Introduction
Food can be defined as anything that is eaten by living things to sustain their lives. Food is composed of many components, including; proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats, and minerals salts. Food is consumed to provide nutritional support in the body of living organisms. The origin of food may be either from plant sources or animal sources. When food is consumed by living organisms, it is digested by the body of the organism and serves to sustain the organism. Digestion of the food taken is followed by food assimilation within the body of living things. Assimilated food within the living organism serves to stimulate growth, maintain growth, and produce energy within the body of the organism.
Earlier on in life, food would be acquired through hunting and, at other times, through gathering. This was during the old age, and the two methods were cumbersome and needed a lot of commitment. Innovations have made the process of acquiring foods easy. Today, food is supplied by food industries in various sectors of different economies. Food production and provision has been taken up by multinational corporations that employ industrial agriculture and intensive farming in their operations. The development above has resulted in massive food production within the economies of various countries. In addition to this, food safety has been the foundation of production processes. All food processing industries work under the umbrella of food safety aspects. Food safety has been integrated into food processing and is monitored by agencies such as the Food and Agricultural Organization, the World Food Program, and the International Food Information Council. Some of the issues addressed by these bodies include; access to food, nutritional economics, population growth water supply, and sustainability. Some of the developments that relate to food include the establishment of The International Covenant on Economics, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) that has formulated human rights related to humans. For instance, the body above stipulates that human beings have a right to be free from hunger. Moreover, the same body stipulates that access to the right food is a human right.
Issues that related to the best food for consumption have raised concern recently among different societies of the world. People would want foods that suit their needs or concerns as they carry out their normal activities. Therefore, aspects relating to the best foods for consumption have been approached with care and given proper attention. This write up gives an account of best foods for human consumption and their components. Bellow is an evaluation of food components that must be found within a balanced diet meal; best food for consumption.
Vitamins
Vitamins would be among the components that a healthy body requires in its physiological processes. Fruits are the main sources of natural vitamins in many diets presented to people. Two fruits have been identified to the best sources of vitamins that are required by human beings. Watermelons have been compared to giants in the provision of vitamins to the body of human beings. For instance, one standard serving of melon has about a third of the daily requirements for vitamin A and C. Watermelons are locally available in different countries, and research has confirmed that they have a small carbon footprint. Therefore, it requires a person to take about two cups of watermelon to get the required content of vitamins in a day. The other fruits in the category above are mangoes which are the chief sources of vitamin C and A. It has been confirmed that mangoes are the least fruits affected by pesticides, and this makes them the safest among all fruits. For instance, a cup of mango provides the body with about 100% of the day’s vitamin C requirements. In addition to this, the same cup would provide about 33% of the body’s vitamin C in a day. Other foods that would be a reliable sources of vitamins include; leafy vegetables, broccoli and sweet potatoes.
Proteins
Proteins are also known as body building foods, and they come from two sources; animal sources and plant sources. Beans, peas, ground nuts and green grams have been found to contain proteins that would serve as body building foods in human beings. The above products are gotten from mature plants and would require storage after they have been harvested. On the other hand, animal sources encompass various types of meats that come from animals. In the category above, there are red meats and white meats. White meats come from animals such rabbits and chicken. White meats would also be obtained from fish and birds like chicken and turkey. The major sources of red meats include cows, sheep and goats. Red meats have been associated with cholesterol related illnesses while white meats are regarded as the best sources of proteins. Therefore, white meats would be a better source of proteins in human food than red meats. The consumption of red meats should be lower than that of white meats for healthy eating. The other source of protein is milk that comes from animals such as cows, sheep, horses and even goats. Research has shown that milk is among the best sources of proteins available for consumption.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are foods that give energy to the body by providing accessible sugars such as glucose and maltose. After consumption of foods containing starch, assimilation occurs and in the process energy is produced. In this category, foods containing starch are regarded as being the best in providing the required energy. Here, foods include; cereals, roots and grains. For instance, cassava is a root that has been found to have high levels of starch. Rice would also serve to provide carbohydrates in appreciable amounts.
Fats
There are two types of fats that would be gotten from the food consumed by human beings during meals. The fats above are in the form of fatty acids, which are saturated or unsaturated, depending on their structure. Best foods would be those that are cooked using liquid oils because such oils contain unsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand, solid cooking oils should not be used in cooking because they may be unhealthy to people. The other source of fatty acids is fish which give omega-3 fatty acids that would reduce risks associated with cardiovascular disease.
Dietary Minerals
Dietary minerals are inorganic compounds that are required by living organisms. They include; iodine, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, calcium, sodium and potassium. The minerals above are required for body processes such as bone and teeth formation. At the same time, others such as sodium are required for body ion balance. Others are required to catalyze some reactions and processes within the body. The above mentioned minerals would be gotten from foods such as soybeans, milk, fish, sea vegetables, spinach, pumpkins, tomatoes, olives, grains, sweet potatoes and even table salt which contain sodium.
The best food would be that food that contains all food components that are needed by the body in sufficient amounts. Therefore, a balanced diet is required, and it would be composed of proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates in adequate amounts. The guidelines relating to food servings should be followed so that a balanced diet is taken by human beings. Apart from having carbohydrates, proteins, minerals salts, fats and other components in the required amounts, best food should also contain dietary fiber and water. Water will serve to maintain body balance and facilitate various reactions within the body. Therefore, any food would be the best food so long as it is balanced; is a balanced diet.