Nutritional for Dummies

Nutritional is an adjective that describes something related to nutrition, which is all about the food we eat and its impact on our bodies. When we talk about nutrition, we're talking about the nutrients that our body needs to grow, be healthy, and function properly. These nutrients usually come from the food we eat, like fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy products.

So, when we say something is nutritional, we mean that it provides the necessary nutrients that our body needs to be healthy. For example, an apple is a nutritional food because it contains vitamins and fiber that our body needs. On the other hand, a candy bar is not very nutritional because it is high in sugar and doesn't provide many nutrients.

Think of it like this: our bodies are like cars. To run smoothly and efficiently, a car needs the right type of fuel, like gasoline. In the same way, our bodies need the right type of fuel to function properly, and that fuel comes from the nutritional food we eat. Just like a car won't run well if we put the wrong type of fuel in it, our bodies won't function well if we don't give them the right type of nutrients they need.

There's another meaning of nutritional that is related to the science of nutrition. People who study nutrition, like dietitians and nutritionists, are interested in understanding how different types of food affect our bodies and health. They use their knowledge of nutrition to help people make good food choices and create balanced diets.

Imagine you're building a puzzle. The more pieces you have, the clearer the picture becomes. In the same way, the more we learn about nutrition, the better we understand how different foods fit together to create a healthy lifestyle. Nutritionists and dietitians are like the puzzle experts who guide us to put the right pieces together to achieve a complete and healthy picture of our bodies.

So, to sum it up, nutritional means something that provides the necessary nutrients for our bodies to grow, function properly, and be healthy. It can also refer to the science of nutrition, where experts study how food affects our bodies and help us make good food choices.