SLO 4 :

Nutrient Composition
- 4.1 Nutrient Composition of
Various Foods
4.1.1 DESCRIBE THE NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF VARIOUS FOODS
4.1.2 IDENTIFY FOOD ITEMS WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR NUTRIENT
COMPOSITION
Milk

 Milk is produced in the mammary glands by a group of

animals called mammals to feed their young. Mammals
include cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats and humans.

 Milk is designed by nature to be the only food that a baby

mammal has for the first few weeks or months of its life.
Therefore, milk contains everything that a baby mammal
needs to enable it to grow, give it energy and help to build
its immunity to disease.
Milk contains the following
nutrients:

• Protein:
This has a high biological value. Cow’s milk has just over 3 per cent protein
(human milk has just over 1 per cent).
• Fat:
Cow’s milk has about 3 to 4 per cent fat depending on the breed of cow the
milk comes from. It contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and the
amounts of these depend on what the cow has been fed.
• Carbohydrate:
Cow’s milk has about 5 per cent lactose (human milk has about 7 per cent).
Cont’d

• Minerals:
Milk contains a lot of calcium and good amounts of phosphorus, sodium and
potassium. It has very little iron, but during pregnancy, a baby will build up a
store of iron from its mother and use this until it is weaned on to solid foods.
• Vitamins:
Milk contains a good amount of vitamins A and D, especially in the summer if
the cows have been allowed out into the fields to feed on grass. It contains
some B vitamins but little vitamin C.
• Water:
Milk contains about 90 per cent water.
Eggs

 Eggs are designed by nature to provide a place

to grow a baby bird (chick), so they contain
lots of different nutrients for this purpose.

 When you buy eggs from the shop, they are

unfertilised and will not grow into a chick, but
they still contain all the nutrients and so are a
very useful part of our diet.

 Eggs are used for a variety of functions in

cooking and are easy to cook in a variety of
ways.
Eggs give us these nutrients:

• Protein: in the egg white and the yolk.

• Vitamins: especially vitamins A, D and E in the yolk,
and B vitamins (especially B2 and B12) in the white and
yolk.
• Minerals and trace elements: especially
phosphorus, iron (egg yolk), zinc and selenium. Calcium
and other minerals are found in the shell, so we do not
benefit from them.
• Fat: found in the yolk.
• Water: the egg white and yolk both contain water.
• Energy: a medium-sized egg provides about 80kcals
(336kJ)
Fish

 either caught from the sea or freshwater rivers and lakes or they are
specially reared in large numbers on fish farms where they are held in cages.
 very perishable foods
 can become unsafe to eat in a few hours if they are not processed and
preserved quickly after being caught
 Commercial fishing boats are like big factories where the caught fish are
processed and preserved
 Fish and shellfish can be cooked by a variety of methods, including steaming,
stirfrying, shallow and deep frying, poaching, baking and grilling. Cooking
fish makes it easy to digest, and it takes little time to cook
NUTRITIONAL VALUE

• Protein: Fish and shellfish provide an important source of high biological value
protein that is easily digested (especially white fish).
• Fat: Fish and shellfish both provide fat in the form of unsaturated oils. Oily fish
in particular provide the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6, which are
known to help reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes by helping to
prevent the development of blood clots.
• Fat soluble vitamins A and D: Oily fish are good sources of these. In white fish,
the liver oils contain these vitamins and the oil is usually sold as capsules as a
vitamin supplement, such as cod liver oil.
Cont’d

•Group B vitamins: Fish and shellfish both contain some B

vitamins.
• Calcium: This is found in the bones of fish and if they are
eaten (in canned fish) then they provide a useful source.
• Fluoride and iodine: Sea fish provide useful amounts of
these and other minerals and trace elements such as sodium
and potassium, but not iron.
• Water: Fish and seafood naturally contain water, and
sometimes extra water is added to them by food processors.
 Meat and poultry

Animal meat and poultry meat have a similar structure (they are in fact muscles)
and nutrients, but the amount of each nutrient varies according to the following:

 the age of the animal or bird

 the part of the animal or bird that is eaten
 how the animal or bird is reared (where it is housed, what it is fed on, how much it can
move around, how quickly it grows, how much muscle and fat it builds up).

