This document discusses factors that influence food choices and provides an overview of basic nutrition concepts. It describes how taste, appearance, cost, and other practical and social considerations impact what people eat. It then defines key nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, and explains their functions and dietary sources. The document outlines recommendations for daily intake of nutrients and discusses concepts like nutrient density and a balanced diet.

1. 1
Chapter 1
Introduction to Nutrition

2. 2
Factors Influencing What You Eat
 Flavor
 Taste
 Smell
 Appearance
 Texture
 Temperature
 Other Aspects of Food
 Cost
 Convenience
 Availability
 Familiarity
 Nutrition

3. 3
The most important consideration when
choosing something to eat is flavor.
The most important
consideration when
choosing something to
eat is flavor. (Courtesy
of PhotoDisc/Getty
Images)

4. 4
Factors Influencing What You Eat
 Demographics
 Age
 Gender
 Educational level
 Income

5. 5
Factors Influencing What You Eat
 Culture and Religion
 Traditional foods
 Special
events/celebrations
 Religious
foods/practices

6. 6
Factors Influencing What You Eat
 Health
 Health status
 Desire to improve
health/appearance
 Nutrition knowledge
and attitudes

7. 7
Factors Influencing What You Eat
 Social and Emotional
Influences
 Social status
 Peer pressure
 Emotional status
 Food associations

8. 8
Factors Influencing What You Eat
 Food Industry and the Media
 Food industry
 Food advertising
 Food portrayal in
media
 Reporting of
nutrition/health studies

9. 9
Factors Influencing What You Eat
 Environmental Concerns
 Use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
 Wastefulness of fattening up livestock/poultry

10. 10
What is Nutrition?
Nutrition is a science that:
 studies nutrients and other substances in
foods and in the body and how these
nutrients relate to health and disease, and
 explores why you choose particular foods and
the type of diet you eat.

11. 11
Nutrients are:
Nourishing substances in
food that provide energy
and promote the growth
and maintenance of
your body.

12. 12
Kilocalories
 A measure of the energy in food.
 1 kilocalorie raises the temperature of 1
kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius.
 Also called a Calorie.
 Abbreviated as kcalorie or kcal.
 When you hear “calorie,” it is really a
kilocalorie.

13. 13
The number of kilocalories you need is
based on:
 Basal metabolism (about 2/3 of total energy
needs for individuals who are not very active)
 Physical activity
 Thermic effect or specific dynamic action of
foods (5 to 10% of total energy needs)

14. 14
BMR depends on factors such as:
 Gender
 Age
 Growth
 Height
 Temperature
 Fever and stress
 Exercise
 Smoking and caffeine
 Sleep

15. 15
Classes of Nutrients - Overview
 Carbohydrates
 Lipids (fats)
 Proteins
 Vitamins
 Minerals
 Water

16. 16
Carbohydrates
 A large class of
nutrients, including:
 Sugars
 Starch
 Fibers
that function as the
body’s primary source of
energy.

17. 17
Lipids
 A group of fatty
substances, including
triglycerides and
cholesterol, that are not
soluble in water and
provide a rich source of
energy and structure to
cells.

18. 18
Protein
 Major structural parts of
the body’s cells that are
made of nitrogen-
containing amino acids
assembled in chains.
 Particularly rich in
animal foods.
 Present in many plant
foods.

19. 19
Vitamins and Minerals
 Vitamins: Noncaloric,
organic nutrients found
in a wide variety of
foods that are essential
to:
 regulate body
processes.
 maintain the body.
 allow growth and
reproduction.
 Minerals: Noncaloric,
inorganic nutrients
found in a wide variety
of foods that are
essential to:
 regulate body
processes.
 maintain the body.
 allow growth and
reproduction.

20. 20
Water
 Inorganic nutrient that
plays a vital role in all
bodily processes and
makes up just over half
of the body’s weight.

21. 21
Functions of Nutrients
Nutrients Provide Energy Promote Growth and
Maintenance
Regulate Body
Processes
Carbohydrates X
Lipids X X X
Proteins X X X
Vitamins X X
Minerals X X
Water X X

22. 22
Food Facts
 Most foods provide a
mix of nutrients.
 Food contains more
than just nutrients –
food may contain
colorings, flavorings,
caffeine,
phytochemicals, and
other substances.

23. 23
Carbohydrates 4 kcal/gram
Lipids 9 kcal/gram
Protein 4 kcal/gram

24. 24
More Vocabulary
 Micronutrients
 Macronutrients
 Organic nutrients
 Inorganic nutrients
 Carbohydrates
 Lipids
 Proteins
 Vitamins
 Minerals
 Water

25. 25
Essential Nutrients
Nutrients that either cannot be made in the
body or cannot be made in the quantities
needed by the body; therefore, we must obtain
them through food.
EXAMPLES
Glucose, vitamins, minerals, water, some lipids,
and some parts of protein.

26. 26
Nutrient Density
 All foods were not created equal in terms of
the kcalories and nutrients they provide.
 Nutrient density: A measure of the nutrients
provided in a food per kcalorie of the food.
 Empty-kcalorie foods:
Foods that provide few/no
nutrients for the number
of kcalories they contain.

27. 27
Nutrient Density Comparison: % DRI
intakes for selected nutrients.

28. 28
Characteristics of A Nutritious Diet
 Adequate
 Balanced
 Moderate
 Varied

29. 29
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
 Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
Intake value sufficient to meet nutrient requirements of 97-98% of all
healthy individuals in a group.
 Adequate Intake (AI)
Intake value used when a RDA cannot be based on an EAR because
there’s not enough scientific data.
 Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
Maximum intake level above which toxicity would increase.
 Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
Intake value estimated to meet requirement of half the healthy
individuals in a group.

30. 30
Dietary Reference Intakes
 Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)
The dietary energy intake measured in kcalories that
is needed to maintain energy balance in a healthy
adult.
 Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges
(AMDR)
A range of intakes for a particular nutrient that is
associated with reduced risk of chronic disease while
providing adequate intake.
Adults: 45-65% of kcal from carbohydrates, 20-35% from fat,
and 10 to 35% from protein.

31. 31
Dietary Reference Intakes
 RDA and AI – useful in planning diets for
individuals
 EAR - useful in planning diets for groups

32. 32
Digestion, Absorption, & Metabolism
 Digestion: Process by which food is broken down
into its components in the gastrointestinal tract with
the help of digestive enzymes.
 Absorption: The passage of digested nutrients
through the walls of the intestines or stomach into the
blood or lymph, where they are transported to the
cells.
 Metabolism: All the chemical processes by which
nutrients are used to support life, includes anabolism
and catabolism.

33. 33

34. 34
Food Basics
1. Whole foods
2. Fresh foods
3. Organic foods
4. Processed foods
5. Enriched foods
6. Fortified foods

35. 35
Organic Foods
 Organic food is produced without using most:
 Conventional pesticides
 Petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-
based fertilizers
 Bioengineering
 Ionizing radiation (irradiation)
 Organic farms must be inspected annually.
 All organically-raised animals may not be
given hormones or antibiotics, and must have
access to pasture.

36. 36
Labeling of Organic Foods
Courtesy of USDA

37. 37
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Copyright ©2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.