Food is any material consumed by an organism to provide it with nutrition. In the simplest terms, food is a substance provided by an individual that is required in order to grow and reproduce. Generally, food is of plant, animal, or fungi source, and usually contains necessary nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, or fats. The supply of food is always available for the organism; the main job of the food-nutrient combination is to convert the food into the energy needed for the organism’s activities. The process of food processing is very complex; it involves a series of steps, beginning with the extraction of edible materials from the food, drying and grinding the material, mixtures to make the composition homogenous and fermenting the sugars, finally adding the suitable nutrients.
The second topic we will deal with in the study session 2 nutrients is the proper sources of nutrients for humans. First, the question “what are the sources of food and nutrition?” can be answered by pointing out the obvious sources: vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, eggs, fish, poultry, etc. ; breads and cereals; beans and legumes; nuts, seeds, oil, vegetables oils, etc. ; etc.
The second topic to consider in food nutrition is how we can get enough of those nutrients. First, we should know that everyone has some amount of stored fat in the body, some amount of muscle mass, and so on, so these nutrients can be obtained by eating foods rich in calories. We may consume more than the necessary amount of food and obtain the satisfaction of eating good food by eating well. There is no magic about it; good food is food that provides the right balance of nutrients. An ideal diet is a well-balanced diet, and this is always the first step toward a healthy lifestyle.