One of the most essential things for living organisms is food. Along with the sun, water, and air, it is a basic need of all living organisms. We need to eat to stay alive, healthy, and strong. For humans, eating food usually is enjoyable. But, it is also normal that some food we like more or some less. It is common that we also have some favorite food. Food is necessary for us because it provides a matter for the growth of our body and energy to do work. Having knowledge of food will certainly have many benefits for us. It will help us manage our food habits, which will lead to good health, a strong body full of energy, and will improve our lives in general.
In this lesson, we are going to learn:
Food is any substance consumed to sustain life, promote growth, and provide energy for an organism. Examples of food are bread, butter, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, egg, etc. As you can see, there are different foods, which come from different sources. The main sources of food, for all organisms, are plants and animals. Food obtained from animals include fish, milk, meat, and cheese. And plants provide us with fruits, vegetables, seeds, or roots. Also, the food can be fungal in origin.
There are many reasons we need to eat:
Food is composed of many different chemical substances. The compounds in foods essential to life and health are called nutrients. Nutrition is the study of nutrients in food, how the body uses them, and the relationship between diet, health, and disease.
Essential nutrients can be grouped into 6 categories: carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. All the nutrients can be either macronutrients or micronutrients. Macronutrients are those nutrients that the body needs in large amounts. They are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These provide the body with energy (calories). Micronutrients are those nutrients that the body needs in smaller amounts but are vital to healthy development, disease prevention, and wellbeing. They are vitamins and minerals.
Let's take a closer look at the nutrients.
Macronutrients
Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Our body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy for our body's cells, tissues, and organs.
Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue and can also serve as a fuel source.
Fats are also essential nutrients for our bodies. They provide energy and help our guts absorb certain vitamins from foods. But, it can be harmful to eat too many.
Micronutrients
Vitamins are necessary for energy production, immune function, blood clotting, and other functions.
Minerals play an important role in growth, bone health, fluid balance, and several other processes.
The food categories are:
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. Most vegetables are naturally high in vitamins and minerals and low in fat and calories. Examples of vegetables that we eat are cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, pumpkin, cucumber, celery, onion, garlic and many more.
Fruits are the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seeds and can be eaten as food. Fruits are very similar to vegetables, and just like them, they are a source of many vitamins and minerals. Fruits that we commonly consume are apples, pears, pineapple, oranges, lemons, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, mango, apricots, plums, and the list can be so long from here.
Grains are small, hard, dry seeds, with or without an attached hull or fruit layer, harvested for human or animal consumption. Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, or another cereal grain is a grain product. Examples of grain food are bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, and tortilla. Grains are important sources of many nutrients, like carbohydrates, dietary fiber, several vitamins, and minerals.
Legumes are the seeds of the plant and are eaten in their immature form as green peas and beans, and in their mature form as dried peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas. Legumes are great sources of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
Nuts are fruits composed of an inedible hard shell and a seed, which is generally edible. Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, and Hazelnuts are some of the nuts included in our diet. They are healthy snack options. Though they're usually high in fat, the fat they contain is a healthy type.
Seeds that are suitable for human or animal consumption are edible seeds. There are numerous examples of the use of seeds as food for humans. Flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, are a source of some important fats, fiber, plant proteins, as well as many important vitamins and minerals. Seeds are an essential addition to any healthy diet.
Meat such as chicken, pork, lamb, and beef are all rich in protein. A balanced diet can include protein from meat.
Many species of fish are consumed as food. Fish has been an important source of protein and other nutrients for humans throughout history.
Dairy products or milk products are a type of food produced from or containing the milk of mammals. Dairy products include food items such as yogurt, cheese, and butter. Dairy products are great sources of protein and minerals. They can form part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. Eggs are a very good source of protein and are rich sources of vitamins and minerals too.
As you can see, each group of food has its benefits for health. It is important for us to eat various food, or get each nutrient on a daily basis. It is not recommended to eat only one type of food, because not getting the right nutrients and the right amount of them can lead to several health issues, which means that our body will be more prone to infections, diseases, infection, or low performance. Eating the right amount from each food group is called eating a "balanced diet". A balanced diet supplies the nutrients your body needs to work effectively.
If the body doesn't get the right amounts of nutrients, that can lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition can refer to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of nutrients.
