What is the Importance of Food?
What is the Importance of Food?
We eat food when we are hungry. Food helps us to grow. It keeps us healthy. It gives us energy to work and play. We get food from plants and animals.
Major part of our food comes from plants. All the vegetables that we eat are from plants. Rice, roti (bread), dal (pulses) and many other food items are obtained from plants. Meat, milk, egg and fish are obtained from animals.
People in India eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Foods like vegetables, fruits, etc. which are obtained from plants make up vegetarian food. Foods such as meat, fish and eggs are non-vegetarian food.
Food eaten in different regions
Rice, roti (bread), dal (pulses) and vegetables are the main food items of the people of North India. Wheat is grown in the northern part of our country. So, the people of this region take food items mainly prepared out of wheat. They use the leaves of mustard plant, fenugreek plant, cabbage, cauliflower and potato plant as leafy vegetables.
Rice is the main food crop of South and Northeast India. So, the people of these regions mainly take food items made out of rice.
People in South India like rice. They prefer idli, dosa, etc. which are made out of rice.
People of Northeast India eat dal, leafy vegetables, fish and meat along with rice. Tender bamboo shoots are used for cooking in this region.
People of Jharkhand and Chota Nagpur areas like dal, rice and vegetables. Leaves of many types of plants that are grown locally are very good and tasty. The tribal communities of these regions also enjoy different food items with bamboo shoots. Litti and chokha (mash potato) are eaten by the people of Bihar. Sattu, a powdered form of different types of grams, is another speciality of this place.
Meat, fish and vegetables are commonly eaten by people all over the world. People prepare them differently.
Rice and fish are traditional favourite foods of West Bengal. "Machhe bhate bangali" means 'fish and rice make a Bengali'. They also like sondesh, pitha and rosogulla sweets.
Plants as Food
We eat the roots of many plants as vegetables. The new shoots and the roots of asparagus are used for cooking. Carrot, radish and beetroot are roots of plants.
Food is also made out of flowers of certain herbs and plants. Banana and drumstick flowers are used for cooking in different parts of our country.
Many Indian tribal communities also cook the flowers of kachnar (Bauhinia) and papaya. Potato and ginger are actually the stems of plants which grow under the ground.
We eat the leaves of many plants like spinach, coriander, fenugreek and mustard. The dried leaves of tea plant are used to make tea.
Mango, orange and apples are fruits of plants.
Rice, wheat, peas, coffee and oats are seeds of plants.
Green gram, beans, Bengal gram and peas are also the seeds of plants. Some people eat these seeds after sprouting them. Some people eat only boiled seeds. These are wholesome foods.
Food from Animals
Animals too provide us a variety of food. We get milk, eggs, meat and honey from animals. We get eggs from hens and ducks.
Sea animals like fish, crab, snails, oysters and other shell fish are also consumed as food.
Cows, buffaloes and goats give us milk. People also eat flesh of goat and hen.
Milk is commonly used all over the world. People mostly drink cow's milk. Milk is a wholesome food. It is good for both young and old.
In some parts of the world, goat milk is preferred to cow milk. It is very good for strong bones. Goat milk also has less fats.
Camel milk is a food of desert people. It is rich in fats and proteins. People in Rajasthan and Arabian countries consume camel milk and meat.
Buffalo milk is also consumed by many people. It is very thick and contains a lot of fats.
People in Kashmir, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan consume yak milk.
We make cheese, butter and curd from milk.
Nutrients and Balanced Diet
Food is made of different substances called nutrients. Different nutrients have different roles.
- Proteins help in the growth of the body.
- Fats and carbohydrates provide energy.
- Vitamins and minerals protect the body.
A diet which contains all the essential nutrients in proper amount is called a balanced diet. We must also drink a lot of water. Balanced diet varies from people to people.
- Growing children need food rich in proteins. e.g. pulses, wheat and eggs.
- A newborn baby needs only milk as it is a complete food.
- A person doing physical work, for more energy, needs more fats and carbohydrates.
- Burgers, pizzas and colas are junk food. They are not good for health.
