CLASSES OF FOOD

 Food can be classified into 6 classes namely:
1. Carbohydrate
2. Protein
3. Fat and oil
4. Mineral
5. Vitamin and
6. Water
   A balanced diet should contain at least 60-70% calories of carbohydrate, 20-25%  calories of fat and 10-12% of protein.
                    CARBONHYDRATE
 It is one of the 6 classes of food and it is essential for man. It is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with the general formula CX(H2O)y. It forms a large percentage of human diet (60-70%). It provides energy for various activities and also aids growth. However, too much of it should not be taken in a day because it may lead to nutritional deficiency.
 Sources of carbohydrate include
  Rice
  Bread
  Millet
  Wheat
  Barley
  Oat
  Yam
   Cassava etc
 
  Having known this, it is best if we keep our diet balanced by planning our meals accurately.

Classes of food: protein

                                           PROTEIN
 Protein is another class of food that is considered important for human health. It is derived from complex chains of amino acid. We have essential and non essential amino acid.  Essential amino acids are amino acids(protein)  that we need in our body since they are not present in our body. Example of essential amino acid is methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, lysine etc.
   Non essential amino acids on the other hand are the ones that are not needed by the body since they are already been synthesized by the body.  Example of non essential amino acids are glutamic acid, alanine, serine, etc.
Protein requirement should be 0.8g/kg daily.


                     PROTEIN SOURCES

1. Meat
2. Egg
3. Fish
4. Bean
5. Groundnut
6. Milk etc
             
          FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN
1.  they help in the building up of the body
2. They help in formation of supportive and protective structures of the body e.g hairs and nails
3. They help in the structure, formation and functioning of tissues and organs of the body
4. They help in the formation of enzymes ( all proteins are enzymes but not all enzymes are protein)
5. They help in the formation of the red blood cell (hemoglobin)
6. They serve as important sources for growth

           Protein is needed for balancing our diets daily and so must be included into the meal that are planned in other to leave a healthy and active life. 

               

                    DEFINITION OF FOOD

Food can be defined as any substance that is taken in to provide nutritional support. It is good to know that food is one of the basic need man and without it we may not survive...
   Also eating a well balanced meal is also vital for the human health. Example someone eating a starchy food (bread) in the morning, afternoon and night may end up having nutritional deficiency which may cause his/her body's immunity to breakdown leading to the prevalance of diseases. It is therefore important that we don't only eat, but as well we must make sure that we prepare a well balanced diet in order for us to live healthy and strong.
   We will talk more on the classes of food.