Nutrition Interview

When you ask the question, “What is nutrition?” to someone the most common answer would be, “A balanced diet and exercise.” This is certainly health for your body, but it is not exactly what nutrition is alone. Nutrition is the process by which organisms take in and utilize food material. People have many misconceptions of what nutrition is. This is why I interviewed three people, asked them some questions, and will clarify their misconceptions for them.
One of the questions Luis was “Can you give an example of a nutritious meal?,” his reply was, “pizza, pasta, and lettuce.” I am guessing he thought the pizza consisted of meat, cheese, and bread, the pasta would contain starch and dairy, and the lettuce would act as a vegetable. He is correct in the sense when you break it down, but as a meal this would not be so healthy. The pizza is full of grease and loads of sauce, cheese and toppings. Besides that factor, there is no fruit or liquid. Liquids, preferably water are a very important essential to your meal. Number one they feel you up faster which is a plus, and number two you need something to wash your food down with.
Another question that Luis, Jeff, and TJ all had a misconception about was, “Is there more to nutrition than diet food? If so what?” The answer to this question is no, nutrition is solely diet food and balance. Every one of them said yes, exercise. Thinking that exercise is a healthy part of your diet, but they were confused because it has nothing to do with nutrition.
Also there are many minerals you have to provide your body with, including zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, and so on. When I asked my classmates this question they did mention the top minerals, but were confused about others. Some mentioned carbohydrates and proteins, and some mentioned water. Even though these things are very good for your body, they are not minerals.
I was surprised at how much Luis, Jeff, and TJ did know. When I asked them the question, “What makes a nutritious meal?” They all replied with the correct answer. They replied, “A balance of everything in the food pyramid would make a nutritious meal.” Also when I asked, “What do you think nutrition is?” Not one of them said dieting and exercise. They all replied with, “Healthy foods.”
Overall they had a pretty good understanding of what nutrition is. They had good ideas of what kind of meals they should eat. Even though exercise is not a part of nutrition, they all said it which shows that they know what’s healthy for them. Even though they had some confusion on some things, I would have answered the same if I hadn’t studied nutrition.

Thanks: Luis Hernandez, Jeff Green, and TJ Jones!