A Food Guide That Can Be Used by Anyone
Food is any material consumed in order to provide basic nutrition to organisms. Food is either of animal, plant or fungi origin, and generally contains vital nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, or fats. In the modern world, food is consumed in the form of manufactured food products, ready to eat (RY), or fresh food from local markets. There are various types of food, which fall into different categories.
Animal sources of food include meat, milk and eggs. These products come in different forms like cuts, minced, pates, sauces, stewed, scrambled, stewed and smoked. Animal sources of food are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Animal foods are a rich source of proteins including skinless chicken, turkey, duck, venison, wild game, goat’s milk and cow’s milk.
Fishes like tuna, trout, swordfish, salmon, haddock, cod and flounder provide good sources of protein. The fats found in these fish are necessary for our body, because it provides us with energy. Besides this, fish contain essential fatty acids that are vital to health. Therefore, people need to eat a balanced diet with these types of fats.
Vegetable and fruit oils are also beneficial. They are a good source of vitamins and minerals, as well as proteins and fibers. These oils are digested easily by the human body. Nevertheless, the fats that these oils contain are not healthy for our system, since it increases the level of cholesterol in our blood.
Another class of food are carbohydrates. They are an essential part of our daily diet because carbohydrates give us energy, and they also help in keeping the body fit and in shape. Some examples of good carbohydrates include breads, cereals, pasta and potatoes. Bread and pasta are considered to be part of a balanced diet, because they are made up of complex carbohydrates.
Finally, there are vitamins and minerals. These are the main components of the food that we eat. Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients. Examples of important vitamins and minerals include vitamin B, vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium, iron and folic acid. These food groups form the majority of our diet, so it is very important to make sure that you are getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals.
Most people usually eat three to four food groups on a daily basis. They consist of such food groups as grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. We get most of our nutritional requirements from these food groups. Sometimes, however, some people prefer to have other types of food, and for them, having a food pyramid is the perfect solution. It is a way of determining the type of food that should be eaten depending on your height and weight, and your daily lifestyle. It also helps you identify which food groups you should have more of.
The best thing about the food pyramids is that you get to decide what goes in one category and what should go in another. For instance, you can determine that nuts and eggs should be your number one source of protein. But if you feel that your meat intake is too much, then you can eat more fish or less meat. You can eat small amounts of all the food groups, but just make sure that each food group contributes to your balanced diet.