Why and How to Eat Food That Promotes Nutrition
Food is any material consumed to supply the body with nutritional support. The basic definition of food is that it is “food”. In modern days, food can include processed forms of food such as ready-to-eat meals, prepackaged foods, frozen foods, and other chemically treated food products. More specifically, food is defined as having nutritive value or biological value, including protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. The complete food content or diet must meet the needs of the human body.
The food supply around the world is declining. Currently, the major food sources are land-based animal foods (meat, dairy, fish, poultry), marine plants such as marine algae, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, and mealworms. With global warming expected to continue and the availability of many natural resources in the soil decreasing, it is important to become more self-sufficient in food production. While the human population is growing, the earth’s resources are being depleted. As a result, many agricultural crops, like corn, wheat and soybeans, are being converted to cash crops to be consumed for food. In addition, livestock and poultry are being raised for profit instead of for their natural consumption.
Today’s food is becoming increasingly complicated due to technological advances. Many processed foods, including those that contain high amounts of salt, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives, are being made. These products are now more available than traditional foodstuffs. The rising cost of food is making many people start eating less meat and more processed foods, which is contributing to the rising obesity rate.
To eat food that provides the maximum nutritional benefit, a wide variety of fresh foods should be consumed daily. Among the most important sources of dietary fat are nuts, seeds, olives and olive oil, plus avocados, shrimp, meats, seafood and fish. In fact, the United States and the United Kingdom are the leading exporters of fat from animal source products.
Animal sources of protein are considered to be a beneficial part of a balanced diet. Eggs are an excellent source of protein. Shrimp, fish, lentils and beans are also rich in protein. Lean meats and those with little or no fat are an excellent choice to eat in their natural forms, which include steaks, chicken, turkey and lean cuts of pork.
Eating a diet that is nutritionally balanced is essential to a healthy lifestyle. A nutritionally balanced diet usually consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products. These products provide many essential vitamins and minerals needed by the body. Fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains are a rich source of vitamin C. They also provide B vitamins and folic acid. Milk and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium.
