Food as energy source, its groups, the content, the variety, the types and more stuff about and fun

Food groups are divided in:

* Cereals, bread and pastas

* Roots and tubers

* Sugars

* Legumes and dry fruits

* Fruits

* Vegetables

* Meats, fish, eggs and other protein sources

* Milk and derivates

* Oils and fats

* Drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic), like: Soft drinks and sport drinks.

* Supplements and spices

They are the base of human feeding. Wheat, rice and maize represent the 3 great cultures of the world. Wheat on the Mediterranean since 10,000 years ago or more, rice in the east -most of all Asian parts - since 5,000 years ago, and maize that represents the New World civilizations since 7,000 years ago.

There are of course some other cereals like: barley, rye, sorghum, oats or millet, but this are bellow the consumption of the others.

Cereals give between 8 and 13 grams of proteins of every 100 grams. 12.1 Wheat, 9 barley, 7 the rice and 13.8 the oat).

The presence of fat is very low; and the energy comes basically from the starches. 331 calories on Wheat, 346 for barley, 362 for maize, 387 for oat and 360 for rice.

In a small poll I made, this are the answers of favourite cereals:

Out of 37 responses:Cereal?

8% Lucky Charms.

11% Raisin Bran.

11% Frosted Flakes. I believe very sweet cereals won if we sum Frosted Flakes with Captain Crunck, Boo Berry, Wheaties and Lucky Charms.

14% Captain Crunch.

3% Boo Berry.

0% Count Chocula.

5% Wheaties.

0% Frosted Mini Wheats.

8% Special K.

11% Kashi.

30% Unable to Answer. (maybe they like other brands).

Most manufactured product from cereal is known as: bread. (I love it when it's just made!!! I can smell one right now!) It is made generally from soft wheat, because the hard meal is used for: Pastas.

Though whole grain cereals contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins and essential fatty acids, the protein they contain has a low biological value because it lacks of some essential aminoacids like lisine. The hard meal used for pastas usually contains more proteins than the one coming from bakery.

SUGARS

This group of food is almost exclusively formed by white sugar or sacarose, honey, syrups, caramel and sweets in general. All of them are simple sugars instead of complex (like the ones present on integral cereals).

Sugar comes from sugarcane. It is normally present in milk products, flours and baked goods.

Any of the refined sugars in the market has a content of 99.5% of simple carbohydrates and gives 375 calories/100 grams. Oh God, we all know sugar is not the most nutrient food, but it certainly makes things tastier don't you think? (It's like in life: for any bitter experience, a little of sweetness and you feel instantly better!).

LEGUMES AND DRY FRUIT

This type of food is one of the most recommended due to its nutritional input, its micronutrient content, fiber and digestibility. That's why some have called them: "The meat of the poor" or "The nuts of the earth".

The association of legumes-cereals has a very good reputation. Most common legumes are: lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, beans or wax beans, green beans, beans, lupins, peanuts and soybeans with a common denominator: high content of protein with a good proportion of essential aminoacids. Wow!! that's a variety! And you probably only know 3-4 of them.

Their content is basically 10% humidity, 60% of carbohydrates, 20% of proteins (in soybean it can reach a 40%), enough fiber (like a 3%), good content of iron, copper, carotenes, thyamin, niacin and they give 350 calories/100 grams.

The dry fruit group is one very heterogeneous and it shares with legumes its high content in proteins and fats, sugars and starches. They contain many minerals and vitamins, their fats include phospholipids and oils and they're high in fatty acids.

The main dry fruits are: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, pecans, walnuts, hemp seeds, pistachios, chestnuts, brazil nuts, Macedonia walnuts and groundnuts.

Other foods in this group are the dehydrated fruits like raisins, figs, dried apricots and dates, whose content is almost sugar and fiber. And finally, some seeds like: sesame, rich in essential fatty acids. I'm starting to dream about that wonderful fruit cake of my Grand Mother with full of these fruits. Delicious!!!

VEGETABLES

My favorite!!!

A group with alot of variety and of impair composition, all from vegetal origin, and divided in two groups: Green vegetables like lettuce, spinach and cabbage; and the rest of veggies, must of them roots like carrots and radish; bulbs such as garlic and onion; fruits such as pumpkin, eggplant and cucumber; or thistle stalks like celery, and flowers such as artichoke and cauliflower.

This group also includes algae, mushrooms and big mushrooms. And they combine almost in any salad.

From the nutritional stand point of view, though vegetables contribute with very few energy because they have 80% of water or more, they contain non digestible fiber, carbohydrates, starches (never more than 10%), a few proteins, very low amount of fat, some vitamins, and many minerals, specially calcium and iron.

