Balanced Diet Flashcards
What is a balanced diet?
A balanced diet contains a wide variety of food types and all of the nutrients needed for good health, in the correct proportions.
What are the main components of a balanced diet?
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Dietary Fibre
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water
What is the role of carbohydrates in a balanced diet?
Source of quick release energy.
What is the function of lipids in the diet?
For insulation and a source of slow release energy.
What is the primary role of proteins?
For growth.
What is the purpose of dietary fibre?
Supports healthy digestion and movement of food through the alimentary canal (peristalsis).
What are the functions of Vitamin A, C, and D?
- Vit A: eyesight and skin health
- Vit C: healing wounds and strengthening connective tissues
- Vit D: bone health
What minerals are essential for bone health and blood production?
- Calcium for bone health
- Iron to produce haemoglobin (in red blood cells)
What is the importance of water in a balanced diet?
To maintain osmotic pressure in cells.
What does the term ‘accuracy’ refer to in scientific measurements?
How close the result is to the true value.
What is calorimetry?
Measuring the amount of heat released or absorbed during a chemical reaction.
Define ‘nutrient’.
A molecule found in food which is essential to life and growth in the body
What is a monomer?
A small, individual molecule.
What is a polymer?
Long molecules made up of many monomers.
What is a reagent?
A substance used in chemical analysis or other reactions.
Name three types of carbohydrates.
- Starch
- Glycogen
- Sugar
What are the monomers of the following polymers: carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids?
- Carbohydrates: Glucose
- Proteins: Amino Acids
- Lipids: Fatty acids and Glycerol
What is the procedure to test for starch?
Add iodine reagent; a positive result shows a color change from orange-brown to blue-black.
How do you test for glucose?
Use Benedict’s reagent; a positive result shows a color change from blue to orange-red.
What indicates the presence of lipids in a food test?
A cloudy emulsion forms after adding ethanol.
What color change indicates the presence of protein in a food test?
Color change from blue to purple using Biuret reagent.
What energy requirements do humans have?
- Maintaining body temperature
- Making new molecules
- Movement (and other life processes)
What factors affect a person’s energy requirements?
- Age
- Activity levels
- Metabolism
- Pregnancy
