Food and Nutrition

Glossary Terms

Instructions: click on a letter and you will be directed to a page of words (with their definitions) beginning with that letter. To return to this page click the HOME button.

A B GC D EJ

FH IO

NMLK

UP TSRQV W X Y Z

Scont.

A Al dente: ‘firm to bite’ – a test for well cooked pasta. Where

a small piece is bitten between the teeth to check it is firm but not hard.

Amino acids: the building blocks or basic units which join together to form proteins.

Anaemia: an illness where insufficient red blood cells cause paleness and tiredness.

Antioxidants: substances which prevent oxidation reactions happening, e.g. Vitamins C and E, carotene.

Ascorbic acid: another name for Vitamin C.

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B Basal metabolic rate (BMR): the speed/intensity at which a

person’s metabolism works when they are at rest. Baste: spoon cooking liquid over food while it is cooking. Boiling: moist heat method of cooking, where the food is

immersed in boiling water. Braising: moist heat cooking method, where large pieces of

meat are cooked in a casserole with a sauce, e.g. topside steak.

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C Calcium: mineral needed for strong bones and teeth. Carbohydrate (CHO): a nutrient made up of single, double or longer

chains of sugar molecules – usually used as an energy source in the body.

Carotene: an antioxidant. It can be converted in the body to Vitamin A.

Casserole: a dish used to cook several foods together – usually meat and vegetables in the oven. The resulting mixture of foods (like a stew) is also called a ‘casserole’ after the glass, metal or pottery dish it has been cooked in.

Casseroling: moist heat method of cooking meat using a casserole dish in the oven.

Cereals: seeds of grasses. Used to make flours and breakfast cereals. Cholesterol: a waxy fat found in foods and produced in the liver. Connective tissue: tissue which holds muscle fibres and organs

together. Curdle: to make into curds or congeal.

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D Dehydration: loss of moisture or water from the body. It is

dangerous because body reactions cannot occur without water. It can be a problem when small children experience diarrhoea and vomiting.

Diet: a pattern of eating. Dietary fibre: food fibre found in the cell walls of plant

foods. There are several types.

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E Emulsifier: a substance which can hold oil and water

solutions together, e.g. an egg yolk in mayonnaise. Emulsion: a mixture of oil and water. Energy: the kilojoule (kJ) content of food. Enzyme: a protein molecule that catalyses body reactions.

Often contains a vitamin in its structure. Enzymes in foods cause ripening and, eventually, decay.

Evaporated milk: milk that has been reduced to 60% of its original volume.

Extraction rate: expressed as a percentage, this gives an idea of how much of a wheat grain is present in flour. A 100% extraction rate means that all the grain is used.

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F Fat: form of lipid which is solid at room temperature. Fat-soluble: able to dissolve in fat. Vitamins A and D are fat-

soluble vitamins. Fatty acids: long carbon chains that join glycerol to make

fats. Fibre: a group of substances present in all plant cells. Some

are partially digested, some not at all. Folate (folic acid): a B-vitamin needed for the formation of

red blood cells. Food and Nutrition Guidelines: guidelines developed by the

Ministry of Health to give New Zealanders advice on how to maintain a healthy diet.

Food source: food in which a nutrient is present.

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Glycemic index: a rating of foods based on their effect on raising blood glucose levels.

Glycogen: a polysaccharide made from carbohydrate that is not needed for immediate energy needs and is stored in the liver.

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H Homongenisation: process by which fat particles are spread

throughout milk. Hydronisation: the addition of hydrogen to vegetable oils to

form a semi-soft spread.

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I Iodine: forms part of thyroxine, a hormone produced by the

thyroid gland (controls rate of activity of the body). Iron: mineral needed as part of haemoglobin in red blood

cells.

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K Kilojoules (kJ): a metric measurement of energy. One

kilojoule equals 4.2 kilocalories (usually referred to as ‘calories’).

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L Lecithin: substance in egg yolk which acts as an emulsifier. Lipid: lipids can be fats (solid at room temperature, 20˚C) or

oils (liquid at room temperature, 20˚C).

