Foods are any substance eaten to give nutrition to an organism to sustain life. Most of what we eat comes from plants, animals or fungus, and consists of nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, or other elements which are needed to maintain health. The human body also requires a variety of substances in order to maintain bodily functions, develop and build. There is an enormous amount of data concerning the foods that are required for good health, but how do we know what those are?
Basically, food is made up of molecules containing atoms and molecules that have a nucleus (which forms the nucleus of the atom). The food molecules may contain one or many amino acids or may be composed of multiple ones. Amino acids are present in various combinations in different foods, ranging from completely natural sources (like protein-rich vegetables and fruits) to man-made processed foods. The food that we consume contains these different sets of amino acids in varying proportions, depending on where the food is grown, how it is processed and whether it is cooked or not.
The nutrient content of the food is also important. For example, in order to get the proper amounts of calcium, people need to eat different foods than those that help them maintain strong bones. While there are some plant-based foods that are high in calcium, dairy products, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, soy products, and others must be included in the diet for proper levels of calcium. In addition to protein sources, most people need calories, which come from fat and carbohydrates. Although some foods that contain relatively few calories are better for health than others, there are no foods that can be considered absolutely essential for everybody’s well-being that are called absolutely “nutritional” foods.