Plants give us food. Some plants are very rich in nutrients that our bodies need to work properly. It is important for you to learn and understand plants of nutritional benefit to your body. You are going to learn about the food that we get from plants.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
The sources of food are broadly grouped into 2 categories, animals and plants, and their related products.
Plants are a source of many different nutrients required by the human body to keep them in perfect working conditions. Humans consume fruits, flowers, leaves, stems, roots, and stem-like lettuce. All food comes from plants as animals also depend on plants to survive. We, therefore, obtain all food from plants whether directly or indirectly. Fruits and vegetables (which come from plants) are a major source of nutrients. We should consume fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
Plants give us vegetables, cereals, coffee, fruits, sugar, pulses, oil, spices, and many more. Different plant parts give us different food materials. Let us look at some of the food obtained from different plant parts.
VEGETABLES
Vegetables are obtained from plants. Some vegetables that are very rich in nutrients like spinach, turnip, cauliflower, and beetroot are obtained from plants. The stem, roots, and leaves of some plants are edible.
Roots
Carrot, turnip, radish, and beetroot are examples of roots that are eaten as vegetables.
Stems
An example of a stem that is eaten as a vegetable is ginger.
Leaves
Cabbage, spinach, and lettuce are examples of leaves eaten as vegetables.
Flowers
Cauliflower and broccoli are examples of flowers eaten as vegetables.
Fruits
Fruit refers to the fleshy and juicy part of a plant. They are a healthy source of food from plants. Mango, orange, apple, and grapes are examples of fruits consumed by humans.
Cereals and pulses
We also use grains of some plants as food. There are two types of grains: cereals and pulses. Maize, wheat, barley, and rice are examples of cereals. They give our bodies energy to work and play. Examples of pulses include kidney beans, white gram, and black gram. Cereals and pulses are together known as food grains.
Spices
Spices are used to add flavor to our food. Examples of spices include cardamom, pepper, cloves, and coriander seeds.
Tea, coffee, cocoa, and sugar
Tea comes from dried tea leaves. Coffee seeds are grounded into powder to give us coffee. Tea and coffee are referred to as beverages. Sugar comes from the stem of sugarcane plants. Cocoa is used in the manufacture of chocolates.
Food from plants plays an important role in our bodies. You should also note that some plants are harmful to our bodies. Food from plants may be consumed together with food from other products, for example, animal food products like beef.
