Understanding Food Types – A Simple Guide

Food is any material consumed in order to provide nutrition to an organisms, usually for human consumption. Food is generally of animal, plant or fungi origin, and includes necessary nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, sugars, or minerals. In some cases, food can be classified according to the way it is prepared, stored and eaten, which are called nutrition classifications.

Real food may consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, mushrooms, meats, milk, dairy products, and legumes (beans). The term real food may sometimes be used in conjunction with food products manufactured by a company that is not recognized as a food manufacturer, as an indication that the food is processed in another manner than is recognized by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration). In this case, the food would still be classified as real food.

Real food usually contains vitamins, minerals, and some phytochemicals, although some studies indicate that some nutrients may be derived from other sources, and not be absorbed as well by the body as some others. Many vegetables, fruits, and legumes are rich in vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, calcium, potassium, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Milk and some dairy products such as cheese are also considered real foods. Processed food usually contains mostly sugar, salt, artificial flavor, artificial coloring, and artificial sweetener, whereas whole grain foods are usually recommended.