FOOD GROUPS • All of us eat different types of food everyday. There may be rice, vegetables,milk, curd and fruit. • We already know that all of these food items provide us nutrients, required by our body for energy, body building, repair of tissues and protection from diseases. • Can you list the various nutrients in our food? • you are aware that these are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. • it is necessary to select different food items so that our body gets all the nutrients it requires to remain healthy. • You must be wondering what a healthy meal is. • How can we make the right selection of food in our meals? • In this unit, you will learn that selection of right food which makes a balanced meal, results in good health. • Based performed by various types of food items available, they can be broadly divided into • three groups as presented in table on the functions that are

• There are several types of food items and each type can not be studied individually. • Therefore, they have been categorized into different food groups. • This grouping has been done on the basis of the nutrient content of each food. • Let’s learn about various food groups The five food group system

• All cereals like rice, wheat, maize etc. give the same nutrients that is carbohydrates, proteins, vitamin B, iron and fibre, • whereas all pulses contain proteins carbohydrates and vitamins. • Similarly fruits and vegetables give vitamins and minerals • while milk, egg and meat products are comparable in terms of their nutrient content. • Therefore, if we substitute one food for the other in the same group, we will get almost the same nutrients. • So it will be beneficial if we learn more about each food group.

CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOD GROUPS

• Cereals • Cereals like rice, wheat and maize form the main component of our diet. • As they are consumed in large quantities, they become the main source of energy in our diet. • Whole cereals and grains contain considerable amount of fiber which, though not a nutrient, has a great importance in maintaining a healthy digestive system. • In addition to this, fibre plays a crucial role in preventing several lifestyle diseases. • You will learn about them later. • We should eat cereals in the unrefined form to get sufficient amount of fibre. • Cereals are also rich in vitamin B complex. • . • This gets lost when cereals are refined, polished rice. • So our diet should have whole wheat flour instead of maida and home pounded or parboiled rice instead of polished rice. • brown rice should also be included in our meals • most of us always eat cereals along with pulses, curd, milk, meat and vegetables. • For example, rice with beans , ugali with kales or milk. • Can you guess why?. • because when cereals are combined with pulses or vegetables, the nutritive quality of our meal improves Pulses and legumes

• Pulses and legumes like beans, lentils, , green gram are the major source of protein in kenyan diets especially for vegetarians. • They have a appreciable amount of vitamin B, calcium and iron. • You have already learnt that protein quality of pulses can be improved by combining them with cereals. • Vegetarians should be careful in including both pulses and cereals in every meal to obtain optimum quality of protein. • Soya nuggets can be added for variety in the food Milk, egg and meat products

• All of us know that milk is considered to be the best and complete food for small children. Do you know why? • because it is a rich source of protein, fat, vitamin A and calcium. • Cheese and ghee also contain all the nutrients but skimmed milk contains very little fat

• You must have seen that while making cheese we drain away the water and hence water soluble nutrients are also drained off. • Therefore, cheese and paneer have mainly protein as a nutrient. • Remember this water can be used in kneading dough for chapati. • Eggs are a rich source of almost all nutrients except vitamin C. • Eggs contain proteins of excellent quality therefore they are specifically recommended for growing children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. • Meat products include meat, chicken and fish. They are a rich source of high quality • protein, vitamin A and vitamin B. As you know that a large percentage of population • in India is vegetarian, it is advisable that they consume a combination of cereals, • pulses and milk products. This combination is comparable with animal foods in • terms of protein quality. • Many of our traditional food combinations such as khichri, • dal-rice, dal-roti, idli-sambar, dosa-sambar along with curd and butter milk are • excellent examples of high protein quality meals. We must continue to value these • traditional food combinations and avoid junk food. Fruits and Vegetables

• Fruits: Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are rich in vitamin C. • guava are cheap and good sources of this vitamin. • Yellow fruits like mango, papaya contain carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body. • We all know that vitamin A is very important for our eyes. • Banana is a good source of vit B6, potassium and carbohydrates. • All fruits contain plenty of fibre, which helps in bowel movement. • Dried fruits like raisins, figs, walnuts and almonds are rich in fats, iron, calcium and fibre. • Locally available fruits should be preferred by us as they are fresh and economical. • Green leafy vegetables: Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, soya,amaranth and are rich in carotene, calcium, iron and vitamin C. These • are abundantly available in rural areas. • We can easily grow them in our kitchen garden. • It is very important to include them in our daily meal Others Vegetables

