Types of Food and Diets

Food sources are the different kinds of sources that provide food for the survival of animals and human beings. Two major sources of food on planet Earth are plants and animals but these are further categorised to provide a wide variety of food sources that are discussed below:

  • Dairy: Dairy and dairy products are great sources of vitamins and proteins. These products contain a good amount of calcium too which helps in the growth and development of our bones. Today, different types of milk are available: Skimmed, Semi-skimmed and 1% fat milk, all of these provide calcium, vitamins and proteins. Dairy products such as yoghurt or cheese can have high salt or sugar content so always check the labels.
  • Starchy Food: This category includes food such as pasta, bread, rice and potatoes. These foods make up around one-third of all the food we eat and they provide essential fibre, calcium, vitamins, energy and iron. Starchy foods are known to contain lots of calories but did you know that they contain only half the calories as compared to fats.
  • Fruits and vegetables: It is recommended to consume at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. They consist of essential vitamins and minerals which help in preventing lots of diseases and they also provide fibre which lowers cholesterol. These food products have low-fat content and make you feel full for a long time without consuming many calories. 
  • Pulses: Pulses are a great source of protein especially for vegetarians who otherwise do not have as many options as non-vegetarians for protein consumption. Beans, lentils and peas are all included in pulses and are naturally low in fat.
  • Fish: It is a great source of protein, minerals and vitamins. At least two portions of fish are recommended for non-vegetarians for a balanced diet. Fishes like salmon, Mackerel, shellfish, Swordfish are recommended.
  • Poultry: It consists of food products such as chicken, sheep, cattle, goats, turkey, geese meat and eggs. Poultry products are very rich in protein and also contain vitamins and minerals. 
  • Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a type of edible fungus that are low in calories and provide carbohydrates, fat and sodium. They also provide important nutrients such as potassium, selenium, niacin and riboflavin and are cholesterol-free.

People in the earlier times had only two types of diets: vegetarian and non-vegetarian but as the time is progressing, people are becoming more health-conscious and thus you will find the internet flooded with new types of diets every day. Some of them are really beneficial and target particular issues whereas some have remained as a trend only.

Here, we are going to discuss some popular yet beneficial diets:

  • Vegan diet: This has to be the most popular diet that is trending nowadays. This diet is not only proven to have massive health benefits but is environment-friendly. People following a vegan diet can consume only plants and plant products. No kind of animal product is allowed in this diet. The diet has shown improved results in weight loss, heart diseases and diabetes.
  • Paleo-diet: This diet has been popular mainly for weight loss. It focuses on natural eating habits but restricts almost all kinds of sugar intake. The only kind of sugar allowed in this diet is fruit sugar( Natural sugar contained in the fruits). You should understand that abandoning sugar means no processed food or grains and no dairy. This much less content of carbohydrate in the body leads to glucose deficiency and thus the body starts to burn its fat as fuel.
  • Keto-diet: This diet was introduced to treat patients with epilepsy but is now used as a weight-loss diet. It focuses on reducing carb intake and increasing fat intake, thus the body is tricked into burning fat as a fuel due to its high content in the body. Healthy fats are mostly added for the full benefits of this diet such as avocados, seeds, Brazil nuts, coconuts and olive oil.
  • Mediterranean diet: This is a vegetable-heavy diet that cuts down the intake of meat. It is mainly used for heart disease prevention and involves the intake of food that is commonly grown around the Mediterranean region.
  • Gluten-free diet: As the name suggests, this diet involves all the food products except for the sources of gluten such as wheat, barley and rye. This diet was made keeping in mind the people who are gluten intolerant.
  • Raw food diet: Again, as the name suggests, this diet involves only raw, unprocessed and uncooked food items. It is primarily a completely plant-based diet and is an organic diet. Raw foodists fall into four main categories: raw vegetarian, raw vegan and raw omnivores.
  • Pescatarian: This diet has a lot in common with a vegetarian diet but with fish intake. These people eat veggies, seeds, nuts, fruits, whole grains, eggs and dairy. They just stay away from meat and poultry. As long as people avoid fish with high levels of mercury, this diet is really beneficial with high protein content.

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