Food is a basic unit of life and is the source of energy and nutrients for all organisms. It can come from plants, animals or other organic materials. The main sources of food are fats, proteins and carbohydrates. These substances are used by the body to generate energy and build body tissues.
Choosing the right foods for your diet can help you stay healthy and protect against chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a balanced diet means eating a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups daily, in the recommended amounts, to get enough of the nutrients you need. It is also important to eat less saturated fat, salt and added sugars.
Processed foods are often high in salt and sugar, so you should limit them to a few times a week. These include fast foods, chips, cookies and frozen pizzas.
Real foods are those that are as close to their natural state as possible, including fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains and lean meats. They may be less convenient than processed foods, but they are healthier and taste better.
You can choose from a wide range of fruits and vegetables that have been cooked in different ways, such as stir-fried, baked or roasted. Vegetables and fruit are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, so it is important to eat at least five portions of these each day. You can also buy low-fat, unflavoured versions of these dishes to reduce the amount of fat and salt you are consuming.
The smell of food can be very strong and is often a good indicator of the taste and texture. To describe the smell of your dish, try words like acrid, sour, sweet, pungent, fragrant, briny, citrusy, fermented, heady, honeyed, minty, peppery, nutty or smoky.
If you don’t have time to cook, it’s a good idea to stock up on staples such as rice, pasta and bread when they are at their cheapest, and freeze them for when you’re short of time or need to make a quick meal. You can also buy tinned vegetables that you can use in different recipes.
When writing about food, try to write as if you’re tasting it, rather than reading about it. This will help you convey your experience of eating, and it will give your readers a more vivid picture of the dish.
Food writers should avoid using too many adjectives and descriptors, as this can be confusing or overwhelming for readers. This is especially true for complex dishes. If you want to emphasize a particular feature of your dish, use fewer descriptors.
Words for the flavor of food are also useful: these describe rich, spicy, or savory flavors. These words include ambrosial, bittersweet, bright, fresh, fruity, honeyed, minty, nectarous, saccharine, sharp-tasting and zesty.
The most important thing to remember when writing about food is to write with passion and enjoy it. Food is an extremely important part of our lives and we should all be able to appreciate it.