Understanding the Classes of Food - Part 1

The odds are high that you must have come across “the classes of food” at some point in time. As is now our custom at The Well Child Initiative, let’s have a little quiz to joggle your memory!😁

Mention the classes of food you remember.🤓

Type how many you could remember in the comments, and we’ll celebrate you! This article is also an opportunity to refresh your memory.

Food can be classified by its function, nutritional composition, or food group. Today, we’ll classify based on nutritional composition, a more granular way of looking at food.

Based on this, there are 7 classes we must remember: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats and Oils, Vitamins, Minerals, Water, and Fibre.

P.S: We received feedback that our last post was a little too long to read in one sitting — so we’ll release this series on food classes in smaller bits. Just as we encourage you not to force-feed your little ones, we won’t force-feed you information either!😁

In this article, we’ll focus on the macronutrients only. That is, the nutrients that are consumed in larger quantities.

1. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients alongside protein and fat, and they serve as the body’s main immediate source of energy. Once consumed, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which powers brain function, muscle movement, and everyday cellular activity.

Sources of carbohydrates include grains and cereals like rice, maize, millet, and sorghum (guinea corn). You can also find them in tubers and roots such as yam, cassava, and cocoyam.

2. Proteins

Proteins supply amino acids — the building blocks for muscle, skin, hair, nails, bone, and internal organs. In the first two years of life, the body grows at its fastest rate, which means these building materials are needed at their highest demand.

Amino acids also serve as the building blocks for neurotransmitters that aid memory and learning, antibodies (the body’s defence against illness), enzymes (special proteins that speed up chemical reactions), and hormones (the chemical messengers of the body).

Excellent protein sources for your child include animal products like fish, meat, eggs, milk, and seafood (such as crayfish). You can also opt for plant-based proteins like beans, locust beans, groundnuts, soybeans, and Moringa leaves.

3. Fats and Oils

Fats and oils are distinguished by their state at room temperature—fats are solid, whereas oils are liquid. Fats serve as a dense, long-term reservoir of energy, providing more than double the kilocalories per gram obtainable from carbohydrates. This means that fat delivers concentrated energy in small portions, ideal for a young child’s small stomach.

Beyond energy, fat is structural because about 60% of the brain is made of fat, with omega-3 fatty acids — essential healthy fats the body can't make on its own, important for brain and eye development, forming brain cell membranes that provide structural integrity, along with myelin that supports rapid nerve impulse conduction. Fat also enables the absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, and K.

While we have covered the major building blocks in this article, our next post will dive into micronutrients — those vitamins and minerals needed in smaller quantities, but whose roles are just as vital for proper growth and body function.

In the meantime, here are some easily accessible combos to try with your child:

1. Amala + Ewedu + Titus Fish

🟤 Amala → Carbohydrate

🌿 Ewedu → Fibre, iron, Vitamins A & C

🐟 Titus fish → Protein, fats (omega-3), Vitamins D & B12

2. Mashed Yam + Egg (Preferably prepared with palm oil)

🟡 Yam → Carbohydrate

🥚 Egg → Protein, choline

🫙 Palm oil → Fat, Vitamin A

3. Beans + Rice + Chicken (or any animal source of protein)

🍚 Rice → Carbohydrate

🫘 Beans → Plant protein, and fibre

🍗 Chicken → Complete (animal) protein

4. Pap + Moin Moin + Crayfish

🥣 Pap → Carbohydrate

🫘 Moin Moin (Steamed bean pudding) → Plant protein

🦐 Crayfish → Protein, and calcium

5. Rice + Vegetable Soup (Efo) + Fish

🍚 Rice → Carbohydrate

🥬 Efo (Green leafy vegetables) → Fibre, iron, and vitamins

🐟 Fish → Protein, and fats (omega-3)

Don’t forget to save this link so you’re ready for our next post on the remaining classes of food your child needs to stay sharp and healthy!

Remember, from 6 months, your child can eat almost anything (apart from honey), as long as it’s prepared right using the PASTA framework as the guide!