Contemporary Nutrition
Ogden Roja
Professor Lloyd M. Kahn
BIO-201-WNT02
9 January 2012
1. Relate the importance of variety in a diet, especially with regard to fruit and vegetable choices, to the discovery of various phytochemicals in foods. Variety is of vital importance when deciding what to eat. Not only does it help ensure that a diet contains sufficient nutrients, but also makes meals more interesting rather than eating the “same old thing” day after day. This approach is also best because no one particular food choice meets all of a person’s nutrient needs. For example, although carrots have a rich source of a pigment that forms vitamin A, you are neglecting various other nutrients found only in other vegetables. In this regard, diversity in your diet is essential because the required nutrients are scattered among many foods.
As an added bonus, research has found that numerous fruits and vegetables contain rich supplies of phytochemicals, many of which provide significant health benefits. Studies have repeatedly shown that those who consume these types of foods regularly can reduce the risk of certain diseases such as cancer. Due to this, fruits and vegetables rich in such chemicals are now part of a family of foods referred to as functional foods. This is defined as a food that provides health benefits beyond those supplied by the traditional nutrients it contains.
2. How would you explain the concepts of nutrient density and energy density to a fourth grade class? Density means how much you get of one thing given the presence of something else. A nutrient is a substance in food that the body needs in order to work properly. In the case of nutrient density, the “things” you receive, the nutrients, are compared to how many total calories that particular food contains. A food is said to be nutrient dense if it gives you a large amount of a nutrient for a small amount of calories. For instance, let’s say you get to choose whether to eat an apple or a glazed donut which are about
Professor Lloyd M. Kahn
BIO-201-WNT02
9 January 2012
1. Relate the importance of variety in a diet, especially with regard to fruit and vegetable choices, to the discovery of various phytochemicals in foods. Variety is of vital importance when deciding what to eat. Not only does it help ensure that a diet contains sufficient nutrients, but also makes meals more interesting rather than eating the “same old thing” day after day. This approach is also best because no one particular food choice meets all of a person’s nutrient needs. For example, although carrots have a rich source of a pigment that forms vitamin A, you are neglecting various other nutrients found only in other vegetables. In this regard, diversity in your diet is essential because the required nutrients are scattered among many foods.
As an added bonus, research has found that numerous fruits and vegetables contain rich supplies of phytochemicals, many of which provide significant health benefits. Studies have repeatedly shown that those who consume these types of foods regularly can reduce the risk of certain diseases such as cancer. Due to this, fruits and vegetables rich in such chemicals are now part of a family of foods referred to as functional foods. This is defined as a food that provides health benefits beyond those supplied by the traditional nutrients it contains.
2. How would you explain the concepts of nutrient density and energy density to a fourth grade class? Density means how much you get of one thing given the presence of something else. A nutrient is a substance in food that the body needs in order to work properly. In the case of nutrient density, the “things” you receive, the nutrients, are compared to how many total calories that particular food contains. A food is said to be nutrient dense if it gives you a large amount of a nutrient for a small amount of calories. For instance, let’s say you get to choose whether to eat an apple or a glazed donut which are about