Food and Basics of TAA Dr. Hansal N. Chapter 01.
Food Groups
1. Food
Substance that serves as nourishment, that is, for the growth and maintenance of the body and that provides
the energy necessary for its vital processes.
Therefore, for the body to function, it needs to be supplied with food. In this diet we find a certain number of
elements that are essential to its balance and development. These elements are called “nutrients”.
2. Nutrient
Organic or mineral substance, directly assimilable without having to undergo the degradation processes of
digestion. The main nutrients are: carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
3. Food constituents
3.1. Proteins
Protides are organic substances composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Amino acids are the basic
molecules of protides. Among the twenty that exist, eight of them are essential or indispensable amino acids.
Protides are found in foods of animal and plant origin. Protides of animal origin contain the indispensable amino
acids in good proportion. The combination of foods of animal and plant origin guarantees a balance in amino acids.
Protides have a functional role; they are involved in the formation of hormones, blood coagulation factors, enzymes,
antibodies…
Protides have a secondary energy role compared to carbohydrates and lipids.
The average daily requirement of protides is about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight (1 g/kg). It must be adapted
to the characteristics of age and the physiological state of individuals.
Proteins are constantly renewed in our body, of which they are one of the basic structural elements. When they are
worn out, they gradually degrade and then provide energy (15% of the total calories we expend). Be careful, many
foods rich in proteins are also rich in lipids! Among them are fatty meats, some fish, all charcuterie, as well as all
ripened cheeses.
3.2. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are organic substances composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are found in foods of plant
origin. Depending on the length of the molecular chain, simple carbohydrates, double carbohydrates and complex
carbohydrates are distinguished.
Sugars are simple or double carbohydrates. They have a more or less intense sweetening power.
Starches are complex carbohydrates; they do not have a sweet taste. They are found in cereals and starchy foods.
To be used by the body, double and complex carbohydrates undergo chemical digestion. The longer the molecule,
the slower the digestion. The digestion of carbohydrates releases into the blood simple molecules such as glucose.
This is used directly or stored as glycogen in the muscles and the liver.
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Carbohydrates have an energy role: one gram of carbohydrate provides the body with an amount of energy equal to
17 kJ or 4 kcal. The energy released is used by all cells. It is necessary for the vital functions of the body.
The carbohydrate energy intake represents 50% of the daily energy intake.
Blood glucose corresponds to the level of glucose in the blood. When fasting, blood glucose is around 1 g/L. The
glycemic index reflects the ability of a food to raise the level of glucose in the blood. It depends on the composition
of the food, the cooking method and the industrial processing used. It also depends on the presence of other
components such as fats and protides as well as the quantity of food consumed.
They are accompanied by B-group vitamins, necessary for their assimilation, and various mineral salts. To be sure
not to lack them, do not forget bread at breakfast, lunch and dinner; pasta, rice, potatoes or pulses at lunch and
dinner. Most fruits and vegetables are rather low in carbohydrates but they contain fibers, vitamins (including C)
and antioxidants, as well as mineral salts. They are essential at every meal.
3.3. Lipids
Lipids, also called fat or fatty substances, are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fatty acids are the basic
components of lipids. Depending on the position and number of carbon bonds in the molecule, fatty acids are
saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3 and omega 6) are essential
fatty acids.
Lipids have an energy role: one gram of lipid provides 38 kJ. They have an essential role in thermoregulation. They
also have a plastic role because they are part of cell membranes. Lipids are also a source of fat-soluble vitamins (A,
D, E, K). Lipids are stored in adipose tissue.
The lipid energy intake represents 35% of the daily energy intake. The part that is not immediately used by the body
is stored in adipose tissue and accumulates there if it is not expended.
Excessive consumption of foods rich in saturated fatty acids can cause an increase in cholesterol levels, promoting
the appearance of cardiovascular diseases. Saturated fatty acids are of animal origin. Excessive consumption of
foods rich in lipids promotes overweight which, associated with other factors (sedentary lifestyle, diseases, genetic
factors, etc.), can lead to obesity.
Unsaturated fatty acids have a protective effect. Essential fatty acids are provided by fats of plant origin.
The proportion of calories provided by lipids must not exceed 35% and lipids are restricted in any slimming diet.
On average:
– Oilseeds (or nuts) contain 45% lipids.
– Ripened cheeses contain 15 to 35% lipids.
– Meats contain 3 to 25% lipids.
– Fish contain 1 to 20% lipids.
