Good Nutrition, Key to Good Diet
For thousands of years, people have understood that what they ate influenced their health. But the reasons were not clear until about 75 years ago. It was well known that people who did not eat at all got sick and died, that people who ate spoiled food got sick, and that people who ate a great deal usually got very fat. It took a longer time to realize that poor diets which result to deficiency in nutrients caused these various problems.
Since then, chemists have discovered that foods contain many different nutrients that are necessary for good health. And we know now that that a balanced diet from the Basic Four Food Groups, maintaining a moderate weight, and frequent exercise will provide us with an excellent chance for a long and healthy life.
Nutrients are important chemicals found in foods that the human body needs in order to grow, repair damaged cells, stay active and keep healthy. There are nearly 50 different nutrients. Many of them are alike in what they do, so like the members of a family, they have been given “family” names. There are six families of nutrients: water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Most foods contain not one but several family of nutrients. Bread for example,
is rich in carbohydrates, protein, and some minerals. Foods that are rich
in many nutrients are sometimes called basic foods. They are grouped together
in the Basic Four Food Groups based on similarities in the nutrients they
provide.
The Basic Four Food Groups are: breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables;
milk products; and meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and beans. Because they
are so full of nutrients, the basic foods should be the basis of our food
choices each day.
Some foods—such as fats, like lard or cooking oil, and sweets, like
sugar, candy, cookies, and soft drinks—are not in the Basic Four
Food Groups. These foods are good sources of energy, but they are not rich
in nutrients. They belong to a fifth group, the Fats and Sweets Group,
which we do not need to eat everyday unless we want to. Some fat in the
diet is necessary, but most of us get plenty of fats and sweets without
even thinking about it.
If you choose a variety of from the Basic Four Food Groups, your nutritional
health will be good. Eating a variety of foods is important because each
food differs a little in the nutrients it provides. It is also fun to try
new foods. One way to do this is to choose snacks from the basic groups.
Fruit, carrot sticks, peanut butter and bread, and milk are all good snacks
that provide important nutrients. Another way to maintain good nutrition
is always to eat breakfast and lunch. Skipping meals deprives the body of
nutrients it needs throughout the day.