Basics of nutrition
by James Kateregga

From previous lecture, we learnt the key
nutrition interventions in among the Infant and
Young Children which include:
• Exclusive breastfeeding of an infant btn birth to
6 months and there after complentary feeding
with continued breastfeeding up to 2 yrs and
beyond
• Counseling on infant and Young child feeding
• Immunization
• Growth monitoring and promotion
• Deworming and Vitamin A supplementation (up
five years)
• Etc

Basics of nutrition
• What are the basic nutrients that we aim at
infant and young children to get whenever we
feed them?
• Identify food nutrients, their sources & roles of
food nutrients in the body
• What happens when an infant and a young
child does not get the required nutrients

Definition of Nutrition
Nutrition
 Supply of food required by the body to keep alive
 Focuses on how diseases, conditions & problems
can be prevented or lessened with a healthy diet
 It is a process of body's nourishment
 Is a science/ practice of consuming & utilizing
foods

Key Nutrition terms
 Food is any substance solid/semi solid/ liquid once
taken into the body, provides energy (‘GO’), promote
growth, development & repair of cells/ tissues
(‘GROW’) & protects the body against infections
(‘GLOW’).
 Food is a product for the body`s nourishment
 Nutrients: A chemical ingredient in a food. Nutrients
are classified as macro and micronutrients
 Macronutrients are nutrients we need in relatively
large quantities

Key Nutrition terms cont’d
 Micronutrients are nutrients we need in relatively
small quantities
 Diet : Your diet is, simply, what you eat. There are
two aspects to your diet: what foods you eat & how
much of them you eat
 A balanced diet is one with a right mix of foods from
different food groups that together contain all the
vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins & fats
 Nutritional status: it’s a state of a person’s health in
terms of nutrients in the body. It can be normal or
poor status

Macro and micronutrients in food
Macronutrients
• Carbohydrates including dietary fiber:
• Proteins
• Lipids (Fats and oils)
• Water
Micronutrients
• Minerals
• Vitamins

Exercise
Group 1
i. Name the common food sources of macro-nutrients
available in your community
ii. List the roles of the macro-nutrients in the body
Group 2
I. Name the common food sources of micronutrients
available in your community
II. List the roles of the micronutrients in the body

Carbohydrates -1
Can be energy providing (sugars & starch)
or non-energy providing (dietary fiber)
Food Sources of sugars & starches
 Cereals & cereal products (Maize, Millet, sorghum, rice)
 Root crops & their products (Potatoes cassava, yams)
 Starchy fruits (Bananas)
 Sugars & sugary foods
Roles
Are the immediate sources of energy by the body
Sugars & starches in form of glucose are among the energy
macronutrients providing energy “GO” This energy is measured
in kilocalories (kcal). One gram of glucose provides 4 kcal.

Carbohydrates -2
Dietary fiber is the part of the plant that your body can't digest.
Food Sources of fiber
• Whole grains
• Beans
• Nuts
• Fruits & vegetables
Roles
• Adds bulk to your diet
• Makes you feel full faster
• Helps you control your weight
• Helps digestion - prevents constipation

I will never take tea again….
What is the Nutritional content of the drink
in this picture?
I WILL NEVER TAKE
MUMMY’S TEA
AGAIN…

Lipids
– Fats are solid at room temperature
– Oils are in liquid
– All give energy
– Are absorbed more slowly than carbohydrates
Food Sources
 Fats commonly animal foods (examples?)
 Oils commonly plant foods (examples?)
Roles of lipids
• Energy macronutrients
• “GO” foods
• 1g = 9kcal
• More energy than carbohydrates give
• But, not immediate source of energy
• Provide warmth

Sources of proteins

Sources of protein

Proteins
Can be plant or animal protein
Sources
Plants sources (examples?)
Animals sources (examples?)
Roles of proteins
 Body building foods
 “GROW” foods
 Form main structural components of cells
 Help produce & maintain tissues & muscles
 Are not immediate sources of energy
 1g = 4 kcal to the body

Water
About 70% of the non-fat mass of the human body is
water
Consequently very important
Sources of water
 Direct consumption of water
 Drinks and foods
Roles
• For digestion
• Transportation & absorption of nutrients
• Cooling of the body
• Removal of waste materials (through sweating,
excretion, breathing etc)
• Approximately 2-3 liters (8 -10 cups) are needed
daily