Fats must be monitored. Oil contains 100%, butter and margarine 83%, cream 12 to 30% (this is why it is preferable
to use cream instead of butter as part of a slimming diet).
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3.4. Vitamins
Vitamins are nitrogenous substances of protein nature (micronutrients). They are essential to the body in very small
amounts, on the order of milligrams (mg) or micrograms (μg) per day. The body cannot synthesize them except for
vitamin D.
Vitamins are classified according to their solubility.
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are soluble in lipids. They are found in foods rich in lipids.
Water-soluble vitamins (B1, B2, B3 to B12, C, P) are soluble in water; they are found in foods rich in water,
particularly fruits and vegetables.
Vitamins have a functional role. They promote the use of food constituents (carbohydrates, lipids, protides,
minerals) by the body. Each vitamin has a specific role. Vitamins must be supplied by a varied diet. They cannot be
stored by the body, which is why they must be provided every day in sufficient quantity.
3.5. Mineral elements
Mineral elements are inorganic substances. They make up 4% of body mass. They are divided into:
– Macro-elements, for which the daily requirement is on the order of a gram or a tenth of a gram. These are calcium,
phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium… Calcium is the most abundant in the body.
– Trace elements, which are present in very small quantities (hundredth of a gram or microgram). These are iron,
fluorine, copper, zinc, iodine, sulfur…
Mineral elements have plastic and functional roles. They are involved in:
– The formation and renewal of certain tissues (bone, dental, blood);
– The metabolism of food;
– The regulation of water movement and blood pressure;
– Muscle excitability (calcium, sodium, potassium);
– The production of hormones;
– The strengthening of immune defenses.
The needs for mineral elements are daily. Each mineral element has a specific role. Example: calcium plays an
important role in the formation of bone and teeth.
The needs are increased in certain physiological states. Example: pregnancy and breastfeeding.
3.6. Water and fibers
3.6.1. Water
Water represents about 70% of the weight of the human body. Two-thirds of the water is located in the cells that
make up our organs. The remaining third is distributed in the various body fluids such as blood, lymph and
interstitial fluid.
Water is used to transport nutrients to all cells and to eliminate waste substances produced. Every day, water is
eliminated in the urine (1.5 liters), the stools (0.1 liter), and through breathing and sweating (0.9 liter).
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Water also plays an essential role in thermoregulation. This phenomenon makes it possible to maintain the body
temperature at 37 °C.
To ensure water balance, water intake must equal body losses. Thirst is an indicator of dehydration sent by the brain
(the hypothalamus). Tap water, mineral waters and spring waters also provide mineral elements.
3.6.2. Fibers
Fibers are complex carbohydrates without energy value. Digestive enzymes are unable to hydrolyze them; they are
not assimilable.
Fibers have a functional role; they facilitate intestinal transit by increasing stool volume. Fibers are eliminated by
the colon where they are partially broken down by the intestinal flora. Some fibers can lower cholesterol levels.
Conversely, excess fiber speeds up the passage of food through the small intestine and causes the elimination of
certain mineral elements which do not have time to be absorbed.
The fiber requirement is 30 grams per day. Vegetables, fruits and cereals, especially whole grains, are excellent
sources of fiber. A balanced diet may be enough to provide the daily fiber intake.
4. Food nomenclature
A nomenclature makes it possible to classify, according to a rational order, and to simplify the thousands of
foods. The criteria chosen may be partial (technological origin, dominant nutrients) or multiple. We
distinguish:
4.1. According to their origins
4.1.1. Plant foods
According to systematics: (grasses, legumes, algae, mushrooms);
According to plant anatomy: (leaves, fruits, seeds, tubers).
4.1.2. Animal foods
According to systematics: mammals, birds, fish.
According to tissue: muscle, liver, milk.
4.1.3. Mineral or synthetic foods
Water, chloride, mixture of amino acids, synthetic triglycerides.
4.2. According to technology
4.2.1. Fresh: standardized or local (“terroir”);
4.2.2. Preserved: smoked, salted, irradiated, dehydrated, frozen, canned (appertized), pasteurized.
4.2.3. Level of preparation: ready-to-use, peeled, precooked, composite.
4.3. According to their roles
Food groups can be ordered according to the major role they play in the body:
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4.3.1. Functional foods, which provide fibers, minerals and vitamins, are protective and are necessary for the
proper functioning of our body. They are represented by the fruit and vegetable group.
4.3.2. Builder foods are necessary for the formation of the skeleton and the development of muscle mass in
our body. They are represented by the groups of starchy foods and meats/fish/eggs.