Mushrooms have a very low nutritional value, and sometimes present problems of digestibility. Some of them are toxic, so, it is important to know them. Fortunately the varieties that you can eat, are those sold in the supermarket!!

FRUITS

Full of color, exquisite flavors, nice smell, easy to get, abundant and atractive are fruits.

This type of food includes: avocados, apricots, cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, raspberries, pomegranates, figs, lemons, oranges, tangerines, apples, mangoes, peaches, berries, melons, pears, bananas, grapefruit, watermelons, tomatoes, grapes. Yes!!! I like to fill my fridge with this!

Their content is poor in energy because they have alot of water. In general, they're low in proteins (3-8%) and only have traces of fat. The energy source comes from carbohydrates, basically glucose, fructose, sacarose and sometimes starch like in bananas, grapes, mangos, kiwis and pears.

Fruits contain fiber 1-3%, some are rich in carotenes, but potasium and vitamin C are what stands above. Many contain organic acids like the citric and the malic, used as an extra energy source by the body.

In a small poll I made, here are the answers I found about fruit consumption:

Out of 37 responses:How many fruits and vegetables you eat on average per day?

11%.- 0.

49%.- 1-3.

24%.- 3-5.

14%.- 5-8.

3%.- 8 or more.

MEATS, FISH, EGGS AND OTHER PROTEIN SOURCES

The basic sources of meat come from raised animals, mainly herbivores -cows, sheep, goats, rabbits, chicken- and some omnivorous like pigs. Other animals are ducks, gooses and geeses. So, you can become an original chef for the weekends grilling a different meat this time!

Meats have the following content: proteins (25% in pig, 30% in chicken, 25% in rabbit), water (50-60%) and fat (between 6-29%). By the way, try not to smoke the meal or grill at high temperature, in that way, you avoid adding carcinogens (possible substances that may trigger the showing up of cancer cells).

Other by products from related with meat are: visceras and offal, fat, skin, etc. And especially the sausages, minced meat and fat.

Most of the fish we consume comes from the sea, though, the extension of aquaculture has brought more variety and availability of this food.

Fish can be divided in 2 conventional groups: a) White fish with 2% of fat like: hake, whiting, chicken, cod, halibut, sea bass; with 3-7% of fat: trout and mackerel and b) Fatty fish (sometimes with more than 20% of fat) like: tuna, beauty, sardine, anchovy, salmon and herring.

Fish provides essential fatty acids, minerals like iodine, calcium and potasium and excellent quality proteins.

Other sources of protein coming from the sea are: crustaceans and molluscs.

Eggs come mainly from chicken. It is a food rich in protein 125 gr/kg, it has excellent quality, fat with its phospholipids and triacylglycerols, essential fatty acids, cholesterol, iron, vitamin A, D, E, biotin and minerals like calcium, sulphur and phosphorus. It gives 160 calories.

Milk and its derivatives are the first food of the newly born, and if coming from the mother known to be a complete food.

Milk contains all essential nutrients: 3.5% of fat, 4.6% of carbohydrates in the form of lactose, excellent quality proteins, 87% of water and 0.14 gr of cholesterol/kg, also it has vitamins like A, B, D, E, nicotinic acid, panthotenic acid, traces of vitamin B12 and minerals like: sodium, calcium, potasium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulphur and chloride.

OILS AND FATS

Fats and oils are the most concentrated energy source between all foods, must of them have one or more liposoluble vitamins.

In general, fats from animal origin tend to be more solid and strong (with a high fusion point) due basically to its saturation than vegetable fats (with the exception of coconut oil).

Unsaturated fats results more digestible, like the ones present in a higher amount in oils like: olive, sunflower, peanut, maize and soyben, which also contain zero cholesterol and are rich in vitamin E.

Margarine is an industrial product that is cheaper than vegetable oils and animal fats, it provides vitamin A and D added in the manufacturing process and presents high amount of hydrogenated fats called Trans fats which are very dangerous.

How to choose healthy foods

Regarding beverages and other supplements and spices, I will dedicate special sections for you to see. Keep track and enjoy the articles here and more coming soon. Our blog will also show some interesting stuff if you like.

In a small poll I made, this were the favourite drinks of people:

Out of 52 responses:Which type of beverage do you prefer the most???

31% Water. (#1)

12% Tea.

15% Coffee. (#3)

21% Soft Drinks. (#2)

4% Sports Drinks.

10% Beer.

2% Other Alcoholic Drinks.

6% Cow milk.

0% Soy milk.

0% Other.

Sports drinks, what they have to offer for you and what you should consider

If preparing a tasteful dining experience is one of your passions, then you have to see this site!

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