A nutrient is not the whole meal. It is a useful piece inside food — or inside soil, for a plant — that a living body must have so it can stay alive and grow.

A nutrient A nutrient is not the whole meal不是整餐飯。It is a useful piece inside food它是食物裡一個有用的成分 — or inside soil, for a plant或土壤裡，對植物來說 — that a living body must have生物體必須擁有它 so it can stay alive and grow才能活下去、成長。

Protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, water: these are the big names. A banana is food; the potassium and the sugar in it are nutrients. Plants pull nutrients from the ground; animals get them by eating.

Protein蛋白質, fat脂肪, carbohydrate碳水化合物, vitamins維生素, minerals礦物質, water水: these are the big names這些是大名鼎鼎的例子。A banana is food香蕉是食物; the potassium and the sugar in it裡面的鉀和糖 are nutrients才是nutrients。Plants pull nutrients from the ground植物從土裡吸收nutrients; animals get them by eating動物則靠吃來獲得。

People also talk about empty food, meaning it fills you up but gives you few nutrients. The word is at home in science class and on the back of a cereal box. It is a little more technical than “something good in food,” but it is not rare or fancy.

People also talk about人們也會說 empty food empty food（空熱量食物）, meaning it fills you up意思是它會讓你吃飽 but gives you few nutrients卻幾乎不含nutrients。The word is at home這個詞很常見 in science class在科學課 and on the back of a cereal box和穀片盒背面。It is a little more technical它稍微專業一點 than “something good in food”比「食物裡好的東西」這種說法, but it is not rare or fancy但也不算罕見或很高深。

Though actually, nutrition is the whole topic or the feeding process; a nutrient is one building-block inside that story.

Though actually不過其實, nutrition is the whole topic or the feeding process nutrition（營養）指的是整個主題或攝食的過程; a nutrient is one building-block inside that story nutrient只是這故事裡的一塊建材。

The word comes from a Latin verb that meant to suckle or to feed a child, so at root it is about feeding, not about chemistry. We later stretched it to plants and to pills.

The word comes from這個詞來自 a Latin verb一個拉丁動詞 that meant to suckle or to feed a child原意是餵奶或餵養小孩, so at root it is about feeding所以字根其實跟「餵養」有關, not about chemistry不是跟化學有關。We later stretched it後來我們才把它延伸用 to plants and to pills到植物和藥丸上。