nutrition

Our bodies get the energy and nourishment they need from our daily diet. Not having enough of the right food, or eating too much of the wrong food causes ill-health. Many people in developed countries are overweight because they take little exercise, and eat too much fatty food, which makes them unfit, and often unhealthy. Anything humans can digest counts as food. Worldwide diets vary widely.

Food habits are influenced by availability, climate, and religious, moral, or social factors. A daily diet should include staple energy-giving carbohydrates, such as rice or pasta, plus proteins such as beans, peas, eggs, meat. The diet should also have fats, vitamins (fruits, vegetables), and minerals (milk and milk products). Sugars and honey sweetens food. Spices and herbs add flavor to a meal. Nuts and seeds can be pressed to make oils. Fats and oils store energy. In reality, poverty or warfare make this impossible in many places. Many countries have a distinctive cooking style, which reflects the eating habits of its people, and the ingredients available locally. There are many cooking methods, such as simmering food in water which heats it to just under low temperature, grilling or frying in oil heats food to a much high temperature, cooking it faster.

In many industrialized nations, cooking is a hobby, as well as a necessary task. Today, there is concern about the chemicals in food, and many people choose an organic diet. Many foods are indigestible without processing. Grating, pressing and heating the roots removes the deadly cyanide present in the food. Although some foods, such as salad vegetables and fruit, are delicious when raw, many foods need to be cooked first. Cooking makes food tastier and easier to digest. Cooking root vegetables, makes their starch grains absorb water, swell and burst, that releases essential nutrients.

How To Preserve Food

Preserving food is a fun and economical way to enjoy good food long after harvest season is finished. There is some basic knowledge required to help in understanding the process of preserving methods and to make preserving food safe. The key to enjoying preserved foods is to start with high quality, fresh products. Preserving food allows it to be stored for use later, that reduces the risk of shortages and prolongs availability.

Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with low quality preparation and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. Fast food is food that is mass prepared and served quickly in takeaway outlets.