Macronutrients
Carbohydrates | the Macronutrient
Carbohydrates are a large class of nutrients, including sugars, starch, and fibres. Carbohydrates function as the body's primary source of energy.
We will talk about sugar, starch, and fibres. We will discuss the common sugars we usually see and use: sucrose (table sugar or white sugar), glucose, lactose, fructose, and maltose. The natural sugar in fruits is fructose, and the natural sugar in milk is lactose. Table sugar or white sugar is sucrose, which is sold in grocery stores and added to foods.
Then, we will talk about starch and fibres, which are also sugar in nature but polysaccharides, meaning that in each of their molecules, hundreds and thousands of glucose are linked together.
Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for our bodies. Our bodies break down the carbohydrates we eat and digest carbs into glucose, and glucose, or blood sugar, is the primary energy source for your body's cells, tissues, and organs.
Carbohydrate:
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Sugar
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Starch
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Fiber
Protein | the Macronutrient
Protein is a nutrient that is a significant part of the body's cells. From our hair to the toe, We have proteins in us.
Protein is made of amino acids assembled in chains; protein performs many bodily functions. Protein is part of every cell, tissue, and organ.
Proteins perform both structural and functional roles in our bodies. Besides its role as an essential part of cells, protein can be burned to provide energy, although the body prefers to burn carbohydrates and fat, so protein can be used to build new cells.
Good protein sources from animal-based foods are beef, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and cheese.Plant-based foods such as grains, beans, vegetables, potatoes, and sweet potatoes contain protein but in smaller quantities than meat.
Fat | the Macronutrient
Fat is a macronutrient found in many foods. Consuming fats is vital to the body's function, including processes such as hormone production, brain activity, and the body's absorption of other nutrients from the diet.
Fats provide a rich source of energy to cells. Fat is a nutrient that supplies a rich energy source to the body. We should aim to get one-third of our calories from fat.
Butter, margarine, vegetable oils, and mayonnaise contain fats. Fat is also present in many foods and makes foods tasty. Fatty steaks in meat have fats, and you can find fat under the skin of poultry. There is also fat in milk and cheese except for fat-free milk and dairy products. Fats are also contained in baked goods such as cakes, fried foods, nuts, and other foods.
Fats, protein, and carbohydrates are energy-yielding nutrients that provide us with calories. Most of the calories we eat come from carbohydrates and fats. Only about 15% of total calories come from protein, depending on individual diets people have.
Fats we eat are broken down into triglycerides that travel in the blood to wherever they will be used or stored. Naturally, Most foods contain different types of fats: saturated and unsaturated fats (monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats).