Macronutrients - Protein, Fats and Carbohydrates
Your body needs three nutrients in large amounts: protein, fat and carbohydrate. See what each one does, where to find it, and why fat packs the most energy of the three.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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The big three
Your body needs three macronutrients in large amounts: protein, fat and carbohydrate. Each has its own job, and each gives you energy. This module looks at what each one does, where to find it, and how much energy it provides.
Macronutrient words
Four ideas run through this module:
Two kinds of protein
Proteins are graded by how many of the essential amino acids they contain.
Match each nutrient
- Protein
- Fat
- Carbohydrate
- Dietary fibre
- Growth and repair of the body
- Energy, warmth and protecting the organs
- The main source of energy
- Aiding digestion and keeping you full
High value protein
Which food is a high biological value protein, containing all the essential amino acids?
- Eggs
- Bread
- Lentils
- Rice
Plant protein done right
A vegetarian or vegan can still get all the essential amino acids through protein complementation: combining two LBV foods, such as beans on toast or rice and peas. There are also protein alternatives such as soya, tofu, mycoprotein (the base of Quorn) and TVP, textured vegetable protein.
Match each food
- Chicken
- Butter
- Pasta
- An apple
- Mostly protein
- Mostly fat
- Mostly starchy carbohydrate
- Mostly sugars and fibre
True of fats
Select the TWO statements that are TRUE about fats.
- Saturated fats are usually solid and come from animals
- Unsaturated fats are usually liquid and are healthier
- Fat gives less energy per gram than carbohydrate
- Fat has no useful function in the body
Energy per gram
Fat is the most energy-dense macronutrient. How many kilocalories (kcal) does one gram of fat provide?
Simple to complex
Put these carbohydrates in order, from the simplest to the most complex.
- Glucose, a single sugar unit
- Sucrose, two sugar units joined
- Starch, many sugar units joined
Nutrients in words
The three macronutrients are protein, fat and _____. Protein is needed for growth and _____. A protein with all the essential amino acids is an _____ protein. _____ fats are usually solid and come from animals. Fat provides about _____ kcal per gram, more than protein or carbohydrate.
What each macronutrient does
Tap the TWO statements that are TRUE.
- Protein is needed for the growth and repair of the body.
- Starch is a complex carbohydrate that gives slow-release energy.
- Carbohydrate is mainly needed for growth and repair.
- HBV proteins are missing some essential amino acids.
- Fat provides less energy per gram than carbohydrate.
Choose the nutrition
Match each need to the best nutrition choice. Choose each time.
- A growing teenager needs a nutrient for building muscle and repairing tissue. Which macronutrient?
- A runner needs slow-release energy for a long race. Which food is best?
- A vegan wants all the essential amino acids from plant foods. What should they do?
The big three explained
Explain the function of each of the three macronutrients, and explain the difference between HBV and LBV proteins.
- State the main function of protein, fat and carbohydrate
- Give a good source of each
- Explain what HBV and LBV proteins are
- Explain how a vegan can still get all the essential amino acids