HS 225 - Weeks 1-4 (Exam 1)

What are the six classes of nutrients?

Carbohydrates, lipids (fats), proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Which nutrient classes are macronutrients?

Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins — the three that supply energy and are needed in gram quantities.

Which nutrient classes are micronutrients?

Vitamins and minerals — needed in milligram or microgram amounts. Micro refers to quantity, not importance.

How many kilocalories per gram does carbohydrate provide?

4 kcal/g.

How many kilocalories per gram does protein provide?

4 kcal/g.

How many kilocalories per gram does fat provide?

9 kcal/g — more than double carbohydrate or protein.

How many kilocalories per gram does alcohol provide?

7 kcal/g. Alcohol supplies energy but is not classified as a nutrient.

Which nutrient supplies no energy but is still essential?

Water.

What is an essential nutrient?

One the body cannot synthesise in adequate amounts, so it must come from the diet.

What does DRI stand for and what is it?

Dietary Reference Intakes — the umbrella set of reference values for nutrient intake, comprising the EAR, RDA, AI and UL.

What is the EAR?

Estimated Average Requirement — the intake that meets the needs of about 50 percent of healthy people in a group. Used to assess groups, not individuals.

What is the RDA?

Recommended Dietary Allowance — the intake that meets the needs of 97 to 98 percent of healthy people in a life-stage group. The target for individuals.

What is an AI?

Adequate Intake — a value used when there is not enough evidence to set an RDA. Based on observed intakes of healthy populations.

What is the UL?

Tolerable Upper Intake Level — the highest daily intake likely to pose no risk. A ceiling, not a goal. Most relevant for supplements.

What is the Planetary Health Diet?

The EAT-Lancet Commission's proposed eating pattern: largely plant-based, rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts, with modest animal protein — designed for both human health and planetary ecological limits.

Does the Planetary Health Diet require eliminating animal products?

No. It limits red meat substantially and emphasises plants, but does not require full elimination.

What is the food system?

The whole chain from production and processing through distribution, retail, consumption and waste — including its environmental, economic and social effects.

Why is composting environmentally significant?

It diverts organic waste from landfill, where it would generate methane, and returns carbon and nutrients to soil, improving soil health and reducing the need for synthetic fertiliser.

What agency administers organic certification in the US?

The USDA, through the National Organic Program. It owns the USDA Organic seal.

What percentage of ingredients must be organic for a product to be labelled organic?

At least 95 percent. 100 percent organic is a stricter separate claim, and made with organic ingredients means at least 70 percent but cannot carry the USDA seal.

What term does US law require for genetically engineered food disclosure?

Bioengineered or BE — under the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. The word GMO is not the regulated term.

What agency regulates food labelling claims and food safety generally in the US?

The FDA. The USDA handles organic certification and meat and poultry inspection — a common point of confusion.

What is the difference between a nutrient content claim and a health claim?

A NUTRIENT CONTENT claim describes the level of a nutrient (low sodium, good source of fibre). A HEALTH claim links a food or nutrient to reduced risk of a disease, and requires stronger FDA-authorised evidence.

What is required on a Nutrition Facts panel?

Serving size and servings per container, calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fibre, total and added sugars, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals with percent Daily Value.

What is percent Daily Value based on?

A 2000 kcal per day reference diet. It tells you how much a serving contributes to a day's intake — 5 percent or less is low, 20 percent or more is high.

What is energy balance?

The relationship between energy consumed as food and energy expended. Intake greater than expenditure gives weight gain; less gives loss; equal maintains.

What are the three components of total energy expenditure?

Basal metabolic rate (the largest share), the thermic effect of food, and physical activity.

What is basal metabolic rate (BMR)?

The energy required to sustain basic life processes at complete rest — breathing, circulation, cell maintenance, body temperature. Typically 60 to 70 percent of total daily expenditure.

What is the thermic effect of food?

The energy used to digest, absorb, transport and store nutrients. Roughly 10 percent of energy intake; highest for protein.

What is a genetically modified organism?

An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering to introduce a desired trait — pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, improved nutrition or shelf life.

What are common arguments in favour of GMO crops?

Higher yields, reduced pesticide application, drought and pest resistance, enhanced nutrition (such as golden rice), and lower food cost.

What are common concerns raised about GMO crops?

Corporate concentration and seed patenting, herbicide-resistant weeds, reduced biodiversity, and calls for long-term safety and labelling transparency.

What is food insecurity?

Limited or uncertain access to enough safe, nutritious food for an active, healthy life — a matter of access and affordability, not just total food supply.

What is a food desert?

An area, often low-income, where residents have little access to affordable fresh and nutritious food, typically lacking a full-service grocery store within reasonable distance.

Is world hunger primarily caused by insufficient food production?

No. Global production is sufficient. Hunger is driven mainly by poverty, unequal distribution, conflict, waste and lack of access.

Roughly how much of food produced globally is lost or wasted?

About one third — a central argument in the food justice and sustainability literature.

What is the difference between food loss and food waste?

FOOD LOSS occurs earlier in the chain — production, storage, processing, transport. FOOD WASTE occurs at retail and consumer level.