Nutrition in Food

What does a human need?

In order to be alive, each person on earth has daily needs.

Calories

Each food has some calories. A calorie is a measure of the energy the food gives us after it is eaten. Each of us needs about 1500 calories a day.

It will take about 1.7 kg of food a day to provide 1500 calories.

If a person does not have enough calories each day, the body will use up it's own muscles and the person will become weaker and weaker, starting to starve to death.

We add the calorie values of our table and when we total the value at the bottom, we see the total meets our needs of 1500 calories.

Table 1. Expected Daily Food Production of a Hydroponica for one adult. Values are for fresh raw weights of foods.

Food Amount Weight in gr Calories

Bell Pepper 1 cup 150 42

Cabbage 1/2 cup 50 11

Carrot 1/2 cup 35 21

Cucumber 1 cup 120 16

Garlic 1/2 cloves 30 8

Ginger one inch 7 5

Green Beans 1/2 cup 50 15

Leeks 1/2 cup 45 27

Lettuce 1 cup 75 10

Zucchini 2/3 cup 75 22

Onions 1/4 cup 13.5 9.5

Peapods 1/2 cup 31 13

Quinoa Seeds 1/4 cup 100 312

Quinoa Greens 1 cup 25 50

Salad Greens 1 cup 100 25

Corn 1/2 cup 100 265

Sweet Potato 4 cup 500 390

Tomato 1/2 cup 100 14

Avocado 1/2 fruit 100 161

Olives 1/4 cup 45 43

Total 1726 1460

Protein

Proteins are used by the body to build muscle and grow bigger and stronger.

Most plant foods have very little protein. The plant parts that have lots of protein are seeds and nuts. So in our diet, we need to add foods that have protein. For the items we have listed quinoa, corn and sweet potato have the most protein.

A person needs about 30 grams of protein every day. We add a column to our table and ;ike the grams of protein in each. We see by the total at the bottom, that we reach our 30g grams of protein a day.

Table 1. Expected Daily Food Production of a Hydroponica for one adult. Values are for fresh raw weights of foods.

Food Amount Weight in gr Calories Protein

Bell Pepper 1 cup 150 42 0.15

Cabbage 1/2 cup 50 11 0.77

Carrot 1/2 cup 35 21 0.5

Cucumber 1 cup 120 16 0.4

Garlic 1/2 cloves 30 8 0.4

Ginger one inch 7 5 0.11

Green Beans 1/2 cup 50 15 1

Leeks 1/2 cup 45 27 0.76

Lettuce 1 cup 75 10 1

Zucchini 2/3 cup 75 22 0.76

Onions 1/4 cup 13.5 9.5 1

Peapods 1/2 cup 31 13 1.6

Quinoa Seeds 1/4 cup 100 312 0.3

Quinoa Greens 1 cup 25 50 1

Salad Greens 1 cup 100 25 2

Corn 1/2 cup 100 265 4.5

Sweet Potato 4 cup 500 390 12

Tomato 1/2 cup 100 14 0.6

Avocado 1/2 fruit 100 161 2

Olives 1/4 cup 45 43 0.7

Total 1726 1460 45.88

Fats

Most vegetables have very little fat. That is a shame because we each need about 35 grams of fat every day to remain healthy.

We add trees to Hydroponica to have enpough fat in our daily food supply. We will need 20 olives and half an adocavo a day in our diet to have daily fats.

We add another column to our table for fats and after we total them, we have enough to meet 35 grams a day.

Food Amount Weight in gr Calories Protein Fats

Bell Pepper 1 cup 150 42 0.15 0.4

Cabbage 1/2 cup 50 11 0.77 0.05

Carrot 1/2 cup 35 21 0.5 0.05

Cucumber 1 cup 120 16 0.4 0.13

Garlic 1/2 cloves 30 8 0.4 0.2

Ginger one inch 7 5 0.11 0.05

Green Beans 1/2 cup 50 15 1 0.06

Leeks 1/2 cup 45 27 0.76 0.15

Lettuce 1 cup 75 10 1 0.0

Zucchini 2/3 cup 75 22 0.76 0.4

Onions 1/4 cup 13.5 9.5 1 0.025

Peapods 1/2 cup 31 13 1.6 0.07

Quinoa Seeds 1/4 cup 100 312 0.3 5.8

Quinoa Greens 1 cup 25 50 1 0.1

Salad Greens 1 cup 100 25 2 0.42

Corn 1/2 cup 100 265 4.5 13

Sweet Potato 4 cup 500 390 12 0.4

Tomato 1/2 cup 100 14 0.6 0.33

Avocado 1/2 fruit 100 161 2 8.75

Olives 1/4 cup 45 43 0.7 4

Total 1726 1460 45.88 34

Carbohydates

Most plant foods have a lot of carbohydrates. Thee are the primary source of energy, the fuel we need to keep active.

We need 300 grams of carbohydrates a day, and when we total the number of carbohydrates in the listed foods we get over 300 calories a day.

Food Amount Weight in gr Calories Protein Fats Carbohydrates

Bell Pepper 1 cup 150 42 0.15 0.4 9

Cabbage 1/2 cup 50 11 0.77 0.05 2.25

Carrot 1/2 cup 35 21 0.5 0.05 5

Cucumber 1 cup 120 16 0.4 0.13 2

Garlic 1/2 cloves 30 8 0.4 0.2 2

Ginger one inch 7 5 0.11 0.05 1

Green Beans 1/2 cup 50 15 1 0.06 3.6

Leeks 1/2 cup 45 27 0.76 0.15 7

Lettuce 1 cup 75 10 1 0.0 2

Zucchini 2/3 cup 75 22 0.76 0.4 4

Onions 1/4 cup 13.5 9.5 1 0.025 2.75

Peapods 1/2 cup 31 13 1.6 0.07 2.5

Quinoa Seeds 1/4 cup 100 312 0.3 5.8 54

Quinoa Greens 1 cup 25 50 1 0.1 2

Salad Greens 1 cup 100 25 2 0.42 4.65

Corn 1/2 cup 100 265 4.5 13 35

Sweet Potato 4 cup 500 390 12 0.4 164

Tomato 1/2 cup 100 14 0.6 0.33 3

Avocado 1/2 fruit 100 161 2 8.75 8.5

Olives 1/4 cup 45 43 0.7 4 2.2

Total 1726 1460 45.88 34 316

So we now have a list of foods, and amounts to grow each day to have good nutrition.