Fuel Your Future: Ace the 2026 Nutrition & Health Practice Test!

Nutrients needed in relatively small amounts are micronutrients. Vitamins and minerals fall into this group because they don’t supply energy but are essential as cofactors and catalysts in many bodily processes—metabolism, enzyme function, immunity, bone health, and more. In contrast, macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are required in much larger amounts to provide energy and build tissues, and examples like lipids and proteins illustrate this category. So the term that fits nutrients required in small amounts is micronutrients.