1. Micronutrients, Fruits, and Vegetables
Nutrition 101
Micronutrients, Fruits, and Vegetables

2. What are micronutrients?
Vitamins and minerals which your body only needs in small amounts as opposed to macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrate) that your body needs many grams of each day.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains provide you with many micronutrients.
The “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” (can be found online) suggest that people should eat more fruits and vegetables than any other food group.
Fruits and vegetables can help reduce your risk of certain diseases.
Most foods provide you with more than one nutrient.

3. What do vitamins do?
Water-soluble: vitamins essential to our health and can dissolve in water making them easily secreted. Since they are not stored in our body, they must be consumed on a regular basis. They aid in energy metabolism, and many aid in metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids.

4. Water Soluble Vitamins
B vitamins: help body use the macronutrients for fuel
Thiamin: whole grains
Riboflavin: milk, whole grains, and dark green leafy vegetables
Niacin: available in meat, poultry, legumes, whole grains, potatoes and tomatoes
Biotin: variety of foods, especially egg yolks
Pantothenic acid: beef, poultry, whole grains, potatoes, tomatoes, and brocolli
Vitamin B6: starchy vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, noncitrus fruits, soy products, and fortified cereals
Vitamin B12: meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, milk, cheese, eggs, and fortified cereals
Folate: fortified grains, green leafy vegetables, legumes, and seeds

5. Water Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin C:
an antioxidant
a cofactor in collagen formation
a cure for the common cold
aids in disease prevention.
Found in citrus fruits, cabbage-type vegetables, dark green vegetables, cantaloupe, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and mangoes
Foods with water soluble vitamins should be cooked using little or no water in order to conserve the vitamin because the vitamin will leak into the water

6. What do vitamins do?
Fat-soluble: vitamins that are absorbed in our fat meaning that we can store them in our liver and adipose tissue. This means that we do not need them in frequent doses like water-soluble vitamins.

7. Fat Soluble Vitamins Vitamin A: Vitamin D:
essential for vision, healthy epithelial tissues, and growth
Sources: milk, cheese, cream, butter, eggs, liver
Vitamin D:
The “Sunshine Vitamin,” synthesized with the help of sunlight
Aids in mineralization of bones
Sources: milk, butter, juices, cereal, chocolate, veal, beef, egg yolks, and fatty fish

8. Fat Soluble Vitamins Vitamin E: Vitamin K: functions as an antioxidant
Source: polyunsaturated plant oils (margarine and salad dressing), green leafy vegetables, whole grains, egg yolks, nuts, and fatty meats
Vitamin K:
main role is in synthesis of blood clotting proteins.
Sources: liver, green leafy vegetables, milk, and cabbage-type vegetables. The bacteria in our GI tracts can also make vitamin K

9. Minerals What do minerals do in our body? Influence fluid balance
Regulate blood pressure
Role in muscle contraction
Direct nerve impulse transmission
Used to make hormones
Aids in building strong bones and teeth
Each one has specific roles in body

10. Examples of Minerals
Macrominerals: needed in larger amounts than trace
Calcium-- the most abundant mineral in the body
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Chloride
Sulfur

11. Examples of Minerals Trace minerals: only need a little bit Copper
Chromium
Zinc
Iron
Iodine
Selenium
Manganese
Fluoride

12. Fruits
a fruit is usually any sweet-tasting plant product, especially those associated with seeds:
apple
banana
peach,
pear,
grape
oranges
watermelon
pineapple
lemon, lime
and many more

14. Vegetables
an edible plant or part of a plant, but usually excludes seeds and most sweet fruit. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant. A vegetable is any savoury or less sweet plant product
carrot
corn
broccoli
celery
cucumber
lettuce
and many more

15. Key Nutrients that can be found in Fruits & Vegetables:
Calcium: Calcium is essential for healthy bones and teeth. It is also needed for normal functioning of muscles, nerves and some glands.
Fiber:  diets rich in dietary fiber have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects, including decreased risk of coronary heart disease.
Folate: Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.
Iron: Needed for healthy blood and normal functioning of all cells.

