Which of the following is not part of the six basic nutrients?

• A. Cells
• B. Water
• C. Protein
• D. Fats

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to distinguish substances the body needs from the body’s own building blocks. The six basic nutrients are water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Cells are the fundamental units of body tissue, not a nutrient you ingest. They’re built from those nutrients but aren’t themselves something you consume for nutrition, so they’re not part of the six basic nutrients. In practice, this helps when talking about diet and hydration: water, carbs, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals are what you compare to a resident’s intake, while cells are what those nutrients help to form and maintain. The other options—water, protein, and fats—are indeed nutrients.