A Guide to Food and Nutrition

Food is any material consumed in order to supply nutrition to the organisms. The types of food are categorized into three categories: animal, plant and fungi. Plants include vegetables, fruits, beans, grains and seeds; animals consist of meat, milk, feathers, bones and organs; and fungi include spores, leaves, roots and tubers. Food substances may be classified by their chemical composition, where members can be separated into three major categories: alkaline, acid and non-acid.

A food system is a complete process that determines the proper distribution of nutrients throughout the food pyramid in order to meet the needs of the human body. According to this food pyramid, carbohydrates are the main source of energy for most living things, with the exception of fishes and some plants. In prehistoric times, the main source of food was animal fat obtained from slaughtered animals. In recent history, plant foods have become the main source of food for humans, though they also rely heavily on animal products such as meat, milk and eggs.

Today, the food pyramid shows how different foods affect our health. It provides a clear picture of the amount of calories and other nutrients required by us to maintain our health and keep us going. The foods we eat determine our body mass index or BMI and a good diet should make up for the lost nutrition from a sedentary lifestyle. In other words, eating healthy should become a way of life, rather than something we do for fun.