Key Nutrients+fiber series was created by Mrs. Margie A.

Smith a nutrition specialist at the Ohio

State University for 29 1⁄2 years. Her goal was to help cut out childhood obesity, unite good nutrition
and healthy eating habits in kids all over the world, by introducing the key nutrients+fiber characters.
By reaching kids in their formative years before developing bad eating habits. Mrs. Smith believed
learning about the key nutrients+fiber would help develop a healthy life style.

Book 2 will help its user understand the function of the key nutrients in our body, and the different
role each nutrient play in helping our body achieve good health. A nutrient is a chemical that an
organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism’s metabolism which must be taken
in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissue, regulate body processes and are
converted to be used as energy.

Published by Nutrient-Toons
Cincinnati, Ohio
www.keynutrients+fiber.com
key2life63@gmail.com

Written by Mrs. Margie A Smith

Illustrations by Mrs. Margie A Smith & Kelvin Marshall
Page layout by Kelvin Marshall Copyrights 1977 , 1980 , 1993 , 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form of retrieval system and
information storage, including any mechanical or electronic uses by any means without the permission
in writing by the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
 Tips to Eating Less
• Ask for less cheese on your pizza.
• Eat a Tootsie Roll instead of a one ounce
chocolate bar and save 8 grams of fat.
• Snack on pretzels, popcorn without butter,
pita chips, rice cakes, cookies or gumdrops instead
of potato chips, nuts, or cheese snacks.
• Choose fruits and vegetables for snacks.
• Limit meat portions to a 3-ounce serving size
• (fat-free frozen yogurt topped with
chocolate syrup for dessert.
• Eat a bagel instead of an oversized muffin or
croissant and save at least 10 grams of fat.
• Read entrees, look for one that has fewer than 10
grams of fat.
• Try free salad dressings.
• Replace fat in baked goods with fruit purees.
• Choose ham, turkey, and lean roast beef for
sandwiches instead of summer sausage or bologna.
• Snack on baked tortilla chips and salsa.
• Use half the amount of margarine or butter
you normally would on sandwiches and toast.
• Bake, broil, poach, or steam your food rather
than frying.
• Monitor your portions of low-fat snack foods.
When you eat large quantities, the fat grams
and calories start to add up.
• Switch products.
• Choose lean cuts of meat and remove the
skin from poultry.
• Cook with moderate amounts of liquid
vegetable oils (such as olive and canola) or
margarine.
• Use low-fat butter or fat free spreads.
• whites or egg alternatives.
• Eat more meatless meals. Use vegetables or
grains as main dishes.
• Choose broth-based soups like chicken
or vegetable beef in place of cream of tomato.
• Enjoy cereals for meals or snacks.
• Eat low-fat crackers like saltines, graham
crackers, or oyster crackers.
• Try vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, fig bars, or
fortune cookies for treats.
• Vary sandwich breads. Experiment with
French and Italian breads, bagels, hard rolls, pita
bread, corn and flower tortillas.
• Select low-fat toaster pastries or granola bars.
• Satisfy a sweet tooth with sorbet (fruit ice),
sherbet, or low-fat frozen yogurt instead of ice
cream.
• Make vegetable dips with blended low-fat or
fat-free cottage cheese or fat-free yogurt instead
of sour cream.
• Eat and cereals that have less fat (particularly
saturated fat) and no cholesterol.
• Trim cooking.
• Skip a fresh, hot pretzel.
• Choose low-fat milk or juice instead of a
shake at your next fast food meal.
• Replace crispy taco shells with soft shells.
• Opt for the single hamburger or cheeseburger
than the deluxe burger to save grams of fate.
• Go heavy on the salad greens and vegetables
at salad bar and light on the nuts, seeds, olives,
and cheese.
• On licorice, pretzels, cereal bars, or rice cakes.
• Order salad dressing or sour cream on the
side and use sparingly when eating out.
 Hi, I’m the Key Nutrient
OXYGEN

Blue Berries Trees

Lemons Plumagannits

I am transported between the lungs and cells of the

body. This is accomplished by the cardiovascular system.
I play a vital role in the breathing process and in the
metabolism of every living organism. I produce energy
that is necessary for every bodily function and process,
build-up of new tissue, replacement of old tissue,
conversion of food to energy, disposal of waste materials,
and reproduction - all the activities that we characterize
as “ life.” Oxygen is the breath of life. I am your body’s
most vital nutrient.
 FUN FACTS

