Food  

  Plants  

  Herbivores  

  Proteins  

  Dairy Products  

  Nutrients  

  Protein  

  Aquaculture  

  Onion  

  Bear  

  Food is the most essential requirement for the sustenance of human life. Even if human beings do not have shelter over their head or clothes over their body, they would still survive if they get wholesome nutrition. That is why all are dependent on food for their survival.  

  Nutrients are the substances in food that our bodies process to enable it to function. Your nutrient requirements are influenced by factors including your age, growth stage and activity. Nutrients are so small that the naked eye can’t see them. Examples of nutrients are: Vitamins, Minerals, Carbohydrates, Proteins.  

  Fruit is one of the many foods we get from plants. Other parts of plants we use for food include: leaves and stems – celery, lettuce, roots – potatoes, carrots, beetroot, radish seeds – wheat, rice, legumes, groundnuts (peanuts), walnuts, almonds. Foods from plants are packed with many nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  

  Some of the foods we eat come from animals, including beef, fish, chicken etc. We also eat food that animals make. For example, chickens produce eggs and cows give milk.  

  Names of plants and their parts that we eat are: (a) Brinjal Plant: Fruits (b) Carrot plant: Root (c) Cabbage: Leaf (d)Potato Plant: Stems (e)Wheat: Seeds  

  It advised that we should prefer eating cooked food because by cooking harmful germs will be destroyed and becomes germless. Cooked food can be easily digested and absorbed by our digestive system in our body. Cooking will also enhance the taste of food.  

  There are mainly two sources of ingredients of various food items: (a) Plants: Plants provide us vegetables, pulses, fruits, cereals, grains etc. (b) Animals: Animals provide us meat, eggs, and milk etc.  

  (a) Fruit, flower and stem of a banana plant. (b) Lobster, fish, prawn and crabs. (c) Tomato. brinjal, lady finger, cucumber etc are fruits which are used as vegetables.  

  Animals that have a diet composed entirely of plants are known as herbivores. Even though all herbivores eat only plants, the diets of different herbivore species vary a great deal. Some herbivores are selective and only consume part of the plant, such as the fruit, leaves, nectar, seeds, sap, roots, or bark. Other herbivores are less selective and consume multiple plant components. Commonly recognized herbivores include deer, rabbits, cows, sheep, goats, elephants, giraffes, horses, and pandas. Herbivores have developed several physical adaptations that better enable them to survive and thrive as plant eaters. One major physical adaptation is the unique design of the herbivore's head, including its eyes, ears and teeth.  

  The main components of foods are carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. These are called nutrients.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are also called energy giving food. It is the main sources of energy. It is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are three types of carbohydrates.
1) Sugars: It is a simple carbohydrate having a sweet taste. Sources of sugar are glucose, sugarcane, milk and fruits; such as banana, apple, grapes, etc.
2) Starch: It is a complex carbohydrate. It is a tasteless, colourless, white power. Sources of starch are wheat, maize, potato and rice.
3) Cellulose: It is present in the plant cell wall. It is a complex carbohydrate. Humans cannot digest cellulose.
Protein: Protein helps in body growth and repairs the tissues so it is also called bodybuilding food. We get protein from milk, eggs, meat, fish and all kinds of a pulse. A protein molecule is made of a large number of smaller molecules called amino acid. The daily requirement of protein for adults is 1 gram per kilogram of the body weight. When the body is building new tissue, more proteins are required, so growing children and pregnant lady need more protein.
Fat: Fats are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Butter, ghee, milk, egg yolk, nuts and cooking oils are the major sources of fat in our food. An adult needs about 35 g fat every day. Our body stores excess energy in the form of fat. This stored fat is used by the body for producing energy as and when required so fat is considered as energy bank in our body. Fats are essential for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K in the body. Fat in our body also prevents heat loss from the body surface.
Vitamins: Vitamins are complex organic compounds which are essential for the growth and maintenance of our body. It does not provide energy. Our body requires vitamins A, C, D, E, K and B-complex. Our body can make only two vitamins, Vitamins D and K so other vitamins must be present in our food. The B complex vitamin is a mixture of several water-soluble vitamins. The important vitamins of this group are the vitamin B1 B2 B3 B4 B6 B9 and B12.
Minerals: Minerals are required by our body in very small quantities. Iron, Iodine, calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium are common minerals. The sources of these animals are plants and animals.  

