Your body uses three kinds of nutrients—carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each one has a different job to do. Carbohydrates. Eating carbohydrates (or "carbs") is like putting gas in your car—it’ll give you energy fast. That’s because carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel. Your digestive system turns carbs into sugar quickly and easily. That sugar feeds all the cells in your body. The two bottom layers of the food pyramid (breads and grains, fruits, and vegetables) consist of foods high in carbs. Sugar is also a carb (as are honey, molasses, syrup, and other sweeteners). Carbohydrate is the food that most influences blood sugar levels. Therefore, tracking the amount of carbs in your meals and snacks is one way to plan meals. Click here to learn more about "Carb Counting". Proteins. Proteins act like the tools a car mechanic uses. They repair and build tissue in your body. That helps keep you strong. Proteins can also be used for fuel, but it takes double the time to change proteins to sugar. You get protein in meat, milk, nuts, and some kinds of beans. Fats. Fats are reserve fuel, like keeping an extra gallon of gas in the car trunk for emergencies. They also help your body absorb certain vitamins and help the cells send signals to the rest of the body. You don’t need a lot of fat every day. Too much fat can make you…well, fat. That’s because fat is basically just concentrated energy. It has double the calories of carbohydrates or proteins. It can also clog your blood vessels, which is bad for your heart. Fat is found in butter and margarine, oils, most meats, eggs, whole milk, chocolate, and any foods cooked in butter or oil. Some kinds of fat are better for you than others. For example, it’s better for your parents to use canola oil rather than butter in cooking. That’s because canola oil is less likely to clog your blood vessels. Talk to your parents and a dietitian to find out more about different kinds of fats.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 08:00:00 +0000
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