Objective

You will recognize the benefits of each essential nutrient needed for balanced nutritional health.

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Introduction
The following is alternate content for the Did You Know
activity, where a question is provided along with a
corresponding answer.
TBD

Click below the question to view the answer.

What three questions should you ask yourself before you eat something?

1. What nutrients am I providing my body?

2. How much of these nutrients have I already consumed today?

3. Is this a healthy form of a nutrient?

These three questions will help guide you to making the best possible nutritional
choices.

But It Tasted Good

It is Saturday afternoon, and you are home by yourself. You thought you would enjoy
being home alone, but now you're sitting on the couch, bored out of your mind. You
decide to take a field trip to the kitchen to pass the time. As you open the cupboard, you
spot a bag of potato chips, your favorite snack food. Rather than take a few, you grab
the bag, head to the couch, and put on a movie. Two hours later, the movie is over, and
the chips are gone. Surely you did not eat them all! You comfort yourself in knowing that
at least they tasted good!

It is easy to become distracted and eat food because it is in front of you rather than
because you need it. While the afternoon snack was enjoyable, was it nutritionally
necessary?

Components of Nutrition
It is easy to eat when you think or feel that you are hungry. Putting food up to your
mouth is not a difficult motion. However, have you ever asked yourself:

 What nutrients am I providing my body?

 How much of these nutrients have I already consumed today?
 Is this a healthy form of a nutrient?

Right now, you may be thinking that these questions matter somewhat, but not a great
deal. You eat when and what you want. It is easy to be carefree when your body does
not show immediate signs of what you have consumed. However, consuming food is
necessary for your overall health, and the nutrition of food is important for your daily
activities.

It is important to recognize the six components of nutrition, which are shown in the chart
below:

Nutrient Description

Starches and sugars found in foods

Carbohydrate
s
Your body's main source of energy

Protein Nutrients used to build and maintain cells and tissues

Your body's main building material

 A concentrated form of energy
Fat
Keeps your body feeling full

Organic compounds found naturally in (or added to) foods and required for health
maintenance In
Vitamins
Trigger the body to use carbohydrates, protein, and fat
Inorganic materials found naturally in (or added to) foods and required for health
maintenance In
Minerals
Function as structural (strengthening) materials
Most essential nutrient
Water
Plays a role in the body's biochemical functions

Next time you are about to eat a food, turn over the package and explore the nutrition
label to see what nutrients the food offers!