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M Marinated: process by which meat or fish is soaked in a liquid

that contains acid ingredients; this tenderises meat and coagulates fish protein.

Meal planning: a process by which the preparing and serving of meals is organised.

Metabolism: a name for the many chemical reactions that take place in the body. ‘Protein metabolism’ refers to the chemical reactions involving the production and use of protein in the body.

Micro-organisms: microscopic organisms which include bacteria, yeasts and moulds (fungi).

Milk powder: milk solids left after liquid milk has had all the water removed; reconstituted by adding water.

Minerals: elements such as calcium, needed in very small amounts in the body.

Mono-unsaturated: name for a fatty acid which has space for only one hydrogen atom.

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N Nutrient-dense food: a food that contains all the six nutrient

groups (protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and water).

Nutrients: basic building blocks of food which the body uses for growth and energy. There are six types of nutrients – protein, lipid, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and water.

Nutrition: study of nutrients and what they do in the body.

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O Oils: lipids that are liquid at room temperature, 20˚C. Oxidase: an enzyme which is present in cells and released

when cells are cut or bruised. It destroys vitamin C.

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P Pasteurisation: process by which bacteria in milk are killed

to make the milk safer to drink. Pathogens: micro-organisms which cause disease or illness. Pectin: found in ripe fruit, acts as a setting agent (e.g. in

jams). Polyunsaturated: term for fatty acids which can receive

more than one hydrogen atom. Preservatives: substances added to foods to stop them

decaying. Process: a systematic, planned sequence of actions or

techniques. A process in meal preparation is made up of at least three related techniques.

Protein: a nutrient made up of amino acids. Its main function in the body is for growth and maintenance.

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R Rancid: description of fats which have oxidised and

developed an ‘off’ flavour. Rennet: a preparation containing the enzyme rennin, which

causes milk to clot. Retinol: vitamin A. Roughage: ‘old’ term for food fibre found in plant proteins. Roux method: one method of making a white sauce with a

mixture of butter, flour and milk.

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S Saturated: description of a lipid which has every bond available

filled with hydrogen; usually found in animal foods. Score: to ‘cut through’ the surface of food (e.g. fish before

cooking). Sedentary: ‘done sitting down’. Sedentary jobs include truck-

driving and typing. Simmer: maintain gentle bubbling just below boiling point. Single sugars: single carbohydrate units, e.g. glucose, fructose. Skim milk: milk with reduced fat content. Smoke point: temperature at which a heated fat or oil begins to

produce blue smoke. Soya milk: ‘milk’ from soya beans, contains polyunsaturated

fat. Standing time: the time in which microwaved goods stand after

cooking so cooking can continue.

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S continued…

Starch: a carbohydrate made up of many glucose molecules.

Starches: a type of polysaccharide. Stewing: a moist heat method of cooking meat in a pot. Structure: the form of something; its shape or construction. Sugars: simple carbohydrates containing only one or two

sugar units. Sweetened condensed milk: milk reduced to 30% of its

original volume and then has sugar added; used mainly for baking purposes.

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T Technique: a simple skill used in the preparation of food

e.g. peel or scrape, measure, slice, chop, dice, mix, puree, fold, season, whip, melt etc.

Texture: the consistency or ‘feel’ of something – the way food ‘feels’ in the mouth.

Time plan: a plan, sometimes written, giving the order of tasks required to prepare and serve a meal.

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U UHT milk: milk that has been ultra heat treated – heated

rapidly at very high temperatures to sterilise it. Unsaturated: mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids have

some spaces still available for hydrogen atoms. Unsaturated fats contain such fatty acids.

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V Vegan: a person who does not eat any animal products. Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat. Vitamins: different kinds of nutrients needed in small

amounts in the body, often as part of the structure of enzymes, e.g. Vitamins A, C and D.

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W Water-soluble: able to dissolve in water. Vitamin C and

most of the B group vitamins are water-soluble. Whey: the water liquid residue left when milk has formed

curds. Whole fish: the complete body of a fish, including fins, tail

and head.

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Y Yeast: a living organism which breaks down sugar to

produce alcohol and carbon dioxide; used as a raising agent in bread-making.

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