Food from Plants: Sources, Parts of Plants We Eat and Examples

Plants are one of the main sources of food for all living beings. We eat many plant-based foods every day, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, nuts, and spices. Different parts of a plant provide different types of food that help us stay healthy and energetic.

In this concept, students will learn about food obtained from plants, how plants are essential sources of various food items, the edible parts of plants, and why plants are important for our daily diet.

Table of Contents

• What is Food
• Did You Know
• Plants as a Source of Food
• Different Types of Food from Plants
• Importance of Food from Plants
• Frequently Asked Questions on Food from Plants

What is Food

Food is essential for every living being. It provides energy to work, play, and grow. Eating a balanced and healthy diet also helps protect our body from diseases.

Something that gives us energy is called food. In simple words,

“Food is any substance that provides our body with energy and nutrients. It helps us grow, stay healthy, repair our body, and perform daily activities.”

Food is necessary for the growth and development of our bodies. Eating healthy food keeps us away from diseases.

Did You Know?

Humans use more than 2,000 types of plants to prepare food in different parts of the world. There are around 80,000 types of edible plants available around the world. Tea and coffee plants can produce leaves and beans for many years and do not need to be planted every year.

Plants as a Source of Food

Plants are the primary source of food on Earth. Some foods are eaten directly from plants, while others are prepared after processing plant products. Plants also provide food for animals, making them the foundation of the food chain.

Do you know? Plants are green in colour because of the presence of chlorophyll.

Plants make their own food through photosynthesis in the presence of chlorophyll, sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. For this reason, plants are called ultimate producers.

The food we consume comes from plants either directly or indirectly. The food that we eat is either raw or processed.

We get food from plants in the form of fruits, stems, leaves, seeds, and roots.

Different Types of Food from Plants

Different parts of plants are used as food. Some plants provide seeds, while others provide fruits, leaves, roots, or stems that we eat every day.

Cereals and Pulses

Cereals and pulses make the major portion of our food. They are cooked before eating. Cereals and pulses are obtained from different plants. They are the seeds of plants.

Common cereals include wheat and rice, while common pulses include moong, masoor, tuar, and chana. 

Fruits

Plants provide us with a variety of fruits. Fruits are essential for us as they provide vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

Common fruits obtained from plants include apple, mango, orange, grapes, watermelon, and muskmelon.

Edible Leaves

Many plants have edible leaves. These leaves can be either consumed raw or after cooking.

Some plants with edible leaves are mint, spinach, coriander, fenugreek, lettuce, and cabbage. 

Herbs from Plants

Herbs are the leaves and stems of plants used as medicine and a flavouring substance.

Some herbs obtained from plants are lemongrass, thyme, mint, basil, and oregano. 

Other Food Items from Plants

Apart from fruits, plants give us edible roots, leaves, stems, and seeds. These are directly consumed or are processed to form different food items.

The sugar we eat is prepared using the juice obtained from the stem of sugarcane.

Importance of Food from Plants

Plant-based foods are rich in nutrients that help us stay healthy. They provide carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and proteins that our body needs for growth and development.

Plants also provide food for animals, making them one of the most important sources of food for all living beings.

Plants are one of the most important sources of food. Different parts of plants, such as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, provide us with nutritious food. Knowing where our food comes from helps us appreciate the importance of plants in our daily lives.