Understanding Nutrition Data

It is important for you to be aware of the nutrition data for the foods you regularly eat so that you can choose foods that you both like AND that are nutritious. There's nothing worse than eating something that you don't care for just because it's supposed to be good for you.

If you are equipped with the nutrition facts, you'll be able to make smarter choices for yourself and for your family that are both delicious and nutritious. Good nutrition plays an important role in your overall wellness.

The nutrients needed by the body are grouped into six classes that provide energy, promote growth, and help regulate body functions.

The six classes of nutrients are: Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, and Water.

Nutrition Data For The Six Classes of Nutrients

Carbohydrates provide the body with energy and fall into two categories: simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates are the foods that contain naturally occurring sugars. The body breaks down and metabolizes these sugars into glucose right away for a quick energy boost.

Fruits, honey, molasses, sugar, and milk are simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates, referred to as starches, break down more slowly in the body and provide a more sustained energy than simple sugars.

Vegetables, breads, cereal, legumes and pasta are complex carbohydrates.

Proteins are actually amino acids, "the building blocks of the body" as the teacher used to say in elementary school science class. Proteins help build muscle tissue, organ tissue, and bones, cartilage, and teeth. Hair and fingernails are also protein.

Proteins also manufacture antibodies and hemoglobin which deliver oxygen to the blood cells. Eggs, meat, poultry, fish, beans, and milk are proteins, as well as certain vegetables and grains.

Fats (also called lipids) are a source of energy for the body and are needed to transport fat soluble vitamins throughout the body.

There are four types of fats and many foods contain more than one type. The types are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, and trans fat.

Some are healthier than others and if you think of them in alphabetical order (M-P-S-T) they will be arranged in order from most healthy to unhealthy.

Monounsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature and becomes cloudy or semi solid in the refrigerator. These fats reduce the total cholesterol and the LDL (low density lipoprotein) in your blood. These fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, avocado, and nuts.

Polyunsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator. It is found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.

Saturated fat, not considered one of the "healthy" fats is usually solid or waxy at room temperature. It's found in mostly in animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, lard and butter, and in tropical oils. These fats increase your total cholesterol and your LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Trans-fats, also called partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, are found in shortening, margarines, and foods prepared with shortening and margarine, such as crackers, cookies, and cakes. They are also found in food cooked in the fats such as doughnuts and French fries.

These are considered bad fats because they raise the blood cholesterol. Many foods contain more than one kind of fat.

Vitamins are organic substances that are vital to the body's metabolic process. They are found mostly in fruits and vegetables, but they are also available in pill form as diet supplements.

Vitamins are used in the body to maintain healthy eyes and bones, and also aid in clotting blood and tissue growth.

Vitamins can be fat soluble or water soluble and so, are carried through the body via water or fats, adding to the importance of water and fats in our diet.

Minerals are inorganic substances that are essential to body processes and assist in maintaining healthy bones, teeth and muscles.

Electrolytes, a type of mineral, help balance fluids throughout the body and minerals are also involved in the manufacturing of amino acids, hormones, and proteins. An imbalance in electrolytes is the cause of dehydration.

Water is essential to maintain health. Water is the primary component of blood and muscles and makes up 22% of body fat and 22% of bones. Drinking water can meet the body's fluid needs but water can also come from foods. For instance, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, and watermelon are all more than 90% water.

Milk, juices, jello, popsicles and soup also provide water for the body. Water cushions the joints, regulates body temperature, carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, carries toxins and waste products out of the body and moisturizes the skin.

Creating A Balanced Diet From Nutrition Data

A balanced diet includes foods from each of these classes. They are all important and you should not omit all foods from any one particular class, although saturated fats and trans-fats should be eliminated or avoided whenever possible.

Read on about the USDA dietary recommendations...

visit Healthy Eating Support Home

visit Healthy Eating Guidelines

visit What Are Whole Grains

visit Nutrition Facts Label

visit Reading Food Labels

visit Six Meals A Day

visit 15 Fat Burning Foods

visit Healthy Eating Support page