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Auralith Learning

Year 8 · Science · Nutrition and digestion · Lesson 1

Nutrients and a balanced diet

The seven nutrients and what they do, a balanced diet, deficiency diseases, energy in food, and the food tests.

Whiteboard video lesson: Nutrients and a balanced diet

26-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

  • Name the seven nutrients and their jobs
  • Describe a balanced diet
  • Link deficiency diseases to missing nutrients
  • Calculate the energy in a portion of food
  • Describe the tests for starch, sugar, protein and fat

The method

  1. Carbohydrates give energy; protein is for growth and repair.
  2. A balanced diet has all 7 nutrients in the right amounts.
  3. Too little of a vitamin or mineral causes a deficiency disease.
  4. Food tests: iodine (starch), Benedict's (sugar), biuret (protein), ethanol (fat).

Key words: nutrient, carbohydrate, protein, lipid, vitamin, mineral, balanced diet, malnutrition, kilojoule.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

Name the seven nutrients in a balanced diet.

  1. Step 1: Carbohydrates, lipids (fats), protein
  2. Step 2: Vitamins, minerals, fibre, water

Answer: Carbohydrates, lipids, protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre, water

Question 2

What is the job of lipids (fats and oils) in the body?

  1. Step 1: Lipids: store energy
  2. Step 2: and keep us warm (insulation)

Answer: Store energy and keep us warm

Question 3

Which mineral is needed for strong bones and teeth?

  1. Step 1: Bones and teeth → calcium
  2. Step 2: Found in: milk, cheese, yoghurt

Answer: Calcium