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Nutrients
Each dish is usually made up of one or more ingredients, which we get from plants or animals. These ingredients contain some components that are needed by our body. These components are called nutrients.Most food items, usually, have more than one nutrient

Major Nutrients in our food
Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates mainly provide energy to our body.Foods containing fats and carbohydrates are also called ‘energy giving foods’.

For example, rice has more carbohydrates than other nutrients.
 * Rice
 * Wheat
 * Banana
 * Potato
 * Sugar etc

Proteins

Proteins are needed for the growth and repair of our body.

Foods containing proteins are often called ‘body building foods’.

Some sources of Proteins are: Fats
 * Egg
 * meat
 * Fish
 * Pulses

Fats give much more energy as compared to the same amount of carbohydrates.

Some sources of fats are:
 * Butter
 * Meat
 * Egg
 * Paneer

Vitamins

Vitamins help in protecting our body against diseases.

Vitamins also help in keeping our eyes, bones, teeth and gums healthy.

Vitamins are of different kinds known by different names.

Some of these are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and K. There is also a group of vitamins called Vitamin B-complex.

Minerals

Minerals are needed by our body in small amounts.

Each one is essential for proper growth of body and to maintain good health.

In addition, food contains dietary fibres and water which are also needed by our body.

Dietary fibres are also known as roughage. Roughage is mainly provided by plant products in our foods. Whole grains and pulses, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables are main sources of roughage. Roughage does not provide any nutrient to our body, but is an essential component of our food and adds to its bulk. This helps our body get rid of undigested food.

Water helps our body to absorb nutrients from food. It also helps in throwing out some wastes from body as urine and sweat.

BALANCED DIET
The food we normally eat in a day is our diet. For growth and maintenance of good health, our diet should have all the nutrients that our body needs, in right quantities. Not too much of one and not too little of the other. The diet should also contain a good amount of roughage and water. Such a diet is called a balanced diet. Eating the right kind of food is not enough. It should also be cooked properly so that its nutrients are not lost.

If the vegetables and fruits are washed after cutting or peeling them, it may result in the loss of some vitamins. The skins of many vegetables and fruits contain vitamins and minerals. Similarly, repeated washing of rice and pulses may remove some vitamins and minerals present in them.

Many useful proteins and considerable amounts of minerals are lost if excess water is used during cooking and is then thrown away. Vitamin C gets easily destroyed by heat during cooking.

DEFICIENCY DISEASES
A person may be getting enough food to eat, but sometimes the food may not contain a particular nutrient. If this continues over a long period of time, the person may suffer from its deficiency.Deficiency of one or more nutrients can cause diseases or disorders in our body. Diseases that occur due to lack of nutrients over a long period are called deficiency diseases.

All deficiency diseases can be prevented by taking a balanced diet.

= Diseases caused by deficiency of food components =