Nutrient Content of Food
Food is any substance eaten to supply nutrition to an organism. Food is generally of animal, plant or fungi origin, and generally consists of essential nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, or minerals. Humans are the only animal species that consume all of the food that is put into their mouths, although other animals may eat some of the food. Plants get their food through the leaves, stems, buds or leaves of trees and plants, and through the roots of fruits and vegetables. Animal food generally refers to meat, milk, eggs, fish, poultry, and other animal products.
The nutritional value of different foods is often related to how much of the essential nutrient is present in the food. Some foods, for example, are rich in iron while other foods are very low in iron. Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are found in many foods that most people would not think to include in their diet, but these nutrients are very important to good health. A person needs a variety of foods to satisfy the nutritional needs of the body, for maintaining a healthy weight, for managing stress, and for maintaining a healthy metabolism.
The nutrient content of a food can be determined by the International Food Content Database (IFCD). Foods that are considered to be low in fat have a low percentage of fat, while foods that are high in fat have a high percentage of fat. The percentage of fat in foods that can be seen food varies, because some foods, like meat, have a high amount of fat, while other foods, like dairy products, have a low amount of fat. The nutrient content of a food is also affected by what kind of food it is, because some foods that are rich in one nutrient may also be low in another nutrient. For example, whole grain foods may be low in fiber, but may also be high in other nutrients that are important for good health.