The word “FOOD” is derived from the Latin term, “fornax”. Food is any substance fed to an animal to provide nutrition. In humans, food is generally of animal, plant or even fungal source, and usually contains vital nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or even minerals. But the term FOOD is now commonly used to refer to any and all food that can be consumed by people.

It is estimated that nearly 5 billion people in the world do not know the difference between a vegetable, a fruit and a grain. A common misconception is that vegetables are whole foods, consisting of complex carbohydrates. This is simply untrue. Vegetables, fruits and grains all have some degree of starches and sugars. There are 4 food groups, each having its own basic type of carbohydrates, with rice and flour being the most prominent examples.

Many people may not see food as a source of nutrition, because the typical Western diet is nutrient poor. A common misconception is that a lot of the food we eat is fat and therefore should be avoided. But this is a false statement, because we need fat to keep our bodies healthy. We need a food source of vitamin E to help combat infections, while also making sure that the body has enough antioxidants to remove harmful free radicals.

• Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and they are essential to all living things.
• Plants, animals and fungi all need amino acids to survive, so getting the right amounts of these nutrients from the foods that we eat is crucial to good nutrition.
• Amino acids can be found in the following food groups – proteins, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.
• A complete protein – which consists of all of the essential amino acids – cannot be made by human beings, so all foods should contain complete proteins in order for us to be healthy.

Cost of Buying Ready-Made Meals:

One of the main reasons that low-income families do not have access to a high-nutrient diet is that it is not easy to cook nutritious foods from scratch. The cost of buying ready-made meals can be much higher than the cost of buying more locally produced foods. When a family cannot afford to buy food from their local grocery store’s food system, they may fall back on buying food from a food pantry.

Nutritious Foods 

The best way to get plenty of nutritious foods is to purchase quality pre-packaged foods. This will allow the family to save money, while also buying a variety of different foods each week. Some families have started using food coupons, which allows them to get discounts on the food that they buy. In addition, many of us know that bulk cooking is the healthiest way to prepare food. By preparing one food at a time in large quantities, we are able to save a lot of money while still enjoying a delicious meal!