4.3.3. Energy foods provide energy for the body’s cells as well as reserve substances. They are represented by
the groups of cereal products, sugary products and fats.
The vital food – or at least the vital element – is water. It belongs to the beverages group.
4.4. According to nutrient content
There are seven food groups that allow a simplified classification of foods. This classification is based on their
content of nutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates), minerals (iron, calcium, magnesium, etc.) and vitamins (fat-
soluble: A, D, E, K and water-soluble: B, C, etc.).
✓ Fruits and vegetables
This food group has a functional and low-energy role. Fruits (and at least vegetables) provide fructose. This simple
sugar gives these foods their sweet taste and is energetically equivalent to glucose. However, fruits and vegetables
are mainly rich in water (up to 80 to 95% of their weight) and in elements that we are unable to produce:
Fibers: Speed up intestinal transit, create a feeling of satiety and promote the development of the intestinal flora
(protection against aggression, reduction of fat absorption, limitation of the increase in blood sugar level, etc.).
Fibers have the particularity of being the only element that is not digested.
Minerals:
• Potassium and sodium: regulate the distribution of water in the body.
• Magnesium: balances the nervous system, regulates heart rate…
• Calcium: bone formation and maintenance. The calcium content of fruits and vegetables is lower than that of
dairy products and it is less well absorbed (5% versus 30%).
Vitamins:
• Vitamin C: stimulates the immune system, aids iron absorption, has antioxidant action…
• Vitamin B9 (folic acid): fundamental role in protein metabolism and genetic material.
• Beta-carotene: protects tissues (antioxidant) and is converted in the body into vitamin A (growth, vision).
Varied and regular consumption of fruits and vegetables will meet the needs for fibers, vitamins and minerals.
Respecting seasonality will optimize the quality of fruits and vegetables.
✓ Meat/Fish/Eggs
These foods are mainly recommended for their high protein content. The amount of protein provided by meat, fish
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or eggs is similar. However, their contents of lipids, vitamins and minerals are very variable and depend on the
animal and the cuts used. This is why it is recommended to vary the origin of these foods as much as possible.
Nutrients:
• Proteins: they are composed of amino acids that allow the construction and renewal of vital organs and tissues
(particularly muscles).
• Lipids (fats): provide energy, but their quantity and quality vary greatly depending on the animal source.
Minerals:
• Iron: production of elements (hemoglobin and myoglobin) that enable oxygen transport and storage. Animal
iron is 2.5 times more bioavailable to the body than plant iron.
• Zinc: strengthens the functioning of the immune system and has an antioxidant role (protection against aging).
• Selenium: antioxidant role (protection against aging).
Vitamins:
• B-group vitamins: there are many of them and their abundance depends on the amount of fat.
• Vitamin E: antioxidant (protection of tissues).
• Vitamin K: involved in blood coagulation.
✓ Dairy products
These “builder” foods play a very important role during adolescence since they contribute to the development of
bone mass, which can double during puberty. Dairy products are foods that provide the greatest diversity of
elements.
Nutrients:
• Proteins: they are composed of amino acids that allow the construction and renewal of vital organs and tissues
(particularly muscles).
• Lipids: in addition to providing energy, the fats in dairy products break down into saturated fatty acids,
monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which balance each other.
Minerals:
• Calcium: formation of the skeleton and teeth (development of bone mass by 7 to 8% per year for an
adolescent), muscle contraction… Calcium levels vary depending on the products.
• Phosphorus: associated with calcium, it is a constituent of cells and participates in energy storage.
Vitamins:
• Vitamin A: essential for growth, vision, skin renewal…
• Vitamin D: enables the body to use calcium.
• B-group vitamins: there are many of them and their abundance depends on the amount of fat.
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✓ Starchy foods
This large family includes potatoes, cereals, bread and pulses… It is our main source of energy and should represent
half of our daily food intake. The starchy food group provides the following elements:
Fibers: Present mainly in whole grains and unrefined products, fibers contribute to digestive comfort (regulation of
intestinal transit, satiety effect, etc.).
Nutrients:
• Complex carbohydrates: branched in the form of starch, the glucose resulting from its breakdown is the
primary energy source for our body. The glucose resulting from starch digestion is released gradually into the
body and helps maintain satiety and long-term physical and mental activities.
• Proteins: “builder” elements of our cells, plant proteins provide amino acids that have a limiting factor, that is,
an amino acid in low quantity. Hence the importance of making certain food combinations to obtain a protein
of good biological value so that it can fulfill all its functions.