Cooking the meat and poultry helps to make the nutrients more digestible and easier for
the body to absorb.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Meat and poultry provide the following nutrients:

 Protein:
Meat and poultry provide an important source of high biological
value protein. Offal (liver) is a good source of HBV protein which is
easily digested.
 Fat:
Meat and poultry both provide fat, much of which is saturated. The
fat is found under the skin and in between the muscle fibres. Meat
tends to have more fat than poultry, but birds which have been
reared in large numbers in sheds (called intensive farming) often
have a high fat content because they cannot move around much to
use it up for energy.
Cont’d

 Fat soluble vitamins A and D:

Meat and poultry provide some of these. The amount varies according to how much fat they
contain and what they have eaten. Liver is a very rich source of vitamin A, but pregnant women
are advised not to eat it in early pregnancy as the high levels may cause birth defects. Kidney
and heart also contain vitamin A.
 Group B vitamins:
Meat and poultry are both good sources of B vitamins. Heart and liver contain useful amounts of
vitamin B1.
 Iron:
Red meat is an important source of iron. Meat and poultry also provide a range of trace elements.
Liver is an important source of iron.
 Water:
Meat and poultry naturally contain water, and sometimes extra water is added to them by food
processors.
 Fruits and Vegetables

 Green plants grow in soil and make

carbohydrates using water from the soil, carbon
dioxide gas from the air and energy from sunlight
during a process called photosynthesis.
 Plants take up minerals from the soil through
their roots and use them to grow.
 If the soil is rich in minerals, the plants (and us)
will benefit from these.
Fruits and vegetables contain a good range of
nutrients:
• Carbohydrate: As natural sugars, starch and fibre.
• Vitamins: Especially vitamin C, vitamin A (as beta
carotene), and some B vitamins and vitamin E.
• Protein: Especially in beans, peas and lentils.
• Minerals: This depends on where the plant grows.
• A variety of trace elements: This depends on where the plant
grows too.
• Fat: There is a little in legumes, and more in avocados, nuts and
sweetcorn. Many types of nuts and corn are used to make cooking
oils.
• Water: Fruits and vegetables are a very important source of
water.
 Plants also contain a wide variety of other natural
substances that give them
 colour, flavour and texture, and that are known to be
beneficial to our health,
 such as antioxidants.
 Fruits and vegetables are therefore a very important
part of our diet and we are
 advised to eat at least five portions a day
Cereals

 Cereals are the grains (seeds) of plants, most of which are types of
cultivated grass. Cereal grains have been the most important (staple)
foods of many countries for thousands of years.
 The climate and type of soil affects which cereals are grown and how
important they are in a country or area of a country. They provide
people with the main source of energy in their diets and they can be
made into a wide variety of food products.
 NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CEREALS

 Plants produce seeds at the end of their growing season to enable new plants to
grow the following year. Seeds therefore contain all the nutrients needed for a new
plant to grow, so they are very nutritious for us too.
 The best way to get all the nutrients from cereal seeds is to eat the whole seed – we
call these unrefined or wholegrain/wholemeal cereals. Unrefined, wholegrain
 Cereals give us these nutrients:
• protein
• carbohydrate (especially starch)
• group B vitamins
• fat (a little)
• iron
• vitamin E
• a variety of trace elements
• a very good source of fibre.
Pulses

 Nutrients:
 Protein: Most contain LBV, 20 gm per 100 gm. Soya beans: 40 gm per
100 gm of HBV protein (relatively better)
 Fats: Soya beans and ground nuts – 20 % and 40 % respectively
 Carbohydrates: Most contain up to 20 % carbs
 Vitamins: Rich in B vitamins except riboflavin. No vitamin C in dry
state but after germination they become a rich source
 Pulses are nutrient rich and relatively cheaper so they become
a good food source in poor countries.
Nuts

 Useful source of LBV protein

 Good source of fat
 Also contain, carbohydrates, iron, calcium and little thiamin
Butter

 Butter is made from cream. it is a natural product and has a very good flavour
which is why it is often favoured by chefs and cooks in recipes instead of
margarine. It can be made from any type of milk.
 Butter provides the following nutrients:
• Protein: It contains only a very small amount.
• Fat: Butter is mostly fat, much of which is saturated.
Cont’d