  A typical plant has different parts in its body. Different parts of the plant are the roots, stem, leaves, flowers and fruits. The parts which are present under ground are the roots. Parts which are present above the ground are stem, leaves, buds, flowers, fruits and seeds.
Almost all parts of the plants such as leaves, stems, roots, fruits, and seeds are considered to be edible parts.
a) Roots: We eat plant roots in the form of carrot, turnip, radish and beetroot.
b) Stem: We eat stems of some plants as in sugarcane, coriander. One form of stem tuber is a potato. We also eat underground stem in the form of ginger.
c) Leaves: Many green leaves are the sources of calcium. Some leaves that we eat are spinach, cabbage, amaranthus, curry leaves etc. Onion is also a form of leaf which is underground.
d) Flowers: Flowers of pumpkin, cauliflower are edible flowers. Some types of roses are also edible.
e) Fruits: We get edible fruits from many plants. Fruits can be fleshy fruits or dry fruits. e.g. mango, guava, orange, apple, pear, grapes, banana etc. Almonds, cashew nut are used as nuts. Some fruits are used as vegetables. Some of them are brinjal, tomato, lady's finger, beans, bottle guard, snake gourd, bitter gourd etc.
f) Seeds: Seeds which are edible can be used as grains, pulses and oilseeds.
Grains include rice, wheat, jowar, maize, ragi etc.
Pulses include grams, peas, beans etc.
Oilseeds include groundnut, sesame, mustard, coconut, sunflower seed etc.  

  Herbivores:
1. They eat only plant products.
2. They have strong grinding teeth.
3. Examples: giraffe, goat, cow, deer, etc.
Carnivores:
1. They eat flesh and meat of other animals.
2. They have sharp tearing teeth or canines.
3. Examples: lion, tiger, hyena, leopard, etc.  

  Animals provide us with a good amount of nutrition and serve as our source of food in many different ways. Some of the products we obtain from animals are meat, eggs, fish etc. Every product has its own nutritive value and covers our daily requirement of nutrition. For example, meat is a good source of protein and eggs are a good source of calcium. Honey which is obtained from honey bees is a powerhouse of nutrients and is a widely used animal product.  

  Animals are grouped according to the type of food they eat. Generally, they are classified are:
1) Herbivorous
2) Carnivorous
3) Omnivorous
Let us discuss each group in detail.
Herbivorous Animals - These type of animals eat only plants and get their energy from them. Many herbivores have special digestive systems that let them digest all kinds of plants, including grasses.
Example: Horse, Kangaroo, Deer etc.
Carnivorous Animals - These type of animals eat only animals for their survival. They have specially designed teeth to tear their prey and they are physically very strong.
Examples: Jackal, Wolf, Vulture, Shark etc.
Omnivorous Animals - These type of animals eat both plants and other animals. Some omnivores will hunt and eat their food, like carnivores. Some others are scavengers and will eat dead matter. Many will eat eggs from other animals.
Examples: Bear, Human beings, Crow, Reptiles such as lizards and turtles etc.
 

  Food Wastage has become a common problem worldwide and it can be avoided by following a few simple steps. (i) Prevent leaving food unconsumed in meals. (ii) Follow the phrase, Eat to live and not live to eat. Eating more than required should be avoided. (iii) Raw edibles like grains, pulses should be stocked well. (iv) Proper planning should be done before buying a product to avoid wastage. (v) Share what you have learned about food waste with friends, family, classmates and colleagues, and spread awareness.  

  The importance of food is: (i) They are converted into energy which is required to do various activities. (ii) It helps in the growth of living organisms. (iii) It helps in the process of repair and replacement of damaged parts of the body of living organisms. (iv) It safeguards us from various diseases and infections.