There are seven different nutrients:

• carbohydrates

• proteins

• fats

• minerals

• vitamins

• fibre

• water

Some foods are particularly rich in certain nutrients. The table shows why we need each nutrient, and some good sources of each.

Nutrient	Use in the body	Good sources
Carbohydrate	To provide energy	Cereals, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes
Protein	For growth and repair	Fish, meat, eggs, beans, pulses and dairy products
Fat	To provide energy. Also to store energy in the body and insulate it against the cold.	Butter, oil and nuts
Minerals	Needed in small amounts to maintain health	Salt, milk (for calcium) and liver (for iron)
Vitamins	Needed in small amounts to maintain health	Dairy foods, fruit, vegetables
Fibre	To provide roughage to help to keep the food moving through the gut	Vegetables, bran
Water	Needed for cells and body fluids	Fruit juice, milk, water