1. Your body needs a constant supply of oxygen, and

can never do without it!
2. The best food sources to obtain the nutrient oxygen
are lemons, pomegranate, blueberries, raspberries,
avocados, grapes, alfalfa sprouts and dates.
3. You can live only minutes without oxygen.
4. Red blood cells carry oxygen through your body!
5. The lungs are the main organ through which we
obtain nearly all of our oxygen.
6. You receive oxygen through your skin.
7. The oxygen in your body constantly needs to be
changed and refreshed.
8. You have 2 lunges!
9. Every living organism needs oxygen to live and
grow.
10. Oxygen is taken into the body while depleted gases
exit from the body.
 Hi, I’m the Key Nutrient
WATER
Water

Lettuce

Watermelon
Cucumber

I maintain the health and integrity of every

cell of the body, regulate your body temperature
through sweating, carry nutrients and oxygen to
cells all through your body and remove waste
from it. I also help lubricate and cushion joints,
moisturize the skin to maintain texture and
appearance, keep the bloodstream liquid enough
to flow through blood vessels, aid in digestion
and prevent constipation. I am vital to life.
 FUN FACTS

1. You should drink eight 8 oz. (ounce) glasses of water

each day.
2. Your body can obtain water from the food you eat.
3. The best food sources to obtain the nutrient water
are cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, watermelon,
tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and strawberries.
4. Did you know that water has zero calories and zero
grams of fat?
5. The body is composed of 50-70% water.
6. Roughly 20% of our daily water intake should come
from solid foods especially fruits and vegetables.
7. Water serves as shock absorber inside the eyes,
spinal cord and amniotic sac surrounding the fetus
in pregnancy
8. The body cannot store water.
9. Without water a person would die within days..
10. Did you know that you have water in your teeth
and bones?
 Hi, I’m the Key Nutrient
PROTEIN
Chicken Lean Meat

Eggs
Fish

I am the building blocks of body tissues. I build anti-

bodies that helps prevent infection, illness and disease,
maintenance of body tissue, build and repair muscle
tissue, regulation of enzymes and hormones for normal
body growth, transport material throughout your body
and can serve as a good source of energy. Skin, Hair,
eyes, organs, and muscles are all made from protein.
Proteins give your body strength and power, but if you
eat too many proteins your body will convert the extra
into fat.
 FUN FACTS

1. A growing child needs a lot of protein.

2. Lean meat, chicken, eggs, and beans are food high in
protein.
3. Approximately one-fifth of our body weight is
protein.
4. Protein can serve as a good fuel source.
5. Protein can be found in all cells of the body.
6. A high protein diet means fat loss.
7. We need protein to help the body grow and repair
itself.
8. Then nutrient protein is made of amino acids.
9. There are 20 amino acids, and 9 of those are essential
amino acids which must be obtained from our diet.
10. Protein provides 4 calories per gram.
Protein Calculation Example:
5 grams of protein, x 4 calories per gram of
protein = 20 calories from protein.
 Hi, We are the Key Nutrient
MINERALS
Bananas
Milk

Nuts
Leafy Green
Vegetables

We build strong bones and maintain healthy

teeth, play a role in wound healing, needed for
proper fluid balance, important in nerve functioning,
blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, immune
system health and in every cell of the human body.
Minerals are essential nutrients that the body needs
to survive and carry out daily function and pro-
cesses. You receive minerals by eating plants that
absorb them from the earth and by eating meat from
animals, which graze on plants.
 FUN FACTS

1. Milk, nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables, shellfish,

and whole grains are food high in minerals.
2. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body.
3. The human body cannot make any minerals.
4. Minerals help keep your heart and brain working
properly.
5. Iron is part of the nutrient mineral family.
6. Minerals turn the food you eat in to energy.
7. There are two types of minerals: macro-minerals are
needed in large amounts while micro-nutrients are
needed in smaller amounts.
8. 99 percent of all the calcium found in the human body is
stored in your teeth and bones.
9. Minerals help your body grow and stay healthy.
10. Minerals are vital to our mental and physical well-being.
 Hi, I’m the Key Nutrient
VITAMIN

Oranges Strawberry

Carrots
Broccoli

I am indispensable to your body’s functions.

