Let’s continue with the above three food variety examples:

1. Cornflakes and milk
2. Cheese sandwich
3. Omelette

You already know where cornflakes and milk come from. But you should also know that your mom or dad may have added some sugar into your bowl to make it taste sweet. In that case, sugar is another food ingredient. It comes from sugarcane, which is a plant. Like sugarcane, there are several food types, such as spinach, tomatoes, and black pepper, that originate from plants. This makes plant parts as foods an integral part of what humans consume.

Almonds, as you can guess, come from plants. Almonds grow on trees and are found inside the almond fruit in the form of a seed. Cornflakes also come from plants (corn), but they go through several processes before they reach your plate (in the form of flakes). Therefore, we can call cornflakes a food variety. On the other hand, if you had an omelette this morning, you can guess that its main ingredient (eggs) came from an animal: a hen.

Take the second example. A cheese sandwich is made up of multiple ingredients: cheese, bread, tomatoes, onions, spices, butter/oil, etc. All of these are different food ingredients, and they come from different sources. If cheese is processed from milk, which comes from an animal (a cow or a buffalo), bread is made out of wheat, which comes from the wheat plant.

A combination of all these foods allows us to have a food variety, which provides different flavours and tastes. When the above ingredients come together, you get a delicious cheese sandwich. Do note that both plant parts as food and animal products are used in a cheese sandwich. The same is true for cornflakes and milk and an omelette.

Everything that you use to make different types and varieties of food is called food materials. The sources of these materials are known as food sources. There are two main types of food sources:

1. Plants
2. Animals

Have you ever seen paddy fields along the roads when you are travelling to a village? Those are crops like wheat and rice, which are sown by farmers. These crops grow and provide us with essential food materials like rice and wheat granules. These are then cleaned and processed for us to eat.

For example, idli, a staple food in South India, is made from rice, urad dal, salt, and water. This makes it a food product made from plant sources. Both rice and urad dal are produced by plants.

Therefore, both plants and animals give us different types of food materials.

Plant parts as food are widely used for human consumption. Various parts of plants such as fruits, flowers, leaves, branches, and even seeds can be used as food ingredients. For example, mustard plants have two uses. Its seeds are used to create mustard oil, and its leaves are used as a vegetable. Similarly, different plants have different uses.

Animals such as cows, goats, hens, and buffaloes provide us with different types of food. Milk and milk-based products like butter and cheese are widely used in different types of foods. This way, one or more parts of a plant or an animal can be used as food.

But what do animals eat, you may ask? Herbivorous and domesticated animals like cows and goats feed on plants, grass, and tree leaves.

Food comes from plants and animals, which provide us many food ingredients and materials. Humans use these materials to create food products for consumption. Different types of food have different nutritional values. If rice and lentils give you carbohydrates and proteins, eggs and milk give you fat. This is why it is important to consume a blend of food products. Variety in food ensures a balanced diet and gives humans nutrition and strength.

1.   What are the main sources of food (class 6)?

The two main sources of food are plants and animals.

1.   Why does our body need food (class 6th science)?

Our body needs food for energy and nutrition. Without food, our body will lose energy, and we will not be able to execute activities like walking or working.

1.   What is food (class 6th)?

Food is any material or a combination of materials derived from plants and/or animals that provide energy and nutrition to humans. Food is essential for humans to live and procreate.

1.   Why do we cook food? Give 3 reasons.

Food is cooked to make it edible, remove harmful bacteria, and ensure variety.

1.   What are the four sources of food?

The four sources of food can be plants, fruits, animals, and animal-based products like milk.

1.   What are the 7 food types?

The 7 types of food are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, dietary fibre, minerals, vitamins, and water.