CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS FOOD MADE OF? In this chapter, you will study the basics of food, including what it is made from. Food can be anything that is edible to humans. Your food is made from a variety of substances called macronutrients. You might recognize these as carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All food is made from these three types of macromolecules. You also consume micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. You will be introduced to these basic food components and will learn what fiber is and why it is indigestible.
NUTRITION 101 Nutrition isn't just about food; it is about the interaction between the food you eat and your body. Food contains certain types of nutrients. The nutrients are the helpful parts of food; all nutrients are digestible to some degree. We use the term digestible to indicate food that you ingest, and that gets absorbed into your gastrointestinal tract. Much more happens to food after it is digested; you will learn a lot more about exactly how this all works. Food is divided into carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Carbohydrates can be divided into sugars, starches, and fiber. They are combined together because they are made of the same simple sugar molecules. There is more than one type of fat as well. Fatty acids are the type of fat used to store energy in your body, while cholesterol is used to make vitamins and as part of the cell wall of each of your cells. A nutrient, by definition, is any active chemical ingredient in your food that has a true role in your body. Nutrients must be digested by the GI tract before they can be used by our body. Micronutrients get their name because they are needed in very small quantities in your food. They do not add any energy to the body but are important in other ways. Nearly all the food you eat is made from some mixture of nutrients. Even food you think of as being only made from protein, such as meat, contains other things, such as fat and