I am essential for normal cell function, growth,
and development. I help your muscles and nervous
system function properly. I also help you stay
healthy. Vitamins are needed for normal vision
healthy skin, wound healing, immune system
health, and helps make red blood cells. All living
things need vitamins for growth and health. Each
vitamin has a specific role to play. Many reactions
in the human body requires several vitamins.
 FUN FACTS

1. There are 13 essential vitamins needed to help the body

maintain good health.
2. Carrots, strawberries, broccoli, and sweet potatoes are
foods high in vitamins.
3. Vitamins can be stored in the body’s fatty tissue.
4. The liver is the main nutrient storehouse.
5. Vitamins can be harmful to your body in excess.
6. Vitamins are needed for the production of DNA.
7. Vitamins help the body’s cell turn carbohydrates into
energy.
8. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because the
body produces it after being in the sun.
9. Vitamin deficiency occurs when you do not get enough
of a certain vitamin.
10. The human body cannot make any vitamins. They must
be obtained fro the food we eat.
 Hi, I’m the Key Nutrient
CARBOHYDRATE
Bread
Corn

French
Fries
Rice

I am your body`s main source of fuel. I am needed

for brain function, physical activity, and operating of the
organs. I supply energy that is needed by protein to use
for the proper growth of cells, and help you body use
fat. I am also important for digestive health and waste
elimination. Once in the body, carbohydrates are easily
converted to fuel. Carbohydrates are where most of our
daily energy intake should come from, but if you eat
too many carbohydrates your body will convert the extra
into fat.
 FUN FACTS

1. Fiber is actually a carbohydrate-technically.

2. Bread, cereal, pasta, and starchy vegetables like potatoes
and corn are foods high in carbohydrates.
3. You should choose a diet low in sugar.
4. The nutrient carbohydrate is your body’s main source of
energy.
5. Your body uses carbohydrates to make glucose which is
the fuel that gives you energy.
6. Your body can use glucose immediately or store in your
liver and muscles for when it is needed.
7. There are 2 types of carbohydrates: complex carbohydrate
like dietary fiber and simple carbohydrates like sugar.
8. Good carbs are found in food that are high in fiber and
complex carbs, while bad carbs are found in food made
from white flour or white bread, like cakes and cookies.
9. Complex carbs are carbs that take longer to break down
into glucose.
10. Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram.
Carbohydrates Calculation Example:
6 grams of carbs x 4 calories per gram of carbs
= 24 calories from carbs.
 Hi, I’m the Key Nutrient
FAT
Avocado
salmon

Chesse
Burger

Donuts

I protect vital organs by cushioning and insu-

lating them. I help the body absorb vitamins and
is used to build membranes. Fats are important
for controlling inflammation, blood clotting, and
brain development. Fats make up 60% of the brain
and nerves that run every system of the body Healthy
skin and hair are maintained by fat. .It also give the
body a concentrated source of energy. Fat serves
as the storage for the extra calories in the human
body. It is important to read the nutrition labels and
be aware of the amount of different types fats con-
tained in food.
 FUN FACTS

1. Fat is a good source of energy.

2. Trans fat forms when vegetable oil hardens, a
process called hydrogenation.
3. Foods with a lot of trans fat include: fried food,
donuts, cookies, crackers, processed foods and
margarine.
4. Saturated fat causes a waxy substance call
cholesterol to build up in the arteries.
5. Cholesterol is not a nutrient.
6. Fat is one of the major risk factors for heart
disease.
7. Polyunsaturated fat helps lower cholesterol.
8. Fats are high in calories .
9. Fat makes food taste good.
10. Fats provide 9 calories per gram.
Fat Calculation Example:
3 grams of fat x 9 calories per gram
of fat = 27 calories from fat.
 Hi, I’m
FIBER GIRL
Oats
Pear

Fiber Cereal
Apple

I am known as dietary fiber or roughage . I am the

indigestible portion of food derived from plants. I add
bulk to you diet helping you fill full faster. I prevent
and relieve constipation, while helping to maintain a
healthy weight. I help lower blood cholesterol and con-
trolling your glucose (blood sugar) levels. I also promote
a healthy digestive system, by helping the movement
of material quickly through your digestive system and
increase stool bulk. I am part of the carbohydrate family.
 FUN FACTS

