Food: JAMB Physical and Health Education Questions, Answers & Notes

What Food covers in the JAMB Physical and Health Education syllabus

Food is any substance that nourishes the body, providing energy and materials for growth and repair. The main classes of food and their roles are: carbohydrates (energy — from rice, yam, bread), proteins (growth and repair of tissues — from meat, fish, eggs, beans), fats and oils (the most concentrated energy and an energy store — from groundnut oil, palm oil, butter), vitamins (protective foods needed in small amounts — e.g. vitamin C from fruits and vegetables), minerals (needed in small amounts — calcium for strong bones and teeth, iron to make red blood and prevent anaemia), water (makes up much of the body and is needed for many processes) and fibre/roughage (aids digestion and bowel movement, preventing constipation). The main point: food has classes — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre — each with a role.

For Food, JAMB expects you to be able to:

• Define food and the classes (carbohydrates, proteins, fats/oils, vitamins, minerals, water, fibre)
• Recall each class's role (carbs=energy, protein=growth/repair, fats=energy store, vitamins/minerals=protective)
• Recall sources and key minerals/vitamins (calcium=bones, iron=blood, vitamin C=fruits)

Key facts & revision notes: Food

These are the recurring points our Food questions test — revise them until each feels automatic, then practise the questions above to lock them in.

• Food is any substance that nourishes the body, providing energy and materials for growth and repair.
• Carbohydrates mainly give the body energy.
• Protein is needed for the growth and repair of body tissues.
• Fats and oils give the most energy per gram and store energy.
• Vitamins are protective foods needed in small amounts.
• Minerals such as calcium and iron are needed in small amounts.
• Sources of carbohydrate include rice, yam, bread and other staples.
• Sources of protein include meat, fish, eggs and beans.
• Sources of fat and oil include groundnut oil, palm oil and butter.
• Vitamin C is found mainly in fruits and vegetables (e.g.
• Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth.
• Iron is needed to make red blood and prevent anaemia.
• Roughage (fibre) helps digestion and bowel movement, preventing constipation.
• Water is important because it makes up much of the body and is needed for many processes.
• Carbohydrates give energy.
• Protein is for growth and repair.
• Vitamins and minerals are needed in small amounts.
• Vitamins are protective foods.
• The main point is that food has classes — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre (roughage) — each with a role.

Worked examples

Three Food questions with the answer and a short explanation, so you can see how the topic is set before you practise the full set.

How Food is tested in JAMB Physical and Health Education

Our Food bank holds 20 questions (2 easy, 13 medium, 5 hard). JAMB Physical and Health Education typically returns to Food year after year, so steady practice on this topic is high-value revision. Questions are multiple-choice with four options, and at UTME pace you get roughly 40 seconds each — which is why timed practice matters.

How to answer Food questions

Work the stem first and predict the answer before you look at the options; then eliminate the ones that contradict the key facts above. Watch for “which is not…”, “all of the above” and “except” style stems, which are where rushed candidates lose easy marks on Food. If a calculation or a precise definition is involved, work it from first principles rather than guessing from a half-remembered rule. When two options look right, re-read the stem for the qualifier that separates them — JAMB rarely repeats an option by accident. If you are still unsure, eliminate the two weakest choices to lift your odds, flag the question, and move on; never burn a full minute on one Physical and Health Education item when the exam gives you about forty seconds each. Then come back to flagged questions with whatever time remains. The single most reliable way to get faster at Food is repeated timed practice, so use the button above until the recurring patterns feel automatic.

Common mistakes to avoid in Food

The errors that cost marks on Food are usually careless rather than conceptual: misreading a negative stem, confusing two similar terms, or rushing a definition you actually know. Candidates also over-rely on “expo” and last-minute cramming instead of understanding the topic — which fails the moment JAMB rephrases a familiar idea. Treat every option as a claim to be checked against the facts above, keep your working tidy for any calculation, and don’t change a considered answer on a hunch. Above all, revise Food actively by answering questions, not just by re-reading notes — recall under time is what the exam rewards.

Frequently asked questions

Is Food part of the JAMB Physical and Health Education syllabus?

Yes. Food is a recognised topic in the JAMB Physical and Health Education syllabus, covering define food and the classes (carbohydrates, proteins, fats/oils, vitamins, minerals, water, fibre). You should be able to recall its key facts and apply them to multiple-choice questions.

How many Food questions can I practise on Belmadeng?

There are 20 original, JAMB-standard Food questions in our free bank, each with the correct answer and a worked explanation. You can practise them untimed or as a timed test.

What are the most important points to know about Food?

Food is any substance that nourishes the body, providing energy and materials for growth and repair. The main classes of food and their roles are: carbohydrates (energy — from rice, yam, bread), proteins (growth and repair of tissues — from meat, fish, eggs, beans), fats and oils (the most concentra…

How do I answer Food questions quickly in JAMB?

Read the stem carefully, eliminate clearly wrong options, and match the remaining choices to the key facts for Food. Practising timed Food questions builds the speed you need for UTME's pace of about 40 seconds per question.

Are these JAMB Physical and Health Education Food questions past questions or original?

They are original questions written to JAMB (UTME) standard and mapped to the official syllabus — not reproduced past papers. This keeps them legal to use freely while closely mirroring how the real exam tests the topic.

Where can I practise Food questions free without signing up?

Right here — tap “Start Food practice” on this page to begin instantly. Belmadeng's CBT practice is completely free and needs no sign-up, download or subscription.

About these questions: original, JAMB-standard items written from the official UTME Physical and Health Education syllabus (last reviewed 2026-09-18). Belmadeng is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with JAMB. Spotted an error? Use the report link.