What Are Nutrients?

Our bodies use protein to grow and repair muscles, hair and nails.

We get protein from meats, eggs, nuts, beans and dairy products.

Different vitamins help us in different ways. For example, Vitamin A promotes healthy bones and eyes; Vitamin B is needed to release energy from our food; Vitamin D promotes strong bones and teeth.

We get different vitamins from different food sources: meats, dairy, vegetables, fruits, grains, and sunlight.

Like vitamins, different minerals help us in different ways. For example, Calcium helps us build strong teeth and bones; Iron is needed to transport oxygen in the blood throughout your body.

Different foods contain different minerals so you need to eat a variety of dairy products, green vegetables, grains, fish or nuts.

Carbohydrates- also known as carbs- give us the energy we need to function.

Sources of carbs include grains, and the sugars found in fruits and vegetables.

Fats help us store extra energy, they help keep regulate or body temperature and they are needed to help us absorb some vitamins and minerals.

Sources of fats include butter and oils, nuts, seeds, meats, eggs, dairy products, avocados, and fish.

Our bodies are made up of up to 60% water. We NEED it to survive. We can produce water naturally inside our bodies but not enough to keep us alive, so we need to drink plenty of water to be healthy.

While there is water in most drinks- there is also other things like sugars- so drinking plain water is the best source of water for your body.