Minerals
• In the nutrition context ,the term "minerals" simply
means "dietary positively or negatively charged ions“
• Key minerals of concern
- Potassium
- Chloride
- Sodium
- Calcium
- Phosphorous
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Manganese
- Copper
- Iodine
- Selenium

Minerals continued
Sources of minerals
• Intake of a variety of foods & a well balanced diets will in
most cases give necessary minerals
• Minerals are often artificially added to some foods to make up
for potential dietary shortages & subsequent health problems
• i.e. food fortification
• Examples of fortified foods?
Sources of minerals
• Plants & plant products
• Animals & animal products
Roles of minerals
• Essential for human biochemical processes by serving
structural & functional roles, as well as electrolytes
• They are protective foods that are not synthesized by the body
• “GLOW” foods

Iron
Sources of iron
• Red meat, liver, fish, poultry, shellfish Eggs,
legumes, vegetables, fruits
• Iron in food boiled in water is leached and lost
if the water is discarded.
Roles/functions of iron
• Oxygen transportation
• Needed by enzymes
• Absorption of vitamin C
• Energy production

Iodine
Sources of iodine
• Seafood,, seaweed, iodized salt
• NB. Iodine content depends on the soil,
animal feed, etc.
Roles/functions
• Development and proper functioning of the
brain and nervous system
• Important for normal growth and
development,
• Protein synthesis,
• Energy metabolism, and reproduction

Zinc
Sources of zinc
• Animal sources; Meat, liver, fish, poultry, eggs, milk,
yoghurt, seafood including shellfish and oysters
• Plant sources: Cabbage, carrots, spinach, beets, green
peas, legumes, whole grain cereals, peanuts, barley,
pumpkin
Roles/functions of Zinc
• Protects the immune system
• Needed for digestive Enzyme formation
• Wound healing
• Vitamin A metabolism
• Normal development of male organs
• Antioxidant
• Component of insulin

Calcium
Sources of Calcium
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese, green leafy vegetables
such as broccoli, legumes, peas, fish with
bones that are eaten
Roles/functions of calcium
• Strong bones and teeth
• Normal functioning of the heart
• Helps in blood clotting
• Helps maintain normal blood pressure

Fluoride
Sources of fluoride
• Fish and seaweed Bone meal, meat, and dairy
products
• Grains, vegetables, and nuts
Roles/functions of Fluoride
• Protection of bone and dental tissues.
• Protection against tooth decay
• Wound healing

Sodium
Sources of sodium
• Table salt, canned soups
Roles/functions of sodium
• Primary regulator of fluid in the body
• Maintenance of blood Pressure

Potassium
Sources of potassium
• Bananas, avocados, oranges, mangoes,
papayas
• Legumes, spinach, cabbage, carrots,
tomatoes, potatoes, yams
• Milk, meat, chicken, pork, fish
Roles/functions of potassium
• Nervous system functioning
• Muscle contraction
• Maintenance of blood pressure

Vitamins
• Are organic compounds which our bodies cannot
synthesize (produce) enough or any of it
• We have to obtain vitamins from our food
• Are classified by their biological & chemical
activity into water soluble (they can dissolve in
water)
i. 9 water-soluble (8 B group vitamins, vitamin C)
-Water soluble vitamins need to be consumed
more regularly because they are eliminated faster
& are not readily stored
ii. Fat soluble (they can dissolve in fat)
• For humans there are 4 fat-soluble (A, D, E, K)

Vitamin A
Sources of Vitamin A
• Ripe mangoes, cantaloupe, apricots peaches,
Pumpkin, carrots, orange fleshed, sweet
potatoes, locally available Vitamin A rich
vegetables leaves, spinach, Nakati, Gobbe,
Malakwang, Boo, Dark green leafy vegetables
including wild ones and locally available
vitamin A rich leaves such as cassava leaves,
amaranth, pumpkin , sweet potatoes

Functions of Vitamin A
• Retinol; Required for normal vision, bone
development, cell differentiation and proper
growth
• β-carotene; maintains epithelial cells and
helps to fight infections
• α-carotene; is an anti-oxidant that protects
cell membrane
Deficiency
• Blindness in children,
• Anaemia, Neural tube defect, and birth
defects

Vitamin D