Nutrient Glossary

Nutrition basics: Essentials about vitamins, minerals, and more

We all benefit from a healthy diet, but good nutrition is especially important for growing babies and toddlers. Their little bodies need the right nutrients—in the right amounts—so they can develop into healthy teens and adults. Those nutrients include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Here are the need-to-know basics about each and how they work together to form a healthy diet.

Calories
Protein
Fat
Carbohydrates
Vitamins
Minerals
Other newsworthy nutrients

Calories

Calories refer to the energy provided by the carbohydrates, fats, and protein found in foods and beverages. Appropriate energy balance is important for growth and development. This balance depends on energy intake from food and energy used during activity. That's why it's important to:

• Follow your child's hunger and fullness cues
• Provide her with healthy options
• Let her regulate how much she eats
• Encourage her activity

Protein

Protein provides calories and helps build, maintain, and repair body tissues. Protein is made up of about 20 amino acids. These amino acids are either essential or nonessential. Our bodies can make nonessential amino acids, but not the essential amino acids. These nine essential amino acids need to be supplied by our diets.

Proteins can also be classified as complete or incomplete:

Fat

Fat provides more energy than carbohydrates and proteins and helps the body use certain vitamins. Fat is made up of fatty acids. The essential ones—omega-3 and omega-6—must come from food because the body cannot make them. Some examples include:

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy. Healthy sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. They're considered nutrient-dense foods because they have calories but also vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

There are two forms of carbohydrates: simple and complex.
Simple: Carbohydrates that are composed of one to two units, such as sugars.
Complex: Carbohydrates that are composed of more than two units, such as starch and fiber. Starch can eventually be broken down into simple carbohydrates. But fiber remains intact, and although it doesn't serve as an energy source, it helps the body in other ways.

Vitamins

Vitamins play many important roles in our bodies. They‘re classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, can be stored in the body and dissolve in fat. Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C, are not stored in the body in large amounts and dissolve in water.

Minerals

Minerals play important roles in our body, and they're considered either major or trace. Major minerals such as calcium and magnesium are needed in larger amounts than trace minerals. Trace minerals, such as iron and copper, are needed in smaller amounts.

Other newsworthy nutrients

You may have heard about phytonutrients and antioxidants. These compounds are getting more attention because research is showing their many health benefits. Not sure what they are? Here's a brief summary:

Please note that many of the foods listed as food sources are intended for older babies and toddlers and may be allergens or choking hazards for younger babies. Be sure to talk with your baby's doctor before starting a new food.