Now that we have studied the Food Guide Pyramid you should be familiar with the variety of nutritious foods available. You may be wondering why one food is better for you than another. Today we are going to study the nutrients in foods that make this difference.
Nutrients are vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water.
These six essential nutrients are something we all need for growth, energy, and for maintenance and repair of our cells. Eating a well-balanced diet with a wide variety of foods will provide you with the right amount of all the nutrients you need. It is important in many functions, it is part of every cell in every tissue in the body. Water carries other nutrients to all parts of the body, it carries waste out of the body and it helps to regulate body temperature. When you run or play sports your body heats up pretty quickly.