Examples: milk + cereals (semolina pudding), cereals + pulses (couscous with pulses).
Minerals:
• Magnesium: balances the nervous system, regulates heart rate…
Vitamins:
• Vitamin E: antioxidant (protection of tissues).
• B-group vitamins: they are involved in the use of nutrients.
Vitamin and mineral contents vary greatly depending on the cereal and the degree of refining.
✓ Fats
Fats include butter, cream, oils and margarines.
Nutrients:
• Lipids: they break down into fatty acids (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). They are a
“reserve” energy source, constitute part of our cells, slow down digestion and transport fat-soluble vitamins.
Each food contains varying amounts of fatty acids. It is therefore important to vary them because their
complementarity plays a key role in the body (particularly the cardiovascular system).
Vitamins:
• Vitamin A: essential for growth, vision, skin renewal…
• Vitamin D: enables the body to use calcium.
• Vitamin E: antioxidant (protection of tissues).
• Vitamin K: participates in the blood coagulation system.
As with fatty acids, vitamins are associated with a given food, so variety is important.
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✓ Sugary products
They include all foods with a strong sweet taste: chocolate, honey, jam, pastries, spreads, etc. However, these foods
also provide so-called “hidden” fats. The consumption of these sugary products should be moderate because high
consumption leads to an unbalanced diet. Athletes will find these foods useful during prolonged exertion.
Nutrients:
• Simple carbohydrates: they are a source of energy by providing glucose, the fuel for all the cells in our body.
Thus, for the brain, glucose is the only usable energy source (it cannot produce backup energy).
Simple carbohydrates are rapidly digested and quickly increase blood sugar levels. This group of foods is primarily
a source of PLEASURE…
✓ Beverages
More than essential, water is vital. Our body is made up of about 60 to 70% water. Daily losses can cause
dehydration, which quickly leads to functional disorders of the body. You should not wait until you are thirsty to
drink.
Role: allows daily compensation for urinary losses (1,500 ml/day) and fecal losses (100–150 g/day), and losses
through the skin (sweat losses related to thermoregulation needs, which are very variable depending on conditions)
and through respiration (800 ml/day).
Needs: from 1.2 L to 2.5 L at minimum depending on physical activity and climatic conditions.
It is advisable to vary the waters: tap water or bottled water (mineral, spring), since each of them contains more or
less minerals.
5. Dietary balance
Nutritional balance is achieved when the food intake compensates for the body’s overall energy expenditure
with its intakes.
The food ration is the amount of food consumed each day by an individual to meet his or her nutritional needs. It
must be distributed among the different meals.
These nutritional needs vary throughout a person’s life according to: sex, age, activity, lifestyle and state of health.
• Recommended energy intakes represent the total amount of energy to be provided per day for a given
individual. They are expressed in kilojoules.
• Recommended nutritional intakes indicate the amount of food components to be consumed per day for a given
individual. Recommended energy intakes and Recommended nutritional intakes are established at the national
level based on the nutritional needs characteristic of each group of individuals and the eating habits of the
country.
• Recommended daily allowances (AJR) correspond to the average nutritional needs of the population. It is a
harmonized European value that does not take into account population characteristics such as sex, age, etc.
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AJR are reference values. They make it possible to determine how a product contributes to meeting daily nutritional
needs.
They are sometimes indicated on the nutritional labeling of food products in order to inform the consumer.
In the International System of Units, the energy value of foods is expressed in Joules (J); the commonly used
equivalence is 1 kcal = 4.185 kJ; conversely 1 kJ = 0.239 kcal.
The expression in megajoules (MJ) is used for daily energy needs: 1 MJ = 100 kJ = 239 kcal.
Here are reference values for energy needs according to groups of people:
– for men weighing 70 kg
20–40 years: from 2400 to 3400 kcal/day depending on physical activity. Normal value: 2700
41–60 years: from 2250 to 3400 kcal/day. Normal value: 2500
– for women weighing 60 kg
20–40 years: from 1900 to 2600 kcal/day. Normal value: 2200
41–60 years: from 1800 to 2400 kcal/day. Normal value: 2000
These needs can only be met through diet:
When food is digested, nutrients are released: the 2 most energetic nutrients are carbohydrates and lipids. Alcohol is
used in the classic metabolic pathways when it is consumed in moderation.
Caloric values of nutrients:
Nutrients kJ/gram kcal/gram
Carbohydrates 17 4
Proteins 17 4
Lipids 38 9
Ethanol 29 –7
If alcohol is consumed in moderate quantities (< 10% of total energy), it is included in the classic metabolic
pathways.