1. Good sources of fiber include: fruits, vegetables,

nuts, and whole grains .
2. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body
can not digest, instead it passes through the
body undigested.
3. Meat, milk, and eggs DO NOT contain any fiber!
4. Fiber is a none nutrient because it is not digested or
absorbed by the body
5. Fiber helps regulate the body use of sugar,
helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.
6. There are 2 types of fiber: soluble fiber which
dissolves in water and insoluble fiber which does
not dissolve in water.
7. Soluble fiber helps you feel full and can also
help reduce bad cholesterol.
8. You should eat 25-35 grams of fiber each day.
9. Eating too much fiber can lead to bloating, gas
and cramping.
10. Fiber can help in lowering your risk of
diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
 DO YOU KNOW
Nutrition Facts
1. How many slices of bread equal one serving?__________ Serving Size 1 Slice (27 g)
Serving Per Container 21
2. How many slices of bread does it take to equal 140
calories?_________
Amount Per Serving
3. What percent of the total Nutrient Fat is in one slice of Calories 70
bread?______________ Calories From Fat 10

4. What is the largest of ingredient in bread?________ % Daily Value

Total Fat 1g 2%
5. What is the percent of the Nutrient Carbohydrate in one slice of
Saturated Fat 0 g 0%
bread?________
Cholesterol 0 mg 5%
Circle the correct answer to the following questions about the Sodium 140mg 6%
Nutrition Label. Total Carbohydrate 13 g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0 g 0%
6. How many calories from fat are in one slice of bread? Sugar 1g
a. 1g Protein 2g
b. 2% Vitamin A 0% * Vitamin C 0%
c. 10 Calcium 2% * Iron 4%
Niacin 6% * Folate 6%
7. How many grams of the Nutrient Protein are in a serving of
bread? Percentage Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
a. 14g Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
b. 6g your calorie needs:
c. 2g Calories; 2000 2500
Total Fat less than 65g 80g
8. How many grams are in one slice of bread? Sat Fat less than 20g 25g
a. 70g Cholesterol less than 300mg 300mg
b. 21g Sodium less than 2400mg 2400mg
c. 27g
Total Carbohydrates 300g 375mg
9. What are health claims based on? Dietary Fiber 25g 30g
a. Scientific research.
b. Food items. Calories per gram:
c. Television Fat 9 • Carbohydrates 4 • Protein 4

10. Why is the Nutrient Fat put on Nutrition Labels?

a. to help you to choose foods with less fat. INGREDIENTS: Enriched Flour (Flour, Barley
b. to let you know what foods taste good. Malt, Ferrous Sulfate (Iron) “B” Vitamins
c. to make the label pretty. (Niacin, Thiamine Monoglycerides, (B1)
11. How many Serving Sizes are in a loaf of bread? Riboflavin, Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Salt
a. 49 Monoglycerides, Yeast, Dough conditioners,
b. 21 (Sodium Stearoyl Lactate, Calcium Dioxide,
c. 12
Potassium Bromate, Diammonium Phosphate),
Soy Flour, Yeast Nutrient (Ammonium Sulfate),
Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate.
Make Your Own Lable
Nutrition Fact
 OTHER NAMES FOR SUGAR ON FOOD LABELS
Don`t be TRICKED
1. Agave Nectar 36. Golden syrup
2. Anhydrous dextrose 7. Grape sugar
3. Beet sugar 38. Grape juice concentrate
4. Blackstrap molasses 39. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
5. Brown sugar 40. Honey
6. Buttered syrup 41. Icing sugar
7. Cane crystals 42. Invert sugar
8. Cane juice crystals 43. Lactose
9. Cane sugar 44. Malt syrup
10. Caramel 45. Maltose
11. Carbo syrup 46. Mannitol
12. Castor sugar 47. Maple syrup
13. Coconut sugar 48. Molasses
14. Confectioner`s sugar (powdered sugar) 49. Maltodextrin
15. Corn syrup 50. Muscovado sugar
16. Corn sweetener 51. Organic raw sugar
17. Corn syrup solids 52. Panocha
18. Crystalline fructose 53. Powdered sugar
19. Date sugar 54. Panela sugar
20. Demerara sugar 55. Raw sugar
21. Dextran 56. Refiner`s syrup
22. Dextrin 57. Rice syrup
23.Dextrose 58. Sorbitol
24. Diastatic malt 59. Sorghum syrup
25. Diastase 60. Sucanat
26. D-mannose 61. Sucrose
27. Evaporated cane juice 62. Syrup
28. Ethyl maltol 63. Table sugar
29. Florida crystals 64. Barley malt
30. Fructose 65. Treacle sugar
31. Fruit juice 66. Turbinado sugar
32. Fruit juice concentrate 67. Yellow sugar
33. Galactose
34. Glucose
35. Golden sugar
 Test your knowledge
Nutrient Quiz
Oxygen, Water, Protein, and Minerals.

