Nutrition: Food For Thought (1981)

Next we add the schmidgen of bromine. And then some ascorbic acid. Um Where the heck did I put it? Igor! Igor! Yes, doctor. Right here. >> There you are. There is the ascorbic acid. It's right here. Good. Good. Igor, the formula is almost completed. This time I will succeed or my name is not Dr. Hans Von Stroodle. Ah, that's it. That's it. What are you making this time? It's a formula for a nutrition pill. A pill what's going to take the place of food. What? How? Simple, dumkopf. This pill will contain all the chemical substances the human body needs for good nutrition. So, instead of eating food, all you got to do is take one of my pills three times a day. Pretty smart, huh? No, doctor. Your idea isn't very smart. In fact, it's rather silly. Who's that? Where are you? I'm the narrator of this film. No, you can't see me. It's my job to teach the facts about good nutrition to all those children out there. I don't see any children. Me, neither. They're watching just the same. And it's a mistake for them to think that any pill can take the place of good nutritious food. Yeah? Huh, well, we'll see about that. Come, Igor. Let's go back to work. Well, good luck. Dr. Von Strudel has overlooked an important fact. Most of us would rather eat food than take pills. Why? Because we like the taste and smell of food. We enjoy eating food because it satisfies our hunger and gives us pleasure. Really? We enjoy eating food for another reason. Mealtime gives us a chance to be with other people. It's the perfect time to enjoy the company of family and friends. Getting together for a nutrition pill wouldn't be nearly as satisfying or enjoyable. Sounds fun, huh? Yeah, would be. The simple fact is most of us like food. But we also need food. To be more exact, we need certain parts of food called nutrients. There are about 50 nutrients necessary for life and health. Nutrition experts divide these nutrients into five main kinds: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Water and oxygen can be considered nutrients, too, because they're also essential for life and health. But for now, let's learn about the nutrients in food. Each kind of nutrient has important work to do in your body. Carbohydrates and fats give you energy. It takes energy to keep you warm and to do everything you do, to work, play, and think. Even when you sleep, you use energy to keep your body functioning. The energy in food is measured in units called calories. Carbohydrates and fats are high in calories. Carbohydrates are the starches and sugars in foods. Carbohydrates are found in cereals, bread and other products made from grains, and many kinds of vegetables. You also get carbohydrates from fruits, syrup and honey, milk, and from the many foods that contain ordinary white sugar. Ounce for ounce, fats supply twice as much energy as carbohydrates. Fats can be divided into two groups, visible and invisible fats. Visible fats are those that are added to foods. They include butter, margarine, oils, and shortening. Invisible fats are those that are naturally present in foods. The fats contained in milk, meat, fish, eggs, and nuts are all considered invisible fats. Not all of the carbohydrates and fats you eat are used to supply energy. Some are stored as body fats under your skin and around various muscles and organs. A certain amount of body fat is good because it serves as a supply of stored energy and also helps hold in body heat. But too much body fat serves no useful purpose and can be harmful to health. Like fats and carbohydrates, proteins may supply energy. However, the main job of proteins is to give your body materials for growth. Your body uses proteins to build, repair, and maintain the cells that make up your bones, muscles, blood, skin, and every other part of you. You get animal proteins from meat, fish, eggs, milk, and cheese. Plant proteins are found in dried beans and dried peas, all kinds of nuts, and peanut butter. Minerals are also necessary for growth and repair of body cells. Milk supplies the two minerals you need in the largest amount, calcium and phosphorus. They help build strong teeth and bones. Calcium also helps your muscles and nerves work properly. The iron you get from meat and vegetables is necessary for healthy red blood. Here are some other minerals you need for good nutrition. They can be found in many different foods. To get enough iodine, you usually need to use iodized salt, which has this mineral added. Like minerals, vitamins are also essential for good nutrition. Some vitamins are named by letters. Others have chemical names. All are important. For example, thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin D help your body use the other nutrients in food. The vitamin C in citrus fruits, such as oranges, helps wounds heal and keeps gums healthy. And the vitamin A in yellow and green vegetables keeps your skin and eyes healthy. Almost all foods contain some kinds of vitamins and minerals. But different foods provide different kinds and amounts of these nutrients. That's why it's important to eat a variety of foods. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. These are the five kinds of nutrients you need every day for energy, growth, and health. Oh, Mr. Narrator, are you there? Yes, what is it? >> History in the making, that's what. Looky, the final ingredient of my nutrition pill formula. >> You're wasting your time, doctor. >> Nein. My nutrition pill will make food obsolete. Here goes. Looks like there's still no shortcut to good nutrition. >> Wow, that stuff is dynamite. But there are some things you can do to make sure you get all the nutrients you need in the right amounts. One is to eat a balanced diet. To help people plan meals that provide a balanced diet, nutrition experts have divided foods into four basic food groups. There's the milk group, the meat protein group, the bread and cereal group, and the fruit vegetable group. To have good nutrition, you should eat foods from each group every day. The milk group includes milk, all kinds of cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. You should drink three or four glasses of milk each day. A serving of cheese or ice cream can take the place of some of the milk. The meat protein group is made up of red meats, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts, dried beans and peas, and peanut butter. You need at least two servings of foods from the meat protein group every day. The bread and cereal group contains the many foods made from grain. Whole wheat and enriched bread, rolls, crackers, breakfast cereals, and macaroni products. You should eat at least four servings daily from the bread and cereal group. You also need at least four servings a day from the vegetable and fruit group, including one serving daily of a citrus fruit, juice, or vegetables rich in vitamin C, and one or two servings of green or yellow vegetables for vitamin A and other nutrients. The snacks you eat should also supply essential nutrients. Do you think these snacks are nutritious? No. Potato chips, soft drinks, candy, donuts, and the like provide lots of calories, but they lack important nutrients. Snacking on such foods can sometimes spoil your appetite for more nutritious foods you need. Also, candy and other sweet snack foods contain a great deal of sugar, and eating lots of sugary foods can lead to tooth decay. So, get in the habit of eating nutritious snacks such as fruit, raw vegetables, cheese, or nuts. Of course, you might like some sweet foods, but save them for the proper time, after you've eaten a nutritious meal. There's one other thing you can do to have good nutrition. Eat a good breakfast every day. Is this boy eating a good breakfast? Breakfast is your most important meal of the day. That's because your body has gone without food all night. When you eat a poor breakfast or none at all, you don't get the nutrients you need to feel or do your best during the day. So, always eat a good breakfast. It makes a difference. Uh-huh. Hey there, Mr. Narrator. Uh-oh, here we go again. >> I have finally the zeeda the doki my nutrition pill. What you say now, wise guy? >> No one can swallow that. Oh, yeah? Show him, Igor. Me? Uh-huh, I'll help. Give up, doctor. We've already seen that there's a better way for people to get the nutrients they need. And that is to eat foods from the four basic food groups every day. Three or four servings from the milk group, two servings from the meat protein group, and four servings each from the bread, cereal, and fruit vegetable groups. Now, that's not hard to swallow, is it? Well, it's food for thought. >> Hey.