What Are The Healthy Food Groups?The importance of food in maintaining good health cannot be stressed enough. Right from their earliest days, kids are made to realize the important connection between health and food. But what exactly is a health food? Come to think of it, a diet for good health is something quite ambiguous, since every dietitian will give a totally different menu chart for diet food. This is why we must know about how the food federations of the world have classified foods. Currently, all foods have been classified into four main food groups. These are known as the nutrient food groups. These four food groups are the grains, fruits and vegetables, meat products and dairy products. Each of them has their own values in terms of nutrition to the human body. Grains are the primary food group for the simple reason that the volume of grain foods consumed in any diet is more compared to any of the food groups. This food group contains all grains and their products. That means, it will contain food grains such as rice, wheat, barley, oats, sorghum, maize, etc. and will also contain all their products such as tortillas, bread, pizzas, cooked rice, etc. You can very well imagine the immense number of foods that are listed under this category. Grains are mostly carbohydrate foods, which are needed by the body mainly for supply of energy. These are the foods that provide us with the energy necessary for our day-to-day activities. Grains also contain a high content of vitamins and minerals necessary for the fortification of our bodies. The next in the healthy food groups are the vegetables and the fruits. Both these foods qualify as the most nutritional food groups among all the four. They are extremely rich in vitamins and minerals. Leafy vegetables contain a high amount of vitamin C, an essential component for the proper functioning of the body. Vegetables like carrots are rich in vitamin A. Fruits are very good in minerals and in sugars which are carbohydrates. However, keeping health concerns in mind, it is important to avoid very sweet fruits. It is better to stick to low carbohydrate foods to avoid problems such as diabetes mellitus. Both fruits and vegetables form a very important portion of any prescribed diet for good health. Meat products are all flesh foods rolled into one food group. These foods are very rich in protein content, which is vital for the building of cells and tissues in the human body. Without proteins, there cannot be any repair of worn-out cells and the body will be unable to grow. White meats are preferable to red meats, which can cause cholesterol build-ups for one, causing cardiovascular problems in the long run. Milk and its products is the fourth of the healthy food groups. Milk is also an extremely rich protein source, and is the main source of protein for people who do not consume flesh foods. Milk is also fortified with several vitamins that are vital for the proper metabolism of the human body. However, milk has become a controversial food in recent times, because the high lactose content in it does not exactly qualify it into the category of low carbohydrate foods. Do not be surprised if you hear of 5 basic food groups. In recent times, a fifth food group has been added, and that is the oils and fats. Fats are vital to the body, because they can provide a great deal of energy and warmth inside the body, insulate the body by making a layer of fat under the skin and are important for the metabolism of essential fatty acids. Only some fats cause cholesterol buildup, and those are specifically avoided in making a chart for diet for good health. |