Sources of Food

Food is the most essential and nutritious substance we provide to our body. It acts as a fuel which charges our body to perform daily chores.

It consists of nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals essential for the functioning of our body.

The substance is ingested by an organism and adapted by the organism’s cells to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

Sources of Food:

Well, there are two sources of food –

• Plants
• Animals

All of the food we eat comes from either of these two. The processed food we eat in our daily lives (like chips, cakes, pizzas, sandwiches etc) is a combination of various ingredients that are sourced from either plants or animals. Let’s take a look at both.

1. Food from Plants:

Plants are a source of wide variety of nutrients required to keep the human body in perfect working condition. Humans consume everything from fruits, flowers, even the stem of some plants, leaves and stem-like lettuce, celery, roots of some plants like carrots, beetroot, and seeds like wheat, rice, etc.

The reason one is advised to consume fruits and vegetables on a daily basis is that it is a source of rich nutrients.

Let us have a look at some of the food obtained from different parts of the plant.

Different parts of plants (Sources of food)	Food
Roots	1. Radish, turnip, carrot, beetroot are some of the roots that are eaten as vegetables.
Stem	1. Potato and ginger are the stems that are eaten as vegetables.
Leaves	1. Spinach, cabbage, lettuce are the leaves eaten as vegetables.
Flowers	1. Broccoli and cauliflower are the flowers eaten in the form of vegetables.
Fruits	1. Fruits are a healthy source of food from plants. 2. Orange, mango, apple, grapes are some of the fruits consumed by humans.
Edible Seeds	1. Cereals include rice, wheat, maize, jowar, barley, etc. 2. These are a rich source of nutrients provided by the plants.
Oil Seeds	1. Some of the plants producing oil are soybeans, castor, mustard, and sunflower.
Vegetables	1. Some nutrient-rich vegetables such as onions, green peas, tomato, pumpkin, etc. are obtained from plants.

2. Animals as a Source of Food:

Not all of our food comes from plants. A good portion of the food we eat comes from animals. Animal products are used as food directly or indirectly. Milk, eggs and meat are important examples of food from animals.

Animal products too are a rich source of nutrients. The food chain is composed of animals starting with organisms that use the energy of the sun to the apex at which the organisms are predators and rely on producers.

Let us have a look at some of the food obtained from animals:

Food	Source of food
Meat	1. Meat is of two types- red meat and white meat. 2. The meat of goat, sheep has a lot of fat and is called red meat. 3. White meat contains less fat and is obtained from chicken and fish. White meat is healthier and can be easily digested as compared to the red meat.
Milk	1. Cows, buffaloes, sheep, goat, and camels are a great source of milk. 2. Milk is also called as an ideal food. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Eggs	1. Chickens, ducks, geese, and quails are raised for eggs and meat. 2. The egg is a rich source of protein and vitamin. 3. It also contains phosphorus, calcium and iron.

3. Some foods not from animal or plant sources include various edible fungi, especially mushrooms.

Fungi and ambient bacteria are used in the preparation of fermented and pickled foods like leavened bread, alcoholic drinks, pickles, kombucha.

4. Seafood

Seafood comprises of fishes and other sea creatures like crabs, lobsters, oysters etc that we catch. They too are consumed by humans and are an important source of food in coastal regions especially.

Interesting Facts:

• There are around 2000 different plant types that humans use to cultivate food.
• The sweet potato is a root vegetable and is not closely related to the potato.
• Cutting onions releases a gas which causes a stinging sensation when it comes into contact with your eyes. Your body produces tears to dilute the irritant and remove it from your eyes.
• Pumpkins are usually labelled as vegetables but they contain seeds and are technically fruit.
• China is the largest producer of garlic, producing over 10 million tons in 2008 and accounting for over 75% of world output.
• The average apple contains around 130 calories.
• India is the world’s largest producer of bananas, producing nearly 22 million tons in 2007.
• Humans use many different methods for gathering food which include farming, hunting, gardening, foraging and fishing.
• Although humans are omnivores (eating both plants and animals), many people choose not to eat meat and fish, they are known as vegetarians. Those who don’t eat or use any products made from animals (including eggs, dairy products and honey) are known as vegans.