16. Key Nutrients that can be found in Fruits & Vegetables:
Magnesium: Magnesium is necessary for healthy bones and is involved with more than 300 enzymes in your body! Inadequate levels may result in muscle cramps and high blood pressure.
Potassium: Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Sodium: Needed for normal cell function throughout the body. Most diets contain too much sodium which is associated with high blood pressure.  
Vitamin A: Keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps protect against infections.
Vitamin C: Helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

17. Top 10 reasons to eat more fruits & vegetables:
1) Color & Texture. Fruits and veggies add color, texture … and appeal … to your plate.
 2) Convenience. Fruits and veggies are nutritious in any form – fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, so they’re ready when you are!
 3) Fiber. Fruits and veggies provide fiber that helps fill you up and keeps your digestive system happy.
 4) Low in Calories. Fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories.
 5) May Reduce Disease Risk. Eating plenty of fruits and veggies may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers.

18. Top 10 reasons to eat more fruits & vegetables:
6) Vitamins & Minerals. Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals that help you feel healthy and energized.
 7) Variety. Fruits and veggies are available in an almost infinite variety…there’s always something new to try!
 8) Quick, Natural Snack. Fruits and veggies are nature’s treat and easy to grab for a snack.
 9) Fun to Eat! Some crunch, some squirt, some you peel … some you don’t, and some grow right in your own backyard!
 10) Fruits & Veggies are Nutritious AND Delicious!

19. What are phytochemicals?
broad name for a wide variety of compounds produced by plants found in fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and other plants. Each phytochemical comes from a variety of different plant sources and has different proposed effects on, and benefits for, the body. It is estimated that there are up to 4,000 phytochemicals.
Phytochemicals have many different names that are known in the community--  antioxidants, flavonoids, phytonutrients, flavones, isoflavones, catechins, anthocyanidins, isothiocyanates, carotenoids, allyl sulfides, polyphenols

20. Top 6 phytochemicals Phytochemical Proposed Benefits Food Sources
Fun Facts
Beta-Carotene
Immune System Vision Skin Health Bone Health
Pumpkin Sweet Potato Carrots Winter Squash Cantaloupe Apricots Spinach Collard Greens Kale Broccoli
Think orange and dark, leafy green veggies
Lycopene
Cancer (Prostate) Heart Health
Tomatoes Pink Grapefruit Red Peppers Watermelon Tomato Products
The heating process makes lycopene easier for the body to absorb

21. Top 6 phytochemicals Phytochemical Proposed Benefits Food Sources
Fun Facts
Lutein
Eye Health Cancer Heart Health
Collard Greens Kale Spinach Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Lettuces Artichokes
This phytochemical is found in the macula of the eye
Resveratrol
Heart Health Cancer Lung Health Inflammation
Red Wine Peanuts Grapes
1 cup of red grapes can have up to 1.25 mg of resveratrol¹

22. Top 6 phytochemicals Phytochemical Proposed Benefits Food Sources
Fun Facts
Anthocyanidins
Blood Vessel Health
Blueberries Blackberries Plums Cranberries Raspberries Red Onions
Red Potatoes
Red Radishes Strawberries
Think red and purple berries
Isoflavones
Menopause Cancer (Breast) Bone Health Joint Inflammation Lower Cholesterol
Soybeans
½ cup of boiled soybeans offers 47 mg of isoflavones²

23. Whole Grains
According to the USDA, whole grains are foods that contain the whole grain kernel: bran, germ, and endosperm. They contain fiber which aids in digestion.
Note: difference between whole wheat and whole grain:
Whole wheat contains only the endosperm because the bran and germ are removed during processing, which means the majority of the vitamins and fiber are removed.

24. Whole Grains Ways to add more whole grain to your diet:
Switch to whole grain rice and pasta instead of white.
Choose whole grain breads (remember: that’s different from whole wheat)
Look for whole grain cereals and oatmeal

25. True or False? Vitamins provide fuel for energy
False, vitamins do not provide calories, but without some vitamins your body can be tired and lack energy
We need to eat foods high in water-soluble vitamins often.
True, these vitamins are easily excreted in our urine so we need to consume these healthy foods frequently
Trace minerals are not as important as macrominerals.
False, all minerals are vital to your body’s functions.

26. True or False?
Fruits and vegetables are not a good source of Vitamin A.
False, they are a good source of vitamin A-- Keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps protect against infections
Soybeans are a good source of the phytochemical lutein.
False, soybeans are a good source of the phytochemical isoflavone

27. Questions?