All about food - general
food; nutrition; diet; vitamin; mineral; water; carbohydrate; fibre; protein; fat; cholesterol; vitamin A; vitamin B1; vitamin B2; vitamin B3; thiamin; riboflavin; niacin; pyridoxine; cyano-cobalamin; vitamin B6; vitamin B12; B1; B2; B3; B6; B12; biotin; pantothenic acid; folate; folic acid; vitamin C; ascorbic acid; vitamin D; cholecalciferol; vitamin E; tocepherol; vitamin K; iron; calcium; zinc; iodine; sodium; salt; phytochemicals; Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome; beri-beri; pellagra; rickets; osteomalacia; goitre; olive oil; canola; cholesterol; dietary guidelines; tryptophan; amino acid; vegetarian; alcoholic; vegan; anaemia; pregnancy; anti-oxidant; water soluble; fat soluble; scurvy; osteo porosis; thyroid; goitre; soy; phytoestrogens; soy; products; honey; bee; allergy; allergies; royal; jelly; frozen; tinned; frozen; vegetables; canned; noni; juice; brown rice; rice; poppy; seed; pregnant; pregnancy; allergic; botulism ;
Contents
What nutrients do we need in our food, and why are they needed? Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? We hear a lot about what we should and should not eat, and whether supplements are necessary. There are three things that are known to be really important:
- Variety: Eating a wide variety of foods means that what you don't get from one, you may well get from another, so you are more likely to have a healthy diet overall.
- Activity: The more active you are, the more food you can eat without putting on excess weight, so again you are more likely to get the nutrients you need. Activity is also good for your health in many other ways.
- Enjoyment: Eating should be fun, and sharing a meal with family and friends is an important part of life. It's great to make healthy choices, but it's fine to have treats at times too. Don't get too worried about eating just the right amounts of the 'right' foods.
Important Note: These guidelines will suit normal healthy people and will help prevent disease. They will also be good for most people with poor health. However some people with chronic diseases will require special diets, so always check with your doctor or nutritionist if you are unsure.
You don't need to study and remember a list like the one below to eat healthily. For example, many vitamins are in the same sorts of foods. It is easier to follow the three dietary guidelines above, and enjoy your food!
Also, have a look at the topics All about food - vitamins and All about food - minerals and other elements.
Dietary guidelines for Australia
These are the official Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults, and for Children and Adolescents.
Adults
- Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods.
- Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits.
- Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain.
- Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives.
- Include milks, yoghurts, cheeses and/or alternatives. Reduced-fat varieties should be chosen, where possible.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Take care to
- Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake.
- Choose foods low in salt.
- Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink.
- Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars.
- Prevent weight gain: be physically active and eat according to your energy needs.
- Care for your food: prepare and store it safely.
- Encourage and support breastfeeding.
- These guidelines are not in order of importance. Each one is important in its own right.
Children and adolescents
- Encourage and support breastfeeding.
- Children and adolescents need sufficient nutritious foods to grow and develop normally.
- Growth should be checked regularly for young children.
- Physical activity is important for all children and adolescents.
- Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods.
- Children and adolescents should be encouraged to:
- Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits.
- Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain.
- Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives.
- Include milks, yoghurts, cheese and/or alternatives.
- Reduced fat milks are not suitable for young children under 2 years, because of their high energy needs, but reduced fat varieties should be encouraged for older children and adolescents.
- Choose water as a drink. Alcohol is not recommended for children.
- Care should be taken to:
- Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake. Low-fat diets are not suitable for infants.
- Choose foods low in salt.
- Eat only a moderate amount of sugars and foods containing added sugars.
- Care for your child's food: prepare and store it safely.
- These guidelines are not in order of importance. Each one is important in its own right.
Water
What is it?
- This is our most essential 'food'. We can only live a few days without it.
What does it do?
- Much of our body is water, and all chemical processes in the body take place in water. We also use water for cooling and getting rid of waste.
Where is it found?
- There is a lot of water in the food we eat. However, it is important to drink plenty of water as well. Make sure children have water available so they can drink as much as they want. See the topic Drinking water for more information.
Carbohydrate
What is it?
- Carbohydrates are found in plant foods in two forms, sugars and starches. Starches are just long chains of simple sugars. They are broken down into sugars in the intestines before being absorbed. There are several different types of simple sugars, including sucrose, lactose and glucose.
What does it do?
- Both sugars and starches provide the energy or fuel our bodies need to keep going. Sugars also provide sweetness, which makes food taste nicer. Most of us enjoy the natural sweetness of fruit.
- The foods that contain starches also have fibre and vitamins.
Where is it found?
- Carbohydrates are found in all plant foods. We get sugars from fruit, milk (lactose) and table sugar; starches from cereals, fruit, vegetables and nuts.
Fibre
What is it?
- This is the part of plant foods that is not absorbed in the stomach or small intestine. Some foods that have been processed contain 'resistant starch' that is not well digested in the small intestine, so that it acts like fibre.
What does it do?
- Fibre has the very important job of keeping our large bowel healthy. Some types of fibre may help reduce cholesterol and gallstones.
Where is it found?
- Most plant foods contain some fibre.
- There is plenty in wheat bran, cereals (especially whole grain), legumes, fruit and vegetables.
- Fruit juice has little fibre, which is why it is better to eat whole fruit.
- Resistant starch is found in bread, pasta, legumes and cornflakes.
Protein
What is it?
- These are complex molecules made of chains of amino acids. Our body can make some of these amino acids, but others have to be eaten in food.
What does it do?
- Protein makes up the structure of our body. Muscles and blood are especially rich in protein.
Where is it found?
- Most foods contain some protein. Animal foods such as meat and dairy products have a lot. Plant foods tend to have protein which is lacking one or two of the amino acids. Eating two or more different plant foods together usually provides good quality protein, which is handy for vegetarians eg bread and peanut paste, rice and beans.
