Study Material
FOOD NUTRITION & DIETETICS,834
CLASS XI
,Study Material
Unit 1: Food and Nutrition: Basic Concepts
Chapter 1: Nutritional status and Primary Health Care
Chapter 2: Food: Basic Concept
Chapter 3: Nutrients
Chapter 4:Recommended Dietary Allowances
Chapter 5: Concepts of meal planning
,Study Material
Chapter 1: Nutritional status and Primary Health Care
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Define Food, Nutrition & Health
2. Explain the interrelationship in maintaining good health & wellbeing.
3. List the parameters for maintaining Primary Health Care.
We all know that food is a basic necessity.This unit tells you about food and some of its components.
You will also be introduced to the terms nutrition and health.Food is any substance consumed to provide
nutritional support for an organism. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients,
such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals.
Foods are made up mostly of bio-chemicals which are mainly derived from living sources such as plants
and animals. There are three main groups of constituents in foods: Carbohydrates, Protein and Fats and
derivatives of these. The essential substances contributed by our food are called nutrients. If these
nutrients are not present in our food in sufficient amounts, the result is ill health and in some cases,
even death. Food also contains many substances, which are non-nutrients e.g. colouring, and flavouring
substances in food. Food is therefore, a complex mixture o different nutrients and non-nutrients.
FUNCTIONS OF FOOD: Food consists in part of various nutrients. These nutrients can be classified into
five major categories (based on certain similar features): proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and
minerals.Food also has social and psychological functions in addition to physiological ones.
Physiological Functions: The physiological functions performed by food are the energy-giving, body-
building, protective and regulatory functions. The energy-giving function of food is basically performed
by two nutrient categories-carbohydrates and fats. This is why these nutrients are also referred to as the
“body fuels”.Food is also needed for growth and repair. For both growth and repair, proteins are
necessary.The other major physiological functions performed by food are the protective and regulatory
functions. Let us talk about the meaning of the term ‘protective’ first. Here protective refers to the role
in preventing infection by ensuring proper functioning of the body systems responsible for fighting
infections.
The regulatory function mentioned earlier refers to the role of food in controlling body processes.
Several processes take place in the body such as the beating of the heart, maintenance of body
temperature and contraction of muscles. Each of these processes is controlled. This is achieved by
certain specific nutrients and is illustrative of their regulatory function. Vitamins, minerals, and proteins
contribute substantially to both protective and regulatory functions. So does water.
Social Functions: Food and eating has significant social meaning. Sharing food with any other person
implies social acceptance. When you share a meal with anyone else, you are expressing your acceptance
of friendship and respect for that person. Food is an integral part of festivity anywhere in the world.
, Study Material
Joyous occasions such as birth of a child or a marriage are celebrated by having feasts and serving
delicacies.
Food also has a specific significance and meaning in the religious context. Certain food items such as
fruits, sweets and coconuts are offered to the deity in temples. Often sweets are prepared at temples
and gurudwaras and distributed to devotees as a benediction or Prasad. Food thus becomes an integral
part of the social and religious life of people.
Psychological Function: We all have emotional needs such as the need for security, love and attention.
Food is one way through which these needs are satisfied. Food is also closely allied to our emotions.
Food often serves as a reward. On the other hand, certain foods become associated with sickness such
as khichri (a rice-dhal porridge). This type of food is generally eaten when a person suffers from fever
and may, therefore, not be associated with pleasant feelings.
Nutrition: Nutrition is a scientific discipline with food as the major focus of interest. It can be defined as”
The science of foods, the nutrients and other substances therein, their action, interaction and balance
in relationship to health and diseases; the process by which the organism ingests, digests, absorb,
transports and utilizes nutrients and disposes of their wend products.”
The body needs each nutrient in specific amounts. Some are needed in relatively larger amounts-the
macronutrients, and some in smaller amounts-the micronutrients. Each nutrient plays a significant role
in the body and a balance should be maintained. The term balance means that the nutrients needed by
the body should be provided in the right amount and proportions. Nutrients are the constituents in food
that must be supplied to the body in suitable amounts. These include carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
minerals, vitamins and water. Chemical substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide
energy, structural materials and regulating agents to support growth, maintenance and repair of body’s
tissues. Nutrients may also reduce the risks of some degenerative diseases.
Let’s study different aspects of nutrition.
1. Social and cultural aspects of eating: Food has a special meaning in the social and cultural
context. Our ancient vedic tradition emphasizes food as the life-giver. It further attributes
specific qualities to specific foods. It is important to keep a person’s socio-cultural background in
mind whenever we talk of improving or modifying food related practices.
2. The psychology of eating: The individual reactions to food and to the people around us can have
a significant psychological influence on our eating pattern.Many factors influences our choices
of foods such as advertisements and the attitude of other people around us.
3. The economics of food: Food costs money. It must be within the reach of people and it must be
equitably distributed to all sections of the populations. The availability of food and its proper
distribution is of great importance. It is the coordinated effort of planners, farmers, suppliers
and consumers of food products to ensure equitable distribution of food products.
FOOD NUTRITION & DIETETICS,834
CLASS XI
,Study Material
Unit 1: Food and Nutrition: Basic Concepts
Chapter 1: Nutritional status and Primary Health Care
Chapter 2: Food: Basic Concept
Chapter 3: Nutrients
Chapter 4:Recommended Dietary Allowances
Chapter 5: Concepts of meal planning
,Study Material
Chapter 1: Nutritional status and Primary Health Care
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Define Food, Nutrition & Health
2. Explain the interrelationship in maintaining good health & wellbeing.
3. List the parameters for maintaining Primary Health Care.
We all know that food is a basic necessity.This unit tells you about food and some of its components.
You will also be introduced to the terms nutrition and health.Food is any substance consumed to provide
nutritional support for an organism. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients,
such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals.
Foods are made up mostly of bio-chemicals which are mainly derived from living sources such as plants
and animals. There are three main groups of constituents in foods: Carbohydrates, Protein and Fats and
derivatives of these. The essential substances contributed by our food are called nutrients. If these
nutrients are not present in our food in sufficient amounts, the result is ill health and in some cases,
even death. Food also contains many substances, which are non-nutrients e.g. colouring, and flavouring
substances in food. Food is therefore, a complex mixture o different nutrients and non-nutrients.
FUNCTIONS OF FOOD: Food consists in part of various nutrients. These nutrients can be classified into
five major categories (based on certain similar features): proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and
minerals.Food also has social and psychological functions in addition to physiological ones.
Physiological Functions: The physiological functions performed by food are the energy-giving, body-
building, protective and regulatory functions. The energy-giving function of food is basically performed
by two nutrient categories-carbohydrates and fats. This is why these nutrients are also referred to as the
“body fuels”.Food is also needed for growth and repair. For both growth and repair, proteins are
necessary.The other major physiological functions performed by food are the protective and regulatory
functions. Let us talk about the meaning of the term ‘protective’ first. Here protective refers to the role
in preventing infection by ensuring proper functioning of the body systems responsible for fighting
infections.
The regulatory function mentioned earlier refers to the role of food in controlling body processes.
Several processes take place in the body such as the beating of the heart, maintenance of body
temperature and contraction of muscles. Each of these processes is controlled. This is achieved by
certain specific nutrients and is illustrative of their regulatory function. Vitamins, minerals, and proteins
contribute substantially to both protective and regulatory functions. So does water.
Social Functions: Food and eating has significant social meaning. Sharing food with any other person
implies social acceptance. When you share a meal with anyone else, you are expressing your acceptance
of friendship and respect for that person. Food is an integral part of festivity anywhere in the world.
, Study Material
Joyous occasions such as birth of a child or a marriage are celebrated by having feasts and serving
delicacies.
Food also has a specific significance and meaning in the religious context. Certain food items such as
fruits, sweets and coconuts are offered to the deity in temples. Often sweets are prepared at temples
and gurudwaras and distributed to devotees as a benediction or Prasad. Food thus becomes an integral
part of the social and religious life of people.
Psychological Function: We all have emotional needs such as the need for security, love and attention.
Food is one way through which these needs are satisfied. Food is also closely allied to our emotions.
Food often serves as a reward. On the other hand, certain foods become associated with sickness such
as khichri (a rice-dhal porridge). This type of food is generally eaten when a person suffers from fever
and may, therefore, not be associated with pleasant feelings.
Nutrition: Nutrition is a scientific discipline with food as the major focus of interest. It can be defined as”
The science of foods, the nutrients and other substances therein, their action, interaction and balance
in relationship to health and diseases; the process by which the organism ingests, digests, absorb,
transports and utilizes nutrients and disposes of their wend products.”
The body needs each nutrient in specific amounts. Some are needed in relatively larger amounts-the
macronutrients, and some in smaller amounts-the micronutrients. Each nutrient plays a significant role
in the body and a balance should be maintained. The term balance means that the nutrients needed by
the body should be provided in the right amount and proportions. Nutrients are the constituents in food
that must be supplied to the body in suitable amounts. These include carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
minerals, vitamins and water. Chemical substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide
energy, structural materials and regulating agents to support growth, maintenance and repair of body’s
tissues. Nutrients may also reduce the risks of some degenerative diseases.
Let’s study different aspects of nutrition.
1. Social and cultural aspects of eating: Food has a special meaning in the social and cultural
context. Our ancient vedic tradition emphasizes food as the life-giver. It further attributes
specific qualities to specific foods. It is important to keep a person’s socio-cultural background in
mind whenever we talk of improving or modifying food related practices.
2. The psychology of eating: The individual reactions to food and to the people around us can have
a significant psychological influence on our eating pattern.Many factors influences our choices
of foods such as advertisements and the attitude of other people around us.
3. The economics of food: Food costs money. It must be within the reach of people and it must be
equitably distributed to all sections of the populations. The availability of food and its proper
distribution is of great importance. It is the coordinated effort of planners, farmers, suppliers
and consumers of food products to ensure equitable distribution of food products.
