Classification of Food

CLASSIFICATION OF FOOD

Foods are classified on the basis of their action:

1. Energy giving foods (carbohydrates and fats): These provide us energy to carry various life processes like breathing, movement, locomotion etc. Eg., wheat, rice, sugar, potato, oil, ghee, butter, etc.
2. Body building foods (Proteins): They help in growth, development repair and maintenance eg., milk, pulses, eggs, meat.
3. Protective foods: These types of food protect us from diseases eg., Vitamins, Minerals etc.

Food can also be classified on the basis of Nutrients that they provide:

1. Carbohydrate rich foods: Wheat, rice, potato, sugar etc.
2. Protein rich foods: Egg, milk, meat, fish, pulses etc.
3. Fat rich foods: Oil, ghee, butter, groundnut, etc.
4. Vitamins rich foods: Fruits, green leafy vegetables
5. Mineral containing food: Meat, fish, egg, pulses etc.

Roughage: It is fibrous indigestible material present in food

1. It should be an important component of food.
2. It provides bulk to aecal matter in case of defectation.

Example 3: Name three body building foods.

Solution: 1. Pulses, 2. Meat and 3. Milk and Eggs.

Example 4: Name the abnormal condition which results from lack of roughage in diet.

Solution: Constipation (inability to defaecate properly or to pass stool (faeces) properly).

Example 5: Which nutrient is abundantly present in food of animal origin?

Solution: Proteins.

Example 6: How is ghee obtained from milk?

Solution: Cow milk is heated and then some curd is mixed to it. It is then centrifuged to obtain cream. Cream is converted to butter and after heating and filtering butter we obtain ghee.

SOURCE OF FOOD

1. Green plants prepare their own food by the process of photosynthesis (using solar energy). So green plants are called Autotrophs of Producers.
2. All animals depend on such plants directly or indirectly for their food. Animals are called Heterotrophs.

PLANT FOOD PRODUCTS

Plant food products are the different types of food that we get from plants. Green plants are the primary source of food. Plants provide us with vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, spices, nuts, oils etc. The various parts of plants which are used as food materials by us are: Roots, stems, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds.