Food: Where Does It Come From?
• We eat different kinds of food at differenttimes.
• In the morning, we include milk, bread, fruit etc. in ourbreakfast.
• We include chapati, dal, sabji, rice and salad in our lunch anddinner.
• Each time we eat different food items which contain differentingredients.
• We get our food from plants andanimals.
Plant Parts: Sources of Food
• Some plants have more than two edibleparts:
• All plants are not edible. Some plants may be poisonous and hence not fit foreating.
• When the seeds begin to grow, they develop tiny roots and are calledsprouts.
• Sprouts are rich in vitamin A, B andC.
• FigurePlant-parts-as-food.
Animal Products: Sources of Food
• Following is the list of food products which we obtain fromanimals:
• Honeybees collect nectar from flowers and convert it intohoney.
• Bees store honey in beehives calledhoneycombs.
• Honey is collected fromhoneycombs.
What Do Animals Eat?
• Animals cannot produce their own food. So, they depend on plants and other
animals to obtain their food.
• Based on eating habits, animals can be divided into threecategories:
Special characteristics of Herbivores
• Herbivores like a cow, horse, and goat have wide, blunt teeth which are suitable for pulling
plants off the ground and grinding them.
• Herbivores like cow and camel have the ability to bring back previously swallowed food to the
mouth for chewing it the second time. This helps them to absorb most of the nutrients from
hard-to-digest food like grass.
• Squirrels have a pair of broad, sharp-edged front teeth (incisors) in each jaw They use these
teeth to gnaw food items like nuts.
• Butterfly and hummingbird do not need to worry about chewing their food. They have mouth
parts shaped like a straw to suck nectar from flowers.
Special Characteristics of Carnivores
• The diet of carnivores is rich in fats and proteins
• Carnivores animals like lion and tiger have sharp and pointed front teeth (canines).
They also have sharp claws and powerful jaws which help them to tear flesh.
• Carnivorous birds like eagle have curved, pointed beaks that allow them to tear flesh.
• Carnivores like chameleon and frog have a long, sticky tongue that they use to catch insects.
• Carnivorous fish like a shark has several small, sharp teeth that help them bite off chunks of flesh.
• Carnivores such as snakes swallow their prey( prey are animal that is hunted or killed for food) whole.
Special Characteristics of Omnivores
• Omnivores like a bear and human beings have different types of teeth that help them to eat both
plants and the flesh of other animals.
• Omnivorous birds like crow have a sharp and pointed beak to help them eat a
• variety of food.
Why do we need Food
• We know that all living things be it plants, and animals need food and water to live on.
• We need food because food gives us energy.
• The food we eat gives our body essential nutrients to help us grow and heal when we are injured or are ill.
• Thus, food keeps us healthy and provides us with essential nutrients to fight diseases and maintain body functions.
• Food is a substance eaten by us to do work, growth, maintain our body and remain healthy.
• Food Definition: It refers to the edible substances consumed by humans and other animals in order to obtain
energy for various tasks as well as growth and development.
• We must NEVER WASTE food in any way.
• We must consume food four times a day to remain healthy -> Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Snacks, Dinner.
Importance Of Food
• The importance of food for living organisms is as follows:
(a) It helps in the growth of living organisms.
(b) It also helps to repair and replace damaged parts of the body.
(c) This provides the energy required for various activities.
(d) It provides protection from infections and various diseases.
(e) It helps in the overall growth and development of an organism.
• We must eat different kinds of food at different times for proper Nutrition.
• Different people eat different types of food according to their habits, lifestyle, taste, region,
religion, availability and various other factors.
• Even in a single-family different people have different choices of food.
What are ingredients?
• Food Ingredients are the materials required to prepare the dish we consume as food.
• Food Ingredients can be obtained from plant sources and animal sources.
• To prepare food we need different kinds of ingredients For example - To cook vegetable curry
we need different types of vegetables, salt, spices oil and so on. Another example is To prepare
vegetable curry, we need different kinds of vegetables, salt, spices, oil.
• Food is prepared using various
Ingredients of food.
• The table given below shows some food items and major ingredients used to prepare them
Scavengers and Decomposers:
• Scavengers are birds and animals which eat the flesh of other dead animals. Eg: Vulture.
• Decomposers are organisms that feed on and destroy (or decompose) dead plants and animals.
E.g.: Fungi and bacteria
• Both scavengers and decomposers play a very important role in cleaning the environment. Without them,
our planet would be covered with dead plants and animals.
