Nutrition in practice — diet building blocks and individual needs.
What food consists of, and why the right diet makes a difference for health and well-being
What distinguishes the nutrition assistant from many others in the kitchen is understanding nutrition. You don't just make food — you make the right food for the person who is going to eat it. Therefore it is important to know the building blocks of diet.
§Energy and nutrients
PLACEHOLDER_13
| Nutrient | Role in the body |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | The body's most important energy source for everyday life and activity. |
| Fat | Energy including certain vitamin uptake and taste. |
| Protein | Builds and maintains muscles and tissue. |
| Vitamins and minerals | Necessary in small amounts for the body to function. |
| Fibres | Promotes good digestion and satiety. |
§When needs change.
The need for energy and nutrients is not the same for everyone. A child, an athlete, a pregnant woman and a weakened elderly person have very different needs. Illness can increase the need for, for example, protein and energy, while some eat very little at the same time. This is where the nutrition assistant's knowledge becomes practical food: getting the right nutrition into a portion that suits the person.
§Diets with a purpose
Diets are not fashion trends, but food with a purpose. Gluten-free diet is necessary for people with coeliac disease, sugar- and carbohydrate-conscious diet helps people with diabetes, and soft or pureed diet enables people with chewing and swallowing difficulties to eat safely. Understanding the purpose behind a diet means you can prepare it correctly — and deliciously.
§Taste and well-being are part of it
Even the most correct diet does no good if it is not eaten. That is why taste aroma and appearance are part of nutrition in practice. The meal is also an experience and a good time in an often difficult everyday life — and a nutrition assistant who remembers that makes a big difference to others' wellbeing.
“The best diet is the one that is both correct and gets eaten.”
— Nutritional basic rule.