Potato, sweet potato, turnip, raddish and carrots are some examples of roots and tubers. • These vegetables are a good source of carbohydrates. • We all know that potato is considered to be the master of all vegetables. • It is added in most of the vegetables. • Do you know that potato also contains vitamin C along with carbohydrates? • carrots, Carrots are rich in carotene and provide colour and taste to a meal. • You must have eaten sweet and tasty dishes made from carrots.. Examples? • Other vegetables like ladys finger, beans, brinjal, gourds, tomato, cauliflower and capsicum provide variety, taste, colour along with fibre to the daily meals. • Some vegetables also contain an appreciable amount of vitamin C and minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, sodium and potassium Nutrients in Red Fruits and Vegetables Include: • Lycopene, ellagic acid, Quercetin, and Hesperidin, to name a few.  These nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer,  lower blood pressure reduce tumor growth and LDL cholesterol levels  scavenge harmful free-radicals, and support join tissue in arthritis cases.

Types of Red Fruits & Vegetables Include: • Beets, Blood oranges, Cherries, Cranberries, Guava, Papaya, Pink grapefruit, Pink/Red grapefruit, Pomegranates, Radicchio, Radishes, Raspberries, Red apples, Red bell peppers Red chili peppers, Red grapes, Red onions, Red pears, Red peppers, Red potatoes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Watermelon.

Nutrients in Orange and Yellow Fruit and Vegetables Include: • Beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. • These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, • fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones. Types of Yellow and Orange Fruits & Vegetables Include: • Apricots, Butternut squash, Cantaloupe, Cape Gooseberries, Carrots, Golden kiwifruit, Grapefruit, Lemon, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Papayas, Peaches, Persimmons, Pineapples, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Sweet corn, Sweet potatoes, Tangerines, Yellow apples, Yellow beets, Yellow figs, Yellow pears, Yellow peppers, Yellow potatoes, Yellow summer squash, Yellow tomatoes, Yellow watermelon, and Yellow winter squash.

Nutrients in Green Vegetables and Fruit Include: • Chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. The nutrients found in these vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

Types of Green Fruits & Vegetables Include: • Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocados, Broccoflower, Broccoli, Broccoli rabe, Brussel sprouts, Celery, Chayote squash, Chinese cabbage, Cucumbers, Endive, Green apples, Green beans, Green cabbage, Green grapes, Green onion, Green pears, Green peppers, Honeydew, Kiwifruit, Leafy greens, Leeks, Lettuce, Limes, Okra, Peas, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sugar snap peas, Watercress, and Zucchini. Nutrients in Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables Include: • Lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Similar to the previous nutrients, these nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, act as an anticarcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells.

Types of Blue and Purple Fruits & Vegetables Include: • Black currants, Black salsify, Blackberries, Blueberries, Dried plums, Eggplant, Elderberries, Grapes, Plums, Pomegranates, Prunes, Purple Belgian endive, Purple Potatoes Purple asparagus, Purple cabbage, Purple carrots, Purple figs, Purple grapes, Purple peppers, and Raisins. Nutrients in White fruits and Vegetables Include • Beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.

Types of White Fruits & Vegetables Include: • Bananas, Brown pears, Cauliflower, Dates, Garlic, Ginger, Mushrooms onions,, Potatoes, Shallots, Turnips, White Corn, White nectarines, and White peaches.

Fats and sugar

• Butter, ghee, oils like mustard oil, groundnut oil, coconut oil and soya oil are the common • types of fats consumed in India. Fats are a concentrated source of energy. Some amount • of fat is needed in daily diet because they supply essential fatty acids. Besides this, some • vitamins like A, D, E and K are fat soluble and important for our body. • Sugar, jaggery and honey are sweetening agents and provide carbohydrates to the body. • Do you know that jaggery is better than sugar? Jaggery contains iron which is important for formation of Red Blood Cells (RBC) in our body. • We should try to avoid excessive consumption of sugar or jaggery in our daily diet. • Why? Extra sugar eaten by us gets converted into fat and gets accumulated in the body and makes us obese.