Food Groups And Their Importance To Our Bodies

Food Groups And Their Importance To Our Bodies

Food is any material consumed by an organism to give basic nutrition to it. Food is generally of animal, plant or even fungal source, and comprises necessary nutrients, like proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or mineral ions. In the diet, there are always certain proportions of different kinds of food, which determine the balance between energy and nutrients of a human body. There is always a balance between these two forces in all living things, because they are governed by a number of natural laws that are not known to science.

One of the main constituents of food, whether it is a vegetable, fruit, grain or legume, is protein. Protein provides most of the calories to an average human body, and the amount of protein needed varies with the person, from a handful of grams for a child to a thousand g for an adult. Meat, fish and pulses are rich in protein, but only some grains, beans and nuts contain significant amounts of protein. The other main constituent of the diet is carbohydrates, which provide energy to the body and together with fat produce the accumulated calories.

A balanced diet consists of carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables, with some important groups being entirely neglected by most people. Fruits are usually eaten after dinner, as a snack, on bread, pastries, cereals or crackers. Vegetables are eaten almost daily, either boiled or steamed. Rice and wheat products, cheese, beans, nuts and eggs are eaten occasionally, but not enough to make up the diet. In recent years, a small number of special food items have appeared on the market, especially chocolate and yeast.