True or False Questions

1. Protein build and repair muscle tissue. True or False

2. Calcium is part of the nutrient mineral family. True or False
3. Your can obtain water from the food you eat. True or False
4. The oxygen in your body constantly needs to be changed and refreshed. True or False
5. The cardiovascular system uses blood as the transporting fluid for oxygen.
True or False
6. The human body can make its own minerals. True or False
7. You can live weeks without water. True or False
8. Protein is not a good source of fuel (energy) for your body. True or False
9. You receive oxygen through your skin. True or False
10 .You have water in your teeth and bones. True or False
11. A growing child needs lots of protein. True or False
12. You receive minerals by eating plants that absorb them from the earth. True or False
13. Minerals help build strong bones and maintain healthy teeth. True or False
14 .You can live days without oxygen. True or False
15. You receive minerals by eating meat from animals, which graze on plants. True

Fill in the blanks Questions

1. Protein provides ________________ calories per gram.

2. Your body require oxygen to produce ___________________________________ .
3. The body is composed of _________________________% water.
4. You have ____________ lungs.
5. You should drink _____________________________ glasses of water each day.
6. Calcium is the most ______________ minerals in the body.
7. Name 2 foods high in protein __________________________ ,
_____________________________ .
8. Name 2 foods high in minerals __________________________ ,
____________________________ .
9. There are ____________________ amino acids.
10. Water regulate your body temperature through _________________________.
Test your knowledge
Match food picture with Nutrients.
Write the Nutrient name with the correct food picture.
Peas Eggs Cheeseburger

------------------ ------------------ ------------------

Lean Meat Water Mellon Pop Corn

------------------ ------------------ ------------------

Bread Orange Juice Pomegranate

------------------ ------------------ ------------------

 Test your knowledge
Nutrient Quiz
Vitamin, Carbohydrates, fat, and fiber girl.
True or False Questions
1. The human body can make all of its own vitamins. True or False
2. Your body uses carbohydrates to make glucose. True or False
3. The nutrient fat is a good source of energy. True or False
4. Fats make up 60% of the brain and nerve that run every system of the body. True or False
5. Meat, milk, and eggs are high in fiber. True or False
6. The nutrient carbohydrate is your body’s main source of energy. True or False
7. The liver is the body’s main nutrient storehouse. True or False
8. Vitamins can be harmful to your body in excess. True or False
9. Fat is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. True or False
10 .Cholesterol is a nutrient. True or False
11 .Fiber helps your body maintain ideal weight. True or False
12. You should choose a diet high in sugar. True or False
13. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. True or False
14. Fiber is a nutrient. True or False
15. Your body can not store any glucose. True or False

Fill in the blank Questions

1. Carbohydrates provide ___________ calories per gram.
2. There are ____________________ essential vitamins needed to help the body maintain good
health.
3. Trans fat forms when vegetable oil hardens, a process called
________________________________ .
4. Fats provide __________________ calories per gram.
5. You should eat _________________ grams of fiber each day.
6. Name 3 foods high in vitamins _______________________, ____________________,
____________________.
7. Name 3 foods with lots of trans fat ______________________,
_____________________,______________________.
8 Name 3 foods high in fiber ______________________, __________________________,
_________________________.
9. Saturated fat causes a waxy substance called ______________________ to build up in the
arteries.
10. Name 3 foods high in carbohydrates _____________________, ______________________,
_______________________.
Test your knowledge
Match food picture with Nutrients.
Write the Nutrient name with the correct food picture.
Corn Avocado Strawberry

------------------ ------------------ ------------------

Water Beans Bananas

------------------ ------------------ ------------------

------------------ ------------------ ------------------

 My Plate
Write in the correct answers

Write in the correct answers

 Test your knowledge
25 other names for sugar on food labels.

1._______________
2._______________
3._______________
4._______________
5._______________
6._______________
7._______________
8._______________
9._______________
10.______________
11.______________
12.______________
13.______________
14.______________
15.______________
16.______________
17.______________
18.______________
19.______________
20.______________
21.______________
22.______________
23.______________
24.______________
25.______________
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