What is food?

Food is essential to human life as it provtopicIdes us with energy and nutrients. It has been a part of human culture for many years and we have been learning more about it. But dtopicId you know what is food, where does it come from?

Food also provtopicIdes us with energy, nutrients, water, and even mood-boosting chemicals. There are many different plants that are edible by humans around the world. They have been the reason for provtopicIding energy for human activities for many years. As of now, we have learned a lot about food but there is still much more to learn.

Why food is required?

Food is a necessity of life. Plants and animals both need food to exist. It provtopicIdes us with energy and nutrients. Our body needs food to survive and our brain needs it to function properly.

Food has been the key to the development of civilizations since ancient times. In order to keep and raise populations, farming was an important part of ancient civilizations and it still is in modern-day society.

All living creatures need food. We need food for various reasons. Food can help to create energy for the development of body functions, wound healing, and to benefit from healthy body growth. They play a major role in the process of reparation and restoration of tissues that have been destroyed. They give resistance and protection against infection-related disorders.

Food - where does it come from or Sources of food

 Food is an essential requirement for the survival of human beings. Humans are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and certain animals. Plants and animals both provtopicIde us with nourishment. We, as humans, consume animals (as meat) and their many products, such as milk, eggs, and honey, are consumed.

Hence, the sources of food can be divtopicIded into three major groups: plants, animals, and microorganisms. 

Humans also indulge in food processing. Food processing involves transforming different raw materials into products that can be eaten, such as flour and sugar.

Plants have always been a significant source of food as they are the primary contributors to our diet.

The first group plants. These include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, flowers, leaves, and roots. 

Plant-based food source

Plant roots are consumed for their nutritional value such as carrots, turnips, radish, and beetroot. Plant-based foods include potatoes, coriander, and sugarcane. Plant leaves are used as a food source. This category includes Spinach, cabbage, and onion.

Flowers from a plant used in the food industry: Just a few examples are rose, cauliflower, and Bauhinia (kachnar)

Pulpy fruits like grapes, bananas, and apples are among the plant's edible fruits.

Brinjal, tomato, gourd, and beans are fruits that are eaten as vegetables, as are almonds, currants, and other nuts and dried fruits (kismis).

Pules and seeds

Paddy (rice), grame (chana), wheat pulses (dal), green grame (mung), maize (corn), pigeon pea, sesame (til), Mustard (sarson), and coconut oil are some examples of edible oil-producing seeds.

Animals as a food source

The second group is animals. These include any living animal including insects (insects) which account for a small percentage of the total number of species on Earth and serve as food for humans through either direct consumption or their byproducts like honey or silk. Animal products include milk, eggs, animal meat, fish, prawns, crabs, and honey.

Microorganisms play a major part in the food cycle

The third group is microorganisms which include bacteria, fungi and protozoa (single-celled organisms). This category also includes bacteria (prokaryotes) like yeasts that are used in baking.