Distribution of daily energy rations
5.1. Understanding dietary balance in practice
Because none of the foods contains all the nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of our body, we must
diversify and vary our diet. In this way, it will best cover all our needs, particularly in vitamins, mineral salts and
trace elements, and will limit the consumption of nutrients whose excess is harmful – fats, sugar or salt, for
example.
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Why eat a balanced diet: Dietary imbalances and sedentary lifestyle are the main causes of type 2 diabetes and
obesity, two increasingly common diseases that are accompanied by an increased risk of cardiovascular events
(heart attack and stroke), cancers and joint problems. The latter, such as osteoarthritis, encourage a sedentary
lifestyle: a real vicious circle!
Which foods to choose? The 7 families to know
To eat a balanced diet, we must eat everything, but not in the same proportions.
• The grey family is that of beverages, sources of minerals. Only water is essential to life.
• The green family includes fruits and vegetables. Rich in fibers and vitamins, at least 5 servings per day must
be consumed.
• The brown family includes bread, cereals, pulses (lentils, dried beans) and starchy foods. One serving is
needed at each meal for energy. Pulses and foods based on whole grains should be preferred because they
prevent cravings between meals and therefore snacking.
• The blue family includes dairy products. One serving per meal is enough (cheese or yogurt). Semi-skimmed
dairy products contain as much calcium as whole ones, with half the fat!
• The red family is that of protein-rich products such as meat, poultry, eggs and fish. Depending on the build
of the person and their level of physical activity, one to two servings are enough each day, with fish being
preferred twice a week.
• The yellow family is that of butter, margarines and vegetable oils. In this family, olive and rapeseed oils
should be preferred because they provide essential fatty acids. Nevertheless, foods in this family are very
high in calories and should be consumed in moderation.
• The pink family concerns sweets, cakes, jam… These foods provide nothing essential and tend to promote
the appearance of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes.
Choosing your foods
Eating well means adopting a varied and balanced diet, that is, eating everything but in appropriate quantities. This
means favoring foods that are beneficial to our health (fruits, vegetables, starchy foods preferably whole, fish, etc.),
and limiting the consumption of sugary products (confectionery, sugary drinks, etc.), salty products (snack foods,
chips, etc.) and fatty products (charcuterie, butter, cream, etc.).
This dietary balance is not achieved over a single meal or day but rather over the week. That is why there is no
forbidden food, nor miracle food. It is all a matter of choice and quantity. Thus, a festive meal can be compensated
with lighter and more balanced meals afterwards.
Combined with regular physical activity, an appropriate diet helps limit weight gain as well as a number of health
problems such as cancers, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, etc.
Creating menus
Composing varied menus is a good way to establish healthy eating habits. The portions of each dish are different
depending on age, physical activity and appetite. A meal is sufficient in quantity when it does not leave a feeling of
hunger.
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The starter: favor starters based on vegetables, raw or cooked, etc., or even fruits. This will help you reach the
nutritional guideline of 5 fruits and vegetables per day.
The main course: Meat, poultry, fish or eggs may be components of the main course but not the dominant
element. They should be accompanied by vegetables, starchy foods, pulses (lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc.). You can
also choose to prepare a dish based on starchy foods, preferably whole, such as spaghetti with vegetables, or based
on pulses such as vegetarian couscous with chickpeas or a lentil curry served with rice.
Dessert: favor fruits (raw, cooked, stewed, baked or in clafoutis) and dairy products. They contribute to good
nutritional balance while adding a touch of indulgence to your meal.
For your menus, also think about favoring seasonal products. They offer many advantages such as often more
attractive prices and better taste qualities when consumed during their prime season.
Did you know? Drinking water during and between meals is also part of a good dietary balance. This is why
sodas, which are very high in sugar, should only be consumed occasionally. Indeed, one liter of soda contains the
equivalent of 15 to 25 sugar cubes of 5 g; a 33 cl can contains 6 to 8 of them.
What is a food equivalence?
A food equivalence is the replacement of one food by another which, belonging to the same food group or to a
different group, must have similar nutritional properties.
100 g of rolled oats: 10 g of fiber
170 g of peas: 10 g of fiber
What is the purpose of food equivalences?
Equivalences make it possible to vary one’s diet and to eat a balanced diet regardless of the foods available, dietary
restrictions or individual tastes.
If one does not want to or must not eat certain foods, such as meat for philosophical reasons, pork for religious
reasons or peanuts because of a food allergy, the variety of foods allows us to eat a balanced diet and to eat our fill.
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