What is food?

What Does food Mean

Food is what living beings eat and drink for their subsistence . The term comes from the Latin alimentum and allows to name each of the solid or liquid substances that nourish humans , plants or animals.

In addition to all this, it is important to know that foods can be classified into several types. However, if we take into account what the composition of those is, we would find two large groups:

• Organic ones, which are those that provide us with vitamins, fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

• Inorganic ones, which give us trace elements, water and minerals. That is, they provide us with energy.
However, in the same way, we can classify foods based on their role in nutrition. In this way, we would come across three different types:

• Training foods, which are rich in calcium and protein.

• Energy foods, which differ because they are very valuable in terms of fats and carbohydrates.

• Regulatory foods, which are identified because they have significant levels of minerals, vitamins and trace elements.

However, the most common and used classification of foods is the one that groups them into:

• Cereals, potatoes and legumes.

• Milk and derivatives, which provide a significant number of nutrients.

• Fish.

• Eggs.

• Meat. This, along with the two previous groups, is responsible for providing the human body with the necessary proteins.

• Fats and oils, where, for example, nuts are found.

• Fruits and vegetables, which are identified by their great wealth in terms of minerals and vitamins.

• Sugars.
This classification is the one used when making a healthy and balanced diet that provides the needs of each organism. Thus, for example, for children to grow, it is advised that their diet includes meat, fish, eggs and legumes.
Food allows the regulation and maintenance of metabolic functions . Without food, living things cannot be healthy and even have the potential to die. Food, on the other hand, works on a psychological level to provide satisfaction. In these cases, the food does not fulfill so much a nutritional function, but rather provides pleasure (as in the case of a hamburger or a chocolate).
The nutrients are food substances that are essential for maintaining living organisms through their biochemical actions. These nutrients provide energy and allow you to metabolize other substances that are vital. Vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates are examples of organic nutrients, while water and minerals are inorganic nutrients.
Most of the food comes from animals ( beef , pork , fish , etc.) and vegetables ( fruits , vegetables ). There are, however, foods from other sources, such as certain mushrooms ( mushrooms , gyrgolas ).

Taboo foods are known as those that are not considered acceptable for consumption, whether for cultural or religious reasons. Beef is taboo by the Hindus, while pork is a taboo food for the Jews.
Food, is a symbolic sense, it can be anything that allows to maintain the existence of something : "Coal is the food of fire" , "I believe that I subsist thanks to faith, which is the food that sustains me every day . "