Question

Why should a meal have different food items?

Answer 1

Hint: Our meals usually have at least one item made of some kind of grain. Other items could be pulses, dairy products, and meat. It is very essential to have complete nutrient-filled food to live a healthy life. Meals contain some components which give energy and power to our body to do the work.

Complete answer:
- Each dish or food item is usually made up of one or more ingredients. Which we get from plants or animals, these meals contain some components that are needed by our body and are called nutrients. The major nutrients in our food are named as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. The food contains dietary fibers and water which are also needed by our body.
- There are many types of carbohydrates. The main carbohydrates found in our body are in the form of starch and sugars. Carbohydrates mainly provide energy to our body. Fats also give us energy. Fats give much more energy as compared to the same amount of carbohydrates. Foods containing fats and carbohydrates are also called energy giving food. Proteins are needed for the growth and repair of our bodies. Foods containing proteins are often called bodybuilding foods. Vitamins help in protecting our bodies against diseases. Vitamins help in keeping our eye's bones teeth and gums healthy. Vitamins are of different kinds known by different names. Some of these are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and K.
- Thus, a meal needs to have different components to meet the needs of a body to perform all the functions. Hence, it is recommended to always have a balanced diet to meet all the nutrients required for a healthy leaving.

Additional information:
Our body needs all types of vitamins in small quantities. Vitamin A keeps our skin and eyes healthy. Vitamin C helps the body to fight against many diseases. Vitamin D helps our body to use calcium for our bones and teeth. Minerals are needed by our body in small amounts. Each one is essential for the proper growth of the body and to maintain good health. Most of the food items usually have more than one nutrient. Rice has more carbohydrates than other nutrients. Thus we say that rice is a carbohydrate-rich source of food. Along with nutrients our body needs dietary fibers and water. Dietary fibers are also known as roughages. Roughage is mainly provided by plants. Products in our foods. Whole grains, pulses, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables are the main sources of roughage. Roughages does not provide any nutrients to our body. But it is an essential component of food and adds to its bulk. This helps our body get rid of undigested food.

Note:
Essential and non-essential nutrients are the two types of nutrients required by an organism. These nutrients are named based on the requirement of the body. Essential nutrients are those nutrients that our body cannot synthesize and require its uptake in different forms like food, medication, saline, etc. Non-essential nutrients are those which are synthesized within the body and its uptake can be very low in quantity.