Food is any material food is consumed to supply the body with nutrition. The types of food that one eats are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, or some combination thereof. Most people think of food as having a definite taste or smell. This is only because our taste buds detect the presence of food. A more complex classification of foods is described by the functional groupings of amino acids, which include all of the building blocks of protein. The classification of foods is further divided into vegetable and animal food.

Vegetable food normally provides energy but is not digested and does not provide nutrients. Animal food is eaten to satisfy hunger, which it does by providing nutrients. Fruit and vegetables are examples of animal food, although milk and dairy products, nuts and grains are examples of vegetable food as well. Food that is eaten in combinations is called superfoods, because they are capable of supplying the body with more than the individual can consume in a single serving.

Unprocessed food contains nutrients and is generally good for you, but there is a big difference between what is good for you and what is actually good for you. The majority of health problems begin with the consumption of processed food. You may get some benefit from unprocessed food, but it is very difficult to get all of the nutrients that are properly derived from unprocessed food. Processed foods often lack the most important nutrients and leave you with a poor nutritional diet.