The document outlines the six food groups essential for a healthy diet in Malawi: vegetables, fruits, legumes, animal foods, energy foods, and fats, along with their nutritional contributions. It details the types of nutrients provided by each group, including macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Emphasis is placed on the importance of consuming a balanced combination of these food groups to maximize nutrient intake for overall health.

1. 6 FOOD GROUPS &
FUNCTIONS IN THE BODY
T. Nkhoma
Child Nurse Specialist

2. OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, leaners should
be able to ;
I. State the 6 food groups for a healthy
body
II. Describe the types of nutrients found in
a particular food group
III.State the functions of food nutrients for
a health body

3. THE SIX FOOD GROUPS IN MALAWI
3

4. SIX FOOD GROUPS
1. VEGETABLES- green leaves, carrots, cabbages, egg plants,
tomatoes, pumpkins, okra, green beans
2. FRUITS- mangoes, pawpaws, guava
3. LEGUMES- cowpeas, soya beans, g-nuts
4. ANIMAL FOODS- meat, fish, eggs, fresh milk,
5. ENERGY FOODS-nsima, cassava, potatoes, rice, sweets
potatoes, millet, bread
6. FATS- Cooking oil, avocado, meat fats
 WATER as a supplement
REF. WHO 2014.
4

5. VARIETIES OF THE SIX FOOD GROUPS FOUND IN
MALAWIAN
Energy
Foods
Legumes
&
Nuts
Vegetable Food
From
Animal
Fat fruits
Nsima
from:
Millet
(Mawere),
Sorghum
(Mapila),
Maize
(Chimang
a),
Cassava
(Chinang
Lablab
(Nkhungu
dz
u)
Pigeon
Peas
(Nandolo)
Ground
Beans
(Nzama)
Cowpeas
Blackjack
(Chisoso)
Amaranth
(Bonongw
e)
Pumpkin
leaves
(Nkhwani)
Mushroom
(Bowa)
Pumpkin
Egg
(Mazira)
Termites
(Ngumbi)
Fish
(Nsomba)
Meat
(Nyama)
Chicken
(NKhuku)
Avocado
(Mapeyala
)
Cooking
Oil
(Mafuta)
Pumpkin
Seed
(Nthanga)
Baobab
(Mlambe)
Banana
(Nthochi)
Pawpaw
(Papaya)
Guava
(Gwafa)
(Local
Fruit)
Masawu 5

6. THE SIX FOOD GROUPS
1. Vegetables
 Include green leaf and yellow vegetables such as bonongwe,
chisoso, khwanya, mnkhwani, kholowa, rape, mpiru, kamganje,
carrot, egg plants, pumpkin, tomato and others such as mushroom.
They provide mostly vitamins , minerals, and water.
 Vegetables also contain fibre that is necessary for proper digestion.
2. Fruits
 They include citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, tangerines), bananas,
pine apple, pawpaw, mangoes, masau, bwemba, malambe, masuku,
peaches, apples, guava, water melon and many others. Fruits
provide mostly carbohydrates, vitamins & water.
6

7. THE SIX FOOD GROUPS CONT’D
3. Legumes and Nuts
 This group includes ground nuts, soyabeans, beans, peas,
cowpeas, ground beans (nzama), pigeon peas. They provide
mainly protein and carbohydrate. Soybeans and nuts also
contain a lot of fat in addition to protein and carbohydrate.
4. Animal Foods
 All of the foods in this group are of animal origin such as
meat, eggs, milk products, fish, and insects. They provide
protein, fats, vitamins minerals.
7

8. THE SIX FOOD GROUPS CONT’D
5. Fats
 This group includes oil seeds (soybeans, groundnuts), avocado pear,
cooking oil, milk and milk products such as butter, margarine, yourghut,
meat, fish, and poultry. They mainly provide fat.
6. Energey foods
 Foods in this include cereal grains such as sorghum, millet, maize, starchy
roots (cassava, potato) an d starchy fruits (banana). They mostly provide
carbohydrates. They also provide many other nutrients such as proteins
and minerals depending on how they are processed.
NOTE! All these foods are very important and should be eaten in combination
in order for them to complement each other in increasing dietary intake and
utilisation of the various nutrients by the body.
8

9. THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF HEALTH: ESSENTIAL FOOD NUTRIENTS
• Macronutrients: Needed in large amounts
• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fats
• Water
• Micronutrients: Needed in small amounts
• Vitamins
• Minerals

10. MACRONUTRIENTS-
1. CARBOHYDRATES
•Provide the body's primary source of
energy
•Two main types: simple and complex
•Choose complex carbohydrates over
simple carbohydrates whenever
possible
•Examples of complex carbohydrates:
whole grains, fruits, vegetables
•Examples of simple carbohydrates:
sugary drinks, pastries, white bread

11. MACRONUTRIENTS-
2. PROTEINS
• Essential for building and repairing
tissues
• Made up of amino acids
• Complete proteins contain all essential
amino acids (animal sources)
• Incomplete proteins lack one or more
essential amino acids (plant sources)
• Can be combined to create complete
proteins (rice and beans)

12. MACRONUTRIENTS-
3. FATS
• Provides energy, insulation, and
protection for organs
• Two main types: saturated and
unsaturated
• Choose unsaturated fats over saturated
fats whenever possible
• Examples of unsaturated fats:
avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds
• Examples of saturated fats: red meat,
processed meats, full-fat dairy products

13. MACRONUTRIENTS-
4. WATER
The Essential Liquid in the
body
 It makes up about 60% of the
human body and is required in
KG amounts in the daily diet
 It does not provide energy
 Water serves many functions
in the body:- lubricant,
transport fluid, regulates body
temperature

14. MICRONUTRIENTS
1. VITAMINS

 A
 B
 C
 D
 E
 K

15. MICRONUTRIENTS
1. VITAMINS
Types of Vitamins
•Fat-soluble vitamins: Stored in the body's fatty tissues
• Vitamin A: Important for vision, immunity, and cell growth
• Vitamin D: Promotes bone health and calcium absorption
• Vitamin E: Acts as an antioxidant and protects cells from damage
• Vitamin K: Essential for blood clotting and bone health
•Water-soluble vitamins: Not stored in the body and need to be
replenished regularly
• Vitamin C: Supports immune function, collagen production, and
wound healing
• B vitamins: Play a crucial role in energy metabolism, brain
function, and cell health (Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12)

16. MICRONUTRIENTS
2. MINERALS
• Inorganic elements needed in small amounts
• Essential for various bodily functions
• Examples:
• Calcium: Builds strong bones and teeth
• Iron: Carries oxygen in the blood
• Sodium: Maintains fluid balance
• Potassium: Supports muscle function and
nerve transmission
• Magnesium: Involved in energy
metabolism and muscle function

17. MINERALS ARE AVAILABLE IN TWO
FORMS:
 MACRO-MINERALS
 They are needed in larger amounts and include:
calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium,
potassium
 MICRO-MINERALS
 Are only needed in trace amounts and include:
iron, copper, iodine, zinc, fluoride

18. Minerals are available in two forms:
• MACRO-MINERALS
• They are needed in larger amounts and include:
calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium
• MICRO-MINERALS
• Are only needed in trace amounts and include: iron,
copper, iodine, zinc, fluoride

19. REFERENCES
1..
1.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2023). Dietary
Guidelines for Americans. https://www.myplate.gov/
2.Micronutrient Information Center. (2023, February).
Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic
3.Whitney, E., Rolfes, S. R., & Crowe, T. (2020).
Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition (11th ed.).