When people talk about nutrition, one of the most important aspects that come up is food. The word food is defined as the food that an individual eats in order to maintain the condition of his physical body. Food is food and the dictionary tells us that the word ‘food’ means ‘replete with nutrients that are needed by the body for proper growth and development’. In simple words, food is food, no matter what the source. That said, food is something that we cannot live without, as it is the source of energy to grow and develop, and at the same time, it is the key to survival, as it is the source of sustenance for our body and soul.
As everyone knows, food plays an important part in one’s health and in his/her life. In fact, food is considered to be a necessary part of a human diet. A well-balanced diet consists of a variety of food items such as cereals, fish, beans, meat, poultry, vegetables, fruits, and seeds. However, it is not food, per se, that provides all the essential elements to the diet, but rather the combination of all these food items that form the nutritious diet. Hence, food is food, irrespective of the type of food, be it vegetables, fruits, meat, or even grains.
Generally speaking, when it comes to food, there are four major food groups: legumes and grains, vegetables, and fruits. Legumes and grains are considered to be the staple food groups. Fruits and vegetables are considered to be the diversities that fill in the gap left by the staples, making the diet more colourful and tasty. Thus, while one eats food from the four food groups mentioned above to form a well-balanced diet, he also has to consume a variety of the other types of food as well.