Nearly all the fats in our diet are in the form of triglycerides. Because triglycerides in food are so large, they cannot be absorbed directly into the blood. Instead, the pancreas and intestines produce enzymes that break down the dietary fat into individual fatty acids that are absorbed into the bloodstream. Read more »

Cholesterol is not a fatty acid but a sterol, a waxy substance with a complex, ringlike structure. Cholesterol is present only in animal tissues; all foods derived from plants have no cholesterol. Read more »

Fibre in nutrition has been an area of increasing interest for study by nutritionists the world over. Dietary fibre, unavailable carbohydrates or roughage are the different terms, that refer to the total amount of naturally occurring material in foods, mainly of plant origin, that is not digested. Dietary fibre is widely recognised to have a beneficial effect. Read more »

If you lead an active lifestyle, your body needs fuel in the form of carbohydrates to function optimally. How many carbohydrates you should eat each day depends on your total energy intake, size and health status, as well as the duration, intensity and type of exercise you do. Read more »

Known as the muscle-building nutrient, it is broken down into individual amino acids during digestion and absorption. The amino acids are then taken up by the body for various jobs like manufacturing tissues and enzymes needed for metabolism. Everyone needs protein, but how much should you eat to shuttle enough of those amino acids to your muscles? Read more »

Do not skip meals, plan them. If any meal is omitted or neglected, there is too much nutritional load put on the remaining meals and snacks in a day’s intake. Read more »

Kitchen

The task of planning a nutritious meal centres around the essential nutrients included in optimal amounts. In addition to this, attention must be paid to the palatability, cultural appropriateness and feasibility of the diet. People do not eat solely for nutrition. Social, cultural and psychological factors are to be kept in mind while planning an acceptable diet. Read more »

A simple and convenient way to study the different common foods is to group them in several classes according to the nutrients they supply most abundantly. There are five wellknown food groups, each group comprising foods similar in the general chemical make-up which contribute the same types of nutrients to the diet. Read more »