Food is a basic necessity of life. Apart from maintaining and replenishing energy in the body, food plays a vital role in showing one’s culture and cuisine. It helps in building a connection among people from various parts of the world. The delicious taste of the foods helps in lightening up our mood, thereby, aiding in regulating happy hormones in the body.
Consuming more nutrition-rich foods and fewer junk foods is one of the most fundamental aspects of healthy eating habits. However, one needs to have a clear understanding of the food categories for ensuring the consumption of a healthy diet. Therefore, we bring to you the main types of foods.
1. Fruits:
The first eatables in our list which are rich in both nutrition and taste are ‘Fruits’. If you have a sweet tooth but want to keep a check on sugar intake, one good option to go for is the fruit section. Most fruits are natural sweeteners, so you can consume fruits without worrying about sugar intake.
Enriched with several vitamins, minerals, and fibers, fruits serve as an important part of a balanced diet. Additionally, they are low in calories as well. It can be eaten raw, blended, cooked, or baked as per one’s preference. Some examples of fruits are Apples, apricots, Pear, Mango, Raspberry, Figs, Dates, Mulberries, etc.
2. Vegetables:
Vegetables are one of the essential foods which should be a compulsory part of our everyday meals. Packed with numerous beneficial nutrients, veggies serve as the primary source of healthy eateries. People usually misconception foods like tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and eggplants to be vegetables. They are fruits which are considered vegetables as of the eating habits.
Having obtained from different parts of the plant, vegetables can be categorized into leafy, bulb, root, podded, and stem vegetables. Leafy vegetables include spinach, coriander, lettuce, cabbage, etc. Some examples of bulbous vegetables are onion, turnip, and garlic. Vegetables like potatoes, ginger, and radish are considered root vegetables. Celery is an example of a stem vegetable.
3. Dairy Products:
The dairy consists of all those products which are made from the milk of animals. Dairy products serve as a good source of calcium, a nutrient responsible for the growth and maintenance of strong bones. It contains proteins and vitamins as well. Depending on the fat content, milk can be categorized into skimmed, semi-skimmed, full-fat, or 1% fat kinds of milk.
Processed, condensed, or raw, milk is used as a central ingredient for numerous global cuisines. Some common examples of dairy products consumed in our daily life are milk, ice cream, paneer, curd, yogurt, butter, and cheese.
4. Meat, Seafood, And Eggs:
These types of foods are rich in proteins, iron, and fat content. Meat contains all the culinary dishes of animal flesh consumed by people around the world. Animals such as sheep, cattle, pigs, and chickens are the most commonly used for extracting flesh. Seafood includes all types of fish, shellfish, and squids. Some examples of sea fishes that are used for making seafood are crab, lobster, octopus, oysters, and prawns. Chicken, Goose, and Duck are the common animals whose eggs are consumed.
5. Cereals, Seeds, And Nuts:
Cereals/Grains such as barley, wheat, rice, millet, oats, rye, and maize contribute to being the most prominent ingredients of major food cultures. Being a good source of carbohydrates, grains provide energy to the body. They comprise breakfast as cornflakes or porridge, lunch as sandwiches, and as rice, and tortillas as dinner foods.
Apart from being pleasing in taste, seeds, and nuts hold a high fiber and Vitamin-E content. Some seeds can be eaten raw while some are roasted and sprinkled to enhance the taste and flavor of dishes. Nuts can be eaten raw, roasted, and used in baking as well. Some examples of nuts and seeds are fennel seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and others.
These are some major types of foods one should know for a healthy consumption of diet. Hope you find it enlightening.
