Basic Nutrition Quiz Answers

Basic Nutrition Quiz Answers

Question #1. Name the six basic nutrient categories.

Answer: There are six nutrition categories that we need to consider when looking at a healthy lifestyle. Each of these categories has a unique and important role to play in your total health.

Protein... Carbohydrates... Fats... Vitamins... Minerals... Water...

It is important that you eat a variety of foods so that it is more likely that all of these nutrition categories will be represented. If you eat the same food day after day, you may be missing out on essential nutrients. It is also important to remember that one nutrition category is not more necessary than another, since they all work together to keep you healthy.

Question #2. Name the 3 nutrient categories that provide calories.

Answer: Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats provide energy to your body. Another way of saying this is that they have calories! In fact Protein and Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, and Fats provide 9 calories per gram.

In this age of calorie counting and ultra-thin role models, calorie has become a dirty word, but it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that we do need energy (another word for calories) to live, so eating these three, in moderate and proportionate amounts, is a good thing.

In addition, each of these three nutrients has other important functions in the body, including providing the necessary materials for making the body's tissues.

Question #3. What are the five food categories found on the USDA MyPlate placemat?

Answer: The MyPlate concept, designed by the USDA, divides food into Protein, Grains, Vegetables, Fruits and Dairy . In this depiction of a healthy diet, the "plate" is divided into sections for the first four groups with a side of Dairy.

For more information on MyPlate, you can go to the USDA website using the following URL: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Question #4. Name 3 goals of a healthy eating plan?

Answer: The goal of all healthy eating plans should be (1) to eat a variety of foods that taste good, (2) to eat all foods in moderate amounts, and (3) to limit foods that have no real nutritional value.

Question #5. Does the 30-30-40 rule for healthy eating refer to the measurements of a pear-shaped woman?

Answer: No, that shape would be more like a butternut squash than a pear! The 30-30-40 rule is one way to discuss the proportion of protein, fat and carbs in your diet. This rule says that you should get approximately 30% of your calories from Protein, 30% from Fats and 40% from Carbohydrates. These percentages vary somewhat, depending on the source, but the idea generally is to eat a balance of the three with a higher percentage from the Carbohydrates category.

Bonus question: What category of foods, although not traditionally included in the list of basic nutrient categories, is now often considered a separate nutrient due to its importance in healthy eating?

Answer: There is one important dietary substance that is not usually listed in nutrition guides as a separate nutrient, but in recent years, it has taken on the same importance, in its own right, as the other nutrients. That substance is Fiber. With the change in the food supply, to more processed food, the need for a sufficient amount of fiber in the diet has become a critical issue. A lack of fiber in the diet has been associated with a rise in colon cancer and other digestive disorders.

What your score means

-If you had 0-1 Correct Answers: Oops! You probably should start educating yourself about what it takes to be healthy--begin with the basics and go from there.

-If you had 2-3 Correct Answers: Good job! You know more than the average person about what it takes to eat healthy, but you need to keep learning.

-If you had 4-5 Correct Answers: Impressive! You obviously have already taken the time to learn about healthy eating. Keep up the good work!

-If you had all 6 Correct Answers: Wow! You are amazing and really know your stuff! Let me know if you would like to submit a guest blog about nutrition that we can consider for posting on this site!

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