Importance of Food and Sustenance by People around the World on World Food Day

World Food Day, October 16, 2020

All around the world, 16 October is celebrated as world food day and the reason behind this celebration is to celebrate the launch of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The main purpose or principle behind the formation of the UN’s food and agriculture department is to maintain food security all over the world and to make sure that nobody is left hungry. Several organizations such as these have been working for a long time to ensure the eradication of food scarcity. This is the 21^st century now and humans are developing at a fast rate, but ironically a large part of society is still in poverty and are living their life in the most adverse conditions that a human being can face. 

The purpose of celebrating the world food day is to make sure that every mouth in this world is being well fed. Every year this organization comes up with the themes which are to be followed by everyone. So, this year’s theme is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together”, which focuses on the unity of humans and how we all should come forward to fight this war. Covid-19 has also affected this year’s economy and so there has been an increase in a lot of people losing their jobs and all the means to survive. So, in this case, we should all unite and help all those in need. Especially in developing countries, the situation has worsened and the chances of food scarcity have increased. Eating healthy is the birthright of every human being on this planet and we must ensure that this right is given to everyone.

Evolution of Food and Human Food Habits 

It is a well-known fact that early humans were dependent on raw meat, wild plants, fruits, roots, and insects, etc. After the fire was discovered, cooked food became the most important invention of all times and after that, the eating habits of humans changed. Now cooked meat was preferred by everyone, sometime later, the early humans learned to farm and started sowing their crops. This is when humans started living in societies together and their food habits changed with time. The evolution of food habits, however, was different for people living in different geographical locations. 

The tribal of Bolivia usually get most of their food from rivers, forests, trees, and fields in the forests. The Hadza tribe of Tanzania are the world’s last full-time hunters and gatherers and they feed on anything that they can find, for eg: honey, plants, berries, and baobab fruits. Similarly, people from Greenland survived mostly on an animal based diet, Bajau of Malaysia feed on Aquatic animals. Crete is the largest Greek island and the people from this area feed on a variety of foods that they produce in their farms and sea. 

Importance of Balanced Nutrition

A human body needs a good amount of calories and other nutrients to function properly. All these nutrients and calories are provided to our body through the food that we intake. So, it is very important to consume our daily food and retain the proper amount of calories, fruits, veggies, whole grains, and nuts are the best source of proper nutritious food. Daily Calorie requirement is different for males and females, a minimum of 1500 calories is required daily for any human being. Therefore, a balanced diet is very important for the functioning of the human body and the deficiency of it will make your immune system weak. 

Different Cuisines & their Healthiness Score

Around all parts of the world, different cultures have different cuisines and the health level of these cuisines is very different, so below we will check out some of the healthiest cuisines all around the world. 

• Greek: According to the research, Greeks have a higher life expectancy and lower risk of heart diseases. The reason is their nutrition-rich diet and healthy cuisines. Their food has lots of olive oil which is high in MUFA & PUFA, fruits, yoghurt, vegetables, garlic, tomatoes, nuts and less amount of meat. 
• Japanese: Japanese food contains a high amount of seafood and fresh vegetables. Japanese people are known to have the highest life span in the world. Their food preparation technique is to lightly steam or quick stir-fry the food that they eat. 
• Indian: Indian food is known to be very spicy and tasty at the same time, but that doesn’t mean it is not healthy. Most of the Indian dishes are vegetarian and have high amounts of antioxidants. 
• Mexican: The traditional Mexican food is very healthy, Beans are commonly used in most of the Mexican dishes and is considered as one of the healthiest foods. 
• Thai: Thai food has a lot of variety and is not much dependent on fats and meats. Like Indians, they use a lot of spices in their food, ingredients like turmeric, coriander, lemongrass, and chilli peppers. 

What Should a Healthy Plate Contain & In What Proportion

A healthy eating plate should contain all the important nutrients and calories. Proper concentration of Vegetables, Fruits, Whole Grains, Healthy Proteins, Water, and Healthy oils makes a healthy plate and is considered a proper healthy diet. The quantity of all these food items is given below. Vegetables and Fruits should cover at least half of your plate and include a variety of vegetables including green vegetables, do not include potatoes in vegetables.

Whole grains should cover at least 1/4^th of your plate. Whole wheat, barley, wheat berries, oats, and brown rice should be included in our diet. 

Protein is one of the most important healthy components in our food and including protein-rich food such as Fish, Poultry, beans, and nuts will make you healthy and increase the growth and development of our body and 1/4^th of it should be the part of our diet. 

Healthy oils such as olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, and peanut should be used in moderate quantities, Avoid oils that contain unhealthy trans-fats. 

Stay hydrated and drink lots and lots of water, limit the sugar drinks and milk products up to one or two times a day. To stay healthy and fit, exercise regularly, and stay active.

Written By: Swapnil Bisht
Swapnil believes words are souveniers. Grumpy when woken from a slumber. Can be found quoting Bob Dylan or feeding dogs.