• Vitamins: Butter provides a good amount of vitamin A and D, depending on

the time of year and the diet of the animal it came from. Butter produced
from cows which have grazed on grass in the summer tends to have more than
butter produced in the winter when the cows are indoors and do not have
fresh grass to eat.
• Minerals and trace elements: It contains some minerals and trace elements,
especially sodium in salted butter.
• Water: It contains only a small amount of water
Yogurt

 Yogurt is a cultured milk product. This means that the milk has had a
harmless, edible bacteria culture added to it to turn it into yogurt. The
bacteria ferment the natural sugar (lactose) in the milk and turn it into
lactic acid. This helps to give the yogurt its tangy flavour. The lactic
acid coagulates (sets) the protein in the milk so the yogurt thickens.
 Yogurt is eaten in many countries, and different types of milk are used
to make it. It is either eaten plain (natural) or has fruit, sugar and other
flavourings added to it, such as honey, lemon and vanilla. Yogurt is also
sold as yogurt drinks and used as an ingredient in many sweet and
savoury recipes and food products. Natural yogurt is used in the Indian
drink ‘lassi’.
 Yogurt makes a good accompaniment to desserts and breakfast cereals
instead of cream.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF YOGURT

Yogurt provides the following nutrients:

• Protein: It provides a good source of high biological value protein.
• Fat: The amount varies according to the yogurt. Many are low fat yogurts
because they are made with skimmed milk. Some yogurt-based dessert
products have cream added which increases the fat content of them.
• Carbohydrate: There is some lactose provided and also sucrose and fructose in flavoured yogurts.
• Vitamins: Some vitamin A and D provided, depending on the time of year and the
diet of the animal it came from. It also provides useful amounts of B vitamins.
• Minerals and trace elements: It contains a good source of calcium and other
minerals and trace elements, depending on where the milk came from and
what the animal was fed.
• Water: It contains a good source of water.
Cheese

 Cheese is made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats

and buffalo. Whole, semi skimmed or skimmed milk
can be used to make cheese. There are hundreds of
different types of cheeses, and many countries have
developed their own traditional favourites.
Type of cheese Examples
Soft cheeses: Fresh Cream cheese, cottage cheese, quark, curd
cheese, Boursin, Le Roulé, fromage frais,
mascarpone, mozzarella, feta, halloumi

Ripened Camembert, Brie, goat’s, Somerset brie

Blue veined cheese (these have a special edible Blue stilton, Danish blue, Blue Wensleydale,
mould added that gives a distinct flavour and Cambazola
bluecoloured ‘veins’ through the cheese)

Semi-soft cheeses Stilton, gorgonzola, Wensleydale, Lancashire,

Caerphilly, Edam, Raclette, St Paulin, Bel Paese,
Monterey Jack

Hard cheeses Cheddar, Gruyere, Derby, Cheshire, Double

Gloucester, Leicester, Emmental, Gouda

Very hard cheese Parmesan (parmigiano reggiano)

Whey cheeses (made from the whey with Ricotta
additional ingredients such as milk)

Processed cheese (made by mixing pieces of other Cheese slices, cheese spreads
cheeses together with colouring and flavourings)
Nutritional value

 The amount of fat, protein and minerals varies between different types of
cheeses due to the way they are processed or the milk they are made from.
 Cheeses provide the following nutrients:
• Protein: Cheeses provide a good source of high biological value protein
which is easily digested by most people. Hard cheeses have more protein than
softer cheeses because they are more concentrated.
• Fat: Hard cheeses are about 33 per cent fat, and some full fat cream
cheeses can have nearly 50 per cent fat. Soft cheeses, such as cottage
cheese, have about 4 per cent fat. The fat content depends on the type of milk
that was used to make the cheese. It is possible to buy reduced fat versions of
many cheeses
Cont’d

• Vitamins: Cheese is a good source of vitamin A and provides some

vitamin D. It also provides some B vitamins. The amounts of vitamins vary
according to what the animal that provided the milk was fed on, the time
of year and how it is processed.
• Minerals and trace elements: Cheese is a good source of calcium,
phosphorus and sodium (salt is often added as a preservative). The
amounts of minerals and trace elements vary for the same reasons as for
vitamins.
• Water: Hard cheeses provide some water (about 33 per cent), but soft
cheeses contain much more (cottage cheese may contain about 80 per
cent).