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Why do we need food?

The current healthy eating messages produced by the Government require some knowledge about food and nutrition.

The information below is designed to give you a basic introduction to nutrition and health.


Our bodies need regular intakes of food for the following reasons:

  1. To produce energy to allow us to breathe, think and move
  2. To grow/reproduce
  3. To carry out repairs (e.g. to heal a cut on your arm or a broken bone)

The major components of food that allow our bodies to carry out these functions are called nutrients. Click here for more information about nutrients in food.

What are calories?

What is fat?

What are carbohydrates?

What are proteins?

Vitamins and minerals

What is fibre?

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