Food and Energy Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Nutrients are substances found in food. They help with bodily functions. Nutrients can be organic and inorganic. Organic nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins. Inorganic nutrients include dietary minerals, water and, sometimes, oxygen.

Answer: True

One calorie (with a lowercase "c") is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. One Calorie (with an uppercase "C") is equal to 1,000 of the lowercase "c" calories. To distinguish, one Calorie (uppercase) is also called kilocalorie.

A person needs to have a certain amount of Calories each day to meet his/her body's energy needs. This amount varies and is dependent on physical activity and age.

Answer: Glucose

Glucose is a type of simple carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are nutrients composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. They are a major source of energy. Carbohydrates come in two types, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are called sugars, with glucose being one of them. Most foods do not contain a lot of it so the body then converts other types of sugars into glucose as it is the form of sugar the body can most easily use. Foods that contain simple carbohydrates are brownies, watermelons, and milk. Complex carbs are made of many sugar molecules linked together. Starches and fibers are one type of it.

They are both found in plants. Types of foods with complex carbs are yellow corn, wheat bread, and pasta. Nutritionists recommend that 45-65% of Calories in a diet come from carbohydrates.

Answer: Cholesterol

Cholesterol is found mostly in animal products. Some fish and many plants also have cholesterol, although the cholesterol found in plants, known as phytosterol, is poisonous to our cells. The intestines do not absorb them. The liver makes all of the cholesterol that it requires, so it is not a necessary part of the diet. Fats are like cholesterol, but it is obtained by consumption of foods. There are two types of organic fats and one type of inorganic fat. The two types of organic fats are saturated fat and unsaturated fat and the inorganic type is trans fat. Saturated fat is fat that is solid at room temperature while unsaturated fat is the opposite. Trans fat is made when people add hydrogen to vegetable oils. They stay fresh longer than foods containing unsaturated fats. Trans fats and saturated fats are considered to be less healthy than unsaturated fats.

Nutritionists recommend that no more than 30% of the calories eaten each day should come from fats. Extra fat and cholesterol lead to the build up of fatty material in blood vessels, which eventually can lead to heart disease.

Answer: Amino Acid

Amino acids are small units which make up proteins. Thousands of different proteins are built from only 20 different amino acids. Your body makes about half of the needed amino acids. Others, called essential amino acids, comes from the food you eat.

There are also two types of proteins, complete and incomplete. Complete proteins come from meat and eggs and contain all the essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins come from plant sources such as beans, grains, and nuts. They are called incomplete because they are missing one or more essential amino acids. Nutritionists recommend that 10-35% of your daily Calorie intake comes from proteins.

Answer: Vitamins

Vitamins act as helper molecules in a variety of chemical reactions in your body. They do not provide the body with raw materials or energy. Different types of vitamins have different jobs.

Vitamins are also classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat and are stored in fatty tissues. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and are not stored in the body. Types of fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. Water-soluble vitamins include: B1 (called thiamin), B2 (called riboflavin), B3 (called niacin), B6 (called pyridoxine), B12, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and C.

Answer: Minerals

Minerals are present in soil and are absorbed by plants through their roots. Humans obtain minerals by eating plant foods or animals that have eaten plants. Examples of minerals are calcium, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium.

Answer: Water

Water is the most important nutrient. This is because the body's vital processes take place in water. Water makes up most of the body's fluids. Your body also needs water to produce perspiration which helps regulate body temperature and remove wastes. Under normal conditions, you need to drink about two liters of water every day. The weather may alter the amount of water required.

Answer: Soda (carbonated drinks)

Many people drink soda, or fizzy drinks, with millions of cans being produced and sold each day. Soda contains many ingredients that are toxic to your health. Take a normal can of Coca-Cola, which has carbonated water (sparkling water), high fructose corn syrup (which is sugar by another name), caramel color (makes it look appealing but not so good for people with Celiac's Disease), phosphoric acid (which is actual acid), natural flavors (not so natural), and caffeine, which can lead to addiction and sleeping disorders. Also, 20 ounces of Coke could contain up to 44 grams of sugar.

Answer: Whole wheat bread

Whole wheat bread is made from starchy flour that comes from wheat plants. One slice of bread can contain up to 12 oz of carbohydrates. It also may have up to 2 oz (7%) of dietary fiber. 12 oz of carbs makes up 4% of the daily recommended amount for carbs.