most of the vitamins that your body needs by
eating a well-balanced diet. If you do not get enough of
one or more vitamins in your diet, then you might develop
symptoms of vitamin deficiency. The symptoms depend on
which vitamin you are not getting enough of. The table below
lists some of the vitamins people need in their diets.

Vitamin Good Sources Health Benefit

Vitamin B2 milk, meats, vegetables helps release energy from

nutrients
Vitamin C oranges, broccoli, tissue growth and repair
tomatoes
Vitamin A carrots, milk, sweet enhances night vision,
potatoes, broccoli helps maintain skin and
bones
Minerals
In addition to vitamins, you need other nutrients called
minerals. Minerals are inorganic nutrients—nutrients that do not
contain carbon—that help the body regulate many chemical reactions.
In a way, minerals are similar to vitamins. If you do not
consume enough of certain minerals, you might develop
a mineral deficiency. Minerals are essential for maintaining
a healthy body. Some of the minerals that you need in your
diet are listed in the table below.

Mineral Good Sources Health Benefit

Calcium milk, spinach, green beans builds strong bones and

teeth
Iron meat, eggs, green beans helps carry oxygen
throughout the body
Zinc meat, fish, wheat/grains aids in the formation of
protein

Water
You learned that your body is mostly water. Water is
necessary for the chemical reactions that occur in your body.
Your body takes in water when you eat and drink.
However, you lose water when you sweat, urinate, and
breathe. To stay healthy, it is important to replace the water
that your body loses. Your body loses more water if you live

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in a warm climate, if you exercise, or if you become sick.
When the water that you lose is not replaced, you might
become dehydrated. Dehydration can be serious. Symptoms
of dehydration include thirst, headache, weakness, dizziness,
and little or no urination.

Healthful Eating
Imagine walking through a grocery store. Each aisle in
the store contains hundreds of different foods. Some foods
provide more health benefits than others. A large number
of choices can make it difficult to choose foods that are part
of a healthful diet.
To be a healthful eater, you need to be a smart shopper.
Smart shoppers make grocery lists before shopping. They
buy products that are high in nutrients. Foods that are high
in nutrients come from the major food groups. The major
food groups include grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk
products, and meat and beans.
 A Balanced Diet
A healthful diet includes carbohydrates, proteins, fats,
vitamins, minerals, and water. But how do you know how
much of each food group you need to eat? The table below
lists the daily recommended amounts of each food group for
9- to 13-year-olds.
The nutrient-rich foods that you choose might be different
from the nutrient-rich foods eaten by people in China, Kenya,
or Mexico. People usually eat foods that are grown and
produced in their region. Regardless of where you live, eating
a balanced diet ensures that your body has the nutrients it
needs to function.

Daily Amount, Daily Amount,

Examples of
Food Group males, 9–13 females, 9–13
Foods
years old years old
Grains 6-ounce 5-ounce whole-wheat
equivalent equivalent flour, rye bread,
brown rice
Vegetables 2__12 cups 2 cups broccoli, spinach,
carrots

Fruits 1_12_ cups 1_12_ cups apples,

strawberries,
oranges
Oils 5 teaspoons or 5 teaspoons or canola oil, olive
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less less oil, avocados

Milk 3 cups 3 cups milk, cheese,

yogurt

Meat and 5 ounces or less 5 ounces or less fish, beans, lean

Beans beef, lean
chicken

Food Labels
What foods would you buy to follow the recommended
guidelines in the table above? Most grocery stores sell many
varieties of bread, milk, meat, and other types of food. How
do you know what nutrients these foods contain? You can
look at their food labels. Food labels help you determine the
amount of protein, carbohydrates, oils, and other substances
in food. Be careful when reading a food label. The label lists
a food’s nutrients per serving, not per container. You should
also look at the number of servings per container. The
number of servings is also included on the food label.