- Most of us eat more protein than our bodies need. This extra protein won't make bigger muscles; we use the excess for energy or store it as fat. Excess also makes our kidneys work harder getting rid of the waste. Even growing children do not need large amounts of protein foods, and it would be difficult for the fussiest eater to miss out on protein in Australia. If you get enough food, you usually get enough protein. If you or your child is on a specific diet that does not seem to include much protein, you could ask a nutritionist or dietitian for advice.
Fat
What is it?
- Fat contains a lot of energy (calories or kilojoules) and is easily stored as fat in our bodies. There are different types in different types of food: saturated, poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated.
What does it do?
- Fat provides energy (fuel) for the body. If not needed immediately it is stored as fat, to provide a reserve of energy in case of starvation!
- Some vitamins are fat-soluble, so we need to eat some fat to get them. There are also essential fats (or fatty acids), that are needed in small amounts for chemical processes in the body. These are mostly found in unsaturated fats.
- Fat is a good source of energy for babies and very young children, but after that age most of us should avoid having too much.
Where is it found?
- Butter, margarine and oils are almost 100% fat.
- Animal foods tend to contain saturated fat, the sort that is most likely to cause high cholesterol and heart disease. So it is wise to choose lean meats and low-fat dairy products (after the age of 2 years).
- Vegetable foods and fish are more likely to contain unsaturated fats or oils. These have just as many calories as saturated fats but are better for us in other ways. Mono-unsaturated oils like olive and canola oil are currently thought to be good. It is healthier to use small amounts of vegetable oils in cooking than butter or lard.
Cholesterol
What is it?
- Cholesterol is a type of fat found in animal foods. There is no cholesterol in plant foods.
What does it do?
- Cholesterol is used a lot in the body, making cell walls and hormones. However our body can make as much as it needs, so we don't need to eat it. Cholesterol in the diet is not a problem for most of us if we don't eat a lot of saturated fat, though a few people have a medical problem that means they should avoid foods containing cholesterol. If you have a fairly low fat diet and have more unsaturated than saturated fats, eating foods with cholesterol in moderation is not likely to be harmful.
Where is it found?
- Cholesterol is high in most animal fats, offal, eggs and some seafoods.
Soy products
- Plant foods, like fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes (such as soy) are known to have a lot of health benefits. They contain complex carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals, and also phytochemicals (or plant chemicals) that can help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
- Soy is a good source of phytochemicals, some of which are called phytoestrogens. These act as a mild oestrogen hormone and are likely to be beneficial for most of us, not only for women around the menopause.
- There are some concerns that too much soy may have health risks, but this has not been proven.
- Soy infant formulas have been used for a long time and seem to be safe, but are best kept for babies with particular medical conditions. See the topic Soy infant formula.
- Soy products can be an important part of a healthy diet, but it is important to eat plenty of other plant foods too.
Honey
Honey is made up of natural sugars - glucose, fructose and sucrose. It has no better food values than ordinary sugar. Honey sometimes becomes cloudy and more solid but standing it in hot water for a short time and stirring it will make it more "runny" again. It helps to store it in an airtight container.
Honey and young children
- Honey can contain the spores (like seeds) of a germ (C. botulinum) which can cause serious, but very rare, health problems for babies under 12 months. Children over 12 months and adults do not have the same problems if they eat honey with these spores in it. It is not known why it only affects babies under 12 months old. Babies with botulism from eating honey can die very quickly if they are not treated, and if treatment is needed it will be many months before they are well again. Because this is a cause of illness that, even though rare, is preventable, it is recommended that honey is not given to infants under 12 months old.
Royal Jelly
- Royal jelly comes from the salivary glands of honey bees and is said to be helpful as a health tonic. However there is no evidence that it has any health benefit for humans. It can cause very dangerous allergic reactions in people who have allergies or asthma.
Honey and healing
- Some kinds of honey may have anti-bacterial effects however it is not wise to use it on any wounds or burns without asking your doctor about it first.
Brown rice,
poppy seeds and Noni juice
Brown rice
It has been suggested that brown rice can inhibit the absorption of iron and calcium.
- Foods that are high in fibre like wholegrain cereals can make it harder for the body to absorb nutrients like iron, zinc and calcium. However these foods are also a good source of nutrients, including iron.
- Eating nothing but brown rice may well cause problems. Like most things, it is a matter of balance - some brown rice as part of a mixed diet is excellent.
Children will absorb more iron from cereals if some meat, or food containing Vitamin C, such as tomatoes or fruit, is eaten at the same time.
Poppy seed
- Even though some types of poppy seeds are a source of opiates (the same type of drug as heroin), the type of poppy seeds used in cooking (such as on rolls or in cakes) has only a small trace of these substances.
- It is not dangerous for pregnant women or young children to eat poppy seeds used in cooking.
Noni juice
- Noni juice is made from the fruit of a tree that grows in Tahiti. There are claims made that it can cure just about everything, which is most unlikely. There are no good studies supporting its use, though scientists are currently investigating whether it has a role in cancer treatment.
- There is certainly no evidence that it would be of benefit for eczema, and we do not know if it is safe for babies. As food allergies often cause or worsen eczema in young children, it is not a good idea to introduce unfamiliar foods or drinks without good reason. At this stage, we recommend that Noni juice is not given to babies.
Food additives
- Food additives are an important part of food preparation.
- Food Standards Australian and New Zealand has detailed information about food additives, what they do and how to check what is in the foods you buy. What are food additives?
Frozen
and tinned foods
Frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables contain similar food benefits to fresh. Check the labels to be sure they don't have added salt, sugar/syrup or fat.
References
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.