AL-Ahlya Private

School

2014 2015
The first Semester

Grade: 11_H
Subject: Food
Done By : Kawtar Sahmaoui ,Sara Zain, Eman Gamal
Subject Teacher: Henadi

FOOD
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Food is material that comes from animals or plants. It is eaten

by living things to provide energy and nutrition. Food contains
the nutrition that people need to be healthy. People need to
eat protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to be
healthy. Liquids used for energy and nutrition are often called
"drinks".

Food for humans is mostly made through farming or gardening,

and includes animal and vegetable sources. Some people
refuse to eat food from animal origin, like meat, eggs, and
products with milk in them. Not eating meat is called
vegetarianism. Not eating or using any animal products is called
veganism.

Basic foods consumed by humans

Plant source
Animal source

Fruit

Meat

Vegetables

Eggs

Grains

Dairy products

Seeds

Legumes (Beans,
peas, lentils, etc.)

Herbs

Spices

Food produced by farmers or gardeners can be

transformed by industrial processes (the food industry).
Processed food usually contains several natural
ingredients and food additives (such as preservative,
antioxidants, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, etc.).
At home, food is prepared in the kitchen, by the cook.
The cook sometimes uses a cookbook. Examples of
cooking utensils are pressure cooker, pot, andpan.

Food can also be prepared and served

in restaurants (often workers, or in the evening for
entertainment) or refectory (in particular for kids in
school).
The utensils used may be
a plate, knife, fork, chopsticks, spoon, bowl, or spork.
Most people do not grow their own food, so they have to
buy food that was grown by someone else.
People buy most of their food in stores, shops,
or markets. But some people still grow most or all of their
own food.
People may buy food and take it home to cook it, or buy
food that is ready to eat from a street vendor, or in
a restaurant.

Food-related issues
Food shortage is still a big problem in the world today.
Many people do not have enough money to buy the food
that they need. Bad weather or other problems
sometimes destroy the growing food in one part of the
world. When people do not have enough food, we say
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that they are hungry. If they do not eat enough food for a
long time, they will become sick and die fromstarvation.
In areas where many people do not have enough food,
we say that there is famine there.
Food can make people sick if it is contaminated
by microorganisms, bad metals, or chemicals.
If people do not eat the right foods, they can become
sick. If people do not eat enough protein, they get the
disease called kwashiorkor. If they do not eat
enough vitamin B1 (thiamine), they get the disease
called beriberi. If people eat too much food, they can
become overweight or obese. This is also bad for
people's health.

Food in religions
Many cultures or religions have food taboos. That means
they have rules what people should not eat, or how the
food has to be prepared. Examples of religious food
rules are the Kashrut ofJudaism and the Halal of Islam,
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that say that pig meat cannot be eaten.

In Hinduism, beef is not allowed to be eaten.

Cuisine
Many cultures have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set
of cooking traditions using various spices or a
combination of flavors unique to that culture, which
evolves over time. Other differences include preferences
(hot or cold, spicy, etc.) and practices, the study of which
is known as gastronomy. Many cultures have diversified
their foods by means of preparation, cooking methods,
and manufacturing. This also includes a complex food
trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by
way of food, not just by consumption. Some popular
types of ethnic foods include Italian, French, Japanese,
Chinese, American, Cajun, Thai, African, and Indian
cuisine. Various cultures throughout the world study the
dietary analysis of food habits. While evolutionarily
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speaking, as opposed to culturally, humans are

omnivores, religion and social constructs such as
morality, activism, or environmentalism will often affect
which foods they will consume. Food is eaten and
typically enjoyed through the sense of taste, the
perception of flavor from eating and drinking. Certain
tastes are more enjoyable than others, for evolutionary
purposes.

Nutrition and dietary problems

Between the extremes of optimal health and
death from starvation or malnutrition, there is an
array of disease states that can be caused or
alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies,
excesses, and imbalances in diet can produce
negative impacts on health, which may lead to
various health problems such as scurvy, obesity,
or osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases
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as well as psychological and behavioral problems.

The science of nutrition attempts to understand
how and why specific dietary aspects influence
health.

Nutrients in food are grouped into several

categories. Macronutrients are fat, protein, and
carbohydrates. Micronutrients are the minerals
and vitamins. Additionally, food contains water
and dietary fiber.

As previously discussed, the body is designed by

natural selection to enjoy sweet and fattening
foods for evolutionary diets, ideal for hunters and
gatherers. Thus, sweet and fattening foods in
nature are typically rare and are very pleasurable
to eat. In modern times, with advanced
technology, enjoyable foods are easily available
to consumers. Unfortunately, this promotes
obesity in adults and children alike.

TOPICS:
Food (introduction)
Food Related Issues
Food in Religions
Cuisine
Nutrition and dietary problems

References

Katz, Solomon: The Encyclopaedia of Food and Culture

Mobbs, Michael: Sustainable Food Sydney: New South Publishing, 2012