Glossary of 'food words'
Hey, what does THAT mean?
Carbohydrate:
Your body's main fuel source is carbohydrate - it gives
you energy! Some of your organs like brain and liver can ONLY use
carbohydrate, so if you aren't eating enough, you may be in
trouble!
Carbs come from plant foods like cereals and grains - this includes
bread, rice and pasta. Fruits, some vegetables, beans and lentils
also have carbs in them.
Milk contains a carbohydrate called lactose.
Sugar, sugary foods and lollies are called refined carbohydrates
because they have been made from processing plants.
Fat:
Fat is used to give you insulation (keeps you warm), to
make hormones, protect your internal organs and for brain
development - did you know that your brain is 45% fat and nerve
endings are 80% fat?
Somewhere along the way the news about fat got confusing. Good
fats, bad fats, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol,
essential fatty acids -what a list!
It's good to have a small amount of the healthy kinds, but they are
all very high in energy.
Good fats are also known as poly-unsaturated or
mono-unsaturated fats.
Bad fats are saturated and trans-fatty
acids.
All foods contain a mixture of good and bad fats, but one type of
fat usually dominates in food. For example, foods of animal origin
mainly contain saturated fat (such as butter and meat fat), whereas
foods of plant origin (such as nuts, vegetable oils and avocado)
contain mainly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
Oily fish like salmon and tuna contain mainly poly-unsaturated
fat.
All fats contain the same amount of kilojoules (energy) per gram
-so use them in small amounts.
Protein:
Your body uses protein to help you grow, build
muscle and repair tissue - like if you get a cut - protein helps to
heal it.
Protein foods are found in meat, fish, shellfish, chicken and
animal products like cheese, eggs, yoghurt and milk. Plants have
smaller amounts - soybeans (tofu), all other beans, nuts and
seeds; if you don't eat animal products you need to eat a
wide variety every day from the plant group to get the
'complete set' of protein needed by the body.
Vitamins and Minerals:
These are the 'helpers' in your metabolic function - helping your
bodies put it altogether to work properly. They are like the number
buttons on your cell-phone; you won't get anywhere without
them!
Vitamins are found in the biggest amounts in vegetables and fruit
(which is why your folks are always trying to get you to eat them)!
Minerals are found in all foods. Vitamin D we get from the
sun!
Calories/Kilojoules:
These measure how much energy a food provides. Like a lightbulb
uses Watts (think 60 watt bulb compared to a 100watt bulb) - a food
with 100 kilojoules will give you at lot more energy than a food
with 60 kilojoules.
You use energy (kilojoules/calories) with breathing, thinking,
sitting - and lots with walking, running and playing sport. Try and
balance your energy intake (what you eat) with your energy output
(your activity).
Did you know that growing taller takes a bit more energy too?
Fibre:
Fibre is a form of carbohydrate found in wholegrain
breads and cereals, vegetables and fruit, and legumes and nuts.
Fibre has formerly been called roughage or bulk and is great for
your insides.
Did you know that:
- Animal foods contain no fibre.
- Processing can reduce the fibre content of foods.
Choose foods with fibre where possible.
Salt:
Salt is a compound called sodium chloride. Sodium is an essential
mineral in tiny amounts. Large intakes of sodium can lead to poor
health.
Salt is used to add flavour. It is also an essential ingredient in
some foods as a preservative.
Sea salt, garlic salt and rock salt are all still the same as
salt, and in fact aren't as healthy for you as table salt. This is
because table salt has iodine added, an important mineral that
stops you getting goitre - go ask your Mum or Dad what a goitre
is!
Most of the salt in our diet (up to 85 percent) is from processed
and manufactured foods like bread, cheese, biscuits, cakes,
convenience foods and sauces.
The remainder of the salt in our diet is from salt added to foods
in cooking or at the table.
Your taste-buds get used to salty flavours - but they'll also get
used to the flavour of food without salt. Try not to add salt for
at least two weeks and see if you notice the true flavour of
food.
Glycemic Index:
This measures how quickly the food is broken down and absorbed into
your body for energy. Foods with low GI's tend to take longer to
break down, so can make you feel fuller for longer. Foods with high
GI's take a short time to break down - so give you a quick release
of energy (great for sports) or make you want to eat a bit sooner
(not so great if you're not that active).
But remember - GI actually only measures carbohydrate break-down,
so foods with a lot of protein or fat will usually have a low
GI (because they don't have many carbs). If they're high fat
foods, they may be sometimes or occasional foods.
