Food – What Is It?

In order to survive, the human body needs food, which can come in many types. Some food supplies are naturally produced by plants and animals, while others are obtained from other sources, like the human or animal body. Plants produce food by breaking down a food substance into simpler compounds, like starch or sugar, through a process called photosynthesis. Animals eat food to obtain protein, fat and other nutrients from it, while some use food to hide from predators or make a home from it.

Food is any material consumed in order to provide nutrition to an organism. It can be divided into carbohydrate, lipid, protein, and mineral food groups. The majority of the food that we eat comes from plants, although animal products, like meat and dairy products, also make up part of our diet. Food is generally of carbohydrate, fat, protein or mineral origin, and carries nutrients, like carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, or minerals in various forms, including sugars, oils, starches, acids or vitamins.

The three main food groups are starch, protein and sugar. Starchy foods are made up of starches, which are made up of carbon units stored in cells of plant origin; in plants, the storage happens in the form of cellulose. A typical starch is starch from beans or legumes, which is in turn made up of a starch-based fiber, such as in vegetables; fruits and grains are examples of starchy foods. Proteins, like fats, come from meat and dairy products, while sugar is a type of sugar found in different foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as in certain types of food products, like chocolate. These three categories of food are usually categorized into ten different categories, but there are some exceptions where certain foods fit into more than one category.