How Important Are the Foods You Choose For Nutrition?

Food is any substance eaten to give nutrition to an organism for growth, maintenance and repair of the body. Food is generally of animal, plant or fungi origin, and has necessary nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals. The amount of food required by an individual depends on his physical condition, his appetite, activity level and other factors. All living things need food to survive. Plants, animals, and fungi need food to grow and prosper.

Plants include beans, grains, nuts, seeds, roots, bulbs, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. Animals include poultry, livestock, fish, game, birds, and meat. Fungi include yeast, mould, yeasts, moulds, spores, bacteria and protozoa. A diet rich in fibre is needed by all animals and fungi, whereas a lack of dietary fibre results in a malnourished condition in both animals and fungi. Animal foods contain less fibre, but plants are more fibrous than animal foods, providing more nutrients for growth and maintenance.

Plants contain two types of energy, namely chemical energy from carbohydrates (e.g., corn, rice, wheat) and stored energy from cellulose (e.g., maize). In addition, food provides vitamins, minerals, and enzymes needed for nutrition. The first three categories, carbohydrates (e.g., corn, rice, wheat) are the most abundant elements in the earth’s vegetation. Animal foods contain little in the way of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.

The study session 2 nutrients covered four major groups of nutrients: protein, mineral salts, vitamin B-12, and fat. Meals that provided calories were the only sources of nutrient calories for the laboratory animals. The metabolic rates of the animals were measured using specific biochemical methods. An analysis was then made to determine if any food variables affected nutritional intake.

In laboratory studies, children were fed different foods under controlled conditions. A balanced diet was created consisting of five main food groups (e.g., beans, vegetables, fruits, fish, meats) in order to evaluate the effects of feeding on obesity. The results showed that a low-calorie, high-fiber diet was better at controlling obesity than a high-calorie, low fibre diet. When the children were tested again after one year, those on the high-fiber diet were found to be less overweight or obese than those in the control group.

It is important to choose food wisely. The nutrients our bodies need are not always obvious. Many types of food are fortified with different nutrients such as iron and B vitamins. Others may not be able to be classified as nutrients at all. There is a large amount of scientific data on nutrition, but the basics remain the same. The best food choices depend not only on what you want to eat, but also on your food source.