Food Materials and Sources: Importance, Components and Habits

Food materials are essential for all living beings. Plants prepare their own food materials by photosynthesis using sunlight and store it in their special organs as fruits, tubers, seeds, etc. Animals and humans depend on this stored food of plants. Large animals depend on other small animals for their food materials. Humans too depend on animals for their food.

Key Takeaways: Food materials, Food source, Fruits, Carnivores and Omnivores

---

Importance of Food Materials

Given below are the reasons why food materials are important to all living beings:

• Food materials are sources of energy.
• Food materials are required for growth.
• Food materials maintain good health.
• Food materials are required for proper body functions.
• Food materials are essential to healing wounds.

Component of Food Materials

There are seven essential components in our food materials:

1. Carbohydrates
2. Mineral salts
3. Fats
4. Vitamins
5. Proteins
6. Water
7. Fibre

Also Read:

---

Food Sources

Food materials can be obtained from both plants and animals and they act as a food source. Different plants and animals provide different parts to all living beings as food materials.

Food Materials from Plants

Plant food materials are the types of food that we obtain from plants. Green herbs, shrubs, plants, and trees are the primary source of food. We get vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, spices, nuts, oils etc from plants.

Food Materials from Plants

Edible Parts of the Plant

Almost every part of the plants such as leaves, stems, roots, fruits, and seeds are edible.

1. Roots: Plant roots can be eaten in the form of carrot, turnip, radish and beetroot.
2. Stem: We eat stems of many plants as in sugarcane, coriander. Potatoes are one form of stem tube. We eat underground stems in the form of ginger.
3. Leaves: Mainly green leaves are the source of food materials for many animals. Some leaves that humans eat are spinach, cabbage, curry leaves etc. Onion too is a form of a leaf that is underground.
4. Flowers: Flowers of pumpkin, cauliflower are edible. Some types of roses are also eaten too.
5. Fruits: Fruits are of special interest to humans. Fruits can be fleshy or dry. e.g., mango, apple, guava, orange, pear, grapes, banana etc. Almonds, cashew nuts are taken as nuts.

Some fruits are eaten as vegetables. Brinjal, tomato, lady’s finger, beans, bottle gourd, snake gourd, bitter gourd etc are some examples.

6. Seeds: Grains, pulses and oilseeds are examples of edible seeds.

• Grains: Rice, wheat, jowar, maize, ragi etc. Pulses: grams, peas, beans etc. 
• Oilseeds: sesame, mustard, coconut, sunflower seed etc.

Food Materials from Animals

Food and food materials from animals are of various kinds like milk, eggs, poultry, meat, honey etc. Animals in turn get their food from plants or other animals. Poultry farms are used to rear fowls for their eggs and meat.

Dairy farms are the places where buffaloes, goats, cows, sheep, pigs etc are reared. Humans rear these animals for their milk and meat. Milk is obtained to prepare dairy products.

Aquaculture is rearing of fish, crabs, lobsters etc. Fish provide us with their meat. Fish can be marine or freshwater.

Food Materials from Animal

Edible Animal Materials

1. Milk: Animals like cows, buffaloes, goats, camels provide us with milk which is rich in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
2. Eggs: Eggs are known for being a rich source of proteins obtained from birds like hens, ducks etc.
3. Meat: Animal flesh is called meat. We get meat from hens, ducks, sheep, goats, pigs, cows etc.
4. Seafood: Fish, prawns, crabs’ meat is taken as food.
5. Honey: This is obtained from honey bees.
6. Dairy products: The products which can be made from milk after processing are called dairy products which includes paneer, cheese, cream, butter, curd, ghee etc.

Laboratory grown Food Materials

Food developed in laboratory but are with the same texture and experience of the foods these are intended to mimic. They can be produced directly from animal cells or via microorganisms by using cell culture and biotechnology techniques. Example- Lab-grown meat.

Laboratory grown Food

---

Food Habits in Human Beings

Humans, based on the type of food materials they eat can be grouped into two groups: vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

1. Vegetarians: Humans who depend on plants and plant products for their food materials. The vegetarian diet includes only pulses, grains, cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
2. Non-vegetarians: Individuals who depend on animals and animal products for their food materials. Non-vegetarian diets have eggs, meat, fish, poultry products, etc in it.

Also Read:

---

Animals and their Food Materials

Based on food materials animals eat, animals can be grouped into groups namely, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and decomposers.

1. Herbivores: Animals which only take plants as their food are called herbivores. They are also called grass-eating animals. E.g. Cow, buffalo, sheep, etc.
2. Carnivores: Animals that eat only other small animals as food are called carnivores. These animals are also called flesh-eating animals. E.g. Tigers, jackals, vultures etc.
3. Omnivores: Animals that eat both plants and animals as their food are called omnivores. E.g. Human beings, bears, crows etc.
4. Decomposers: Organisms that depend on dead plants, animals and rotten materials for their food are called decomposers. Eg- worms

Also Read: Food Chains

---

Things to Remember

• There is a variety of food materials eaten in different regions of India and the world.
• The main sources of food materials for humans are plants and animals.
• Animals that take only plants as their food are called herbivores.
• Animals that eat only animals as their food are called carnivores or predators.
• Animals that take both plants and animals as food material are called omnivores.

---