IN THIS LESSON

You will gain a basic understanding of what the 3 essential macronutrients are, their functions and how to identify each macronutrient in foods we eat.

1. Carbohydrates

  • What they do: Primary energy source for the body, especially the brain and muscles.

  • Types:

    • Simple carbs – Quick energy (e.g., fruit, honey, candy).

    • Complex carbs – Sustained energy (e.g., whole grains, beans, vegetables).

2. Proteins

  • What they do: Builds and repairs muscles, tissues, enzymes, and hormones.

  • Sources: Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, tofu, nuts.

3. Fats

  • What they do: Gives you long-term energy, supports cell growth, protects organs & help absorb minerals like vitamin A, D, E & K.

  • Types:

    • Unsaturated fats – Olive oil, avocados, nuts, fish.

      • These are the types of healthy fats we should aim to eat more of

    • Saturated fats (limit) – Butter, red meat, cheese.

      • We should limit the amount of saturated fats we eat because too much saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build up in your blood vessels!

    • Trans fats (avoid) – Processed snacks, fried foods.

      • It’s going to be hard, I know… I love some McDonald’s fries too! But too many trans fats consumed can also raise cholesterol levels. Overly high “bad” cholesterol levels can raise the risk of heart disease and strokes!

Try it yourself:

Can you identify the macronutrients found within this DELICIOUS and healthy dinner?

  • This is a very typical day of eating for me at school!

    Protein: You’ll find lots of protein from lean meats like chicken, and for vegetarians out there, red kidney beans are good protein sources, too.

    Fats: Eggs are great sources of healthy fats, essential vitamins and overall just tastes so good no matter how you cook it!

    Carbs: Rice, veggies, kidney beans & green peas are all great sources of carbs. Kidney beans & green peas are also high in fibre to keep you full.

What are Calories?

  • In the simplest terms, calories are a unit of energy which represents how much energy your body gets from food and drinks. Each calorie is ~4 kilojoules of energy. Each gram of micronutrient contains a specific number of calories

    • 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories.

    • 1 gram of protein = 4 calories.

    • 1 gram of fat = 9 calories.

  • Why this matter: If we eat more calories than our bodies use up, we will slowly gain weight. Contrastingly, if we eat fewer calories, we start to lose weight.

  • Protein: This delicious-looking steak is full of protein for your strong muscles.

    Fats: Fats can be found in lots of elements within this plate. The steak itself contains some fats, as well as oils used to cook the potatoes or toss the salad.

    Carbs: Did you know - Potatoes are the MOST satiating carb source that keeps you full?

That was too easy… Try something harder!