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	HEALTH FOOD   Staple Foods: Energy Foods Staple foods are cheap sources of energy and are also called energy foods. They are like wood for fires. The harder a person works, the more energy foods he needs. Our diet contains a lot of staple foods. But a diet of these foods alone, without the foods in the other three groups, makes our bodies weak. Some examples of staple foods are: Wheat, rice, oats, maize (corn), ragi (millet) Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, tapioca Starchy fruits: Bananas, bread fruit Foods that give us extra protein Proteins are bodybuilding foods. They are necessary for proper growth, for making healthy muscles, brains and many other parts of our body Staple foods contain only half of the protein that our bodies need. To be healthy our diet should contain at least one food from this group Some examples of foods containing proteins are: Pulses, Peas, beans, soybeans, nuts, peanuts (groundnuts) Dark green leafy vegetables Animal products like: Milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, meat, fish Foods that give us extra energy Fats and sugar are concentrated forms of stored energy. Our bodies change fat into sugar when more energy is needed. Always one should have little fat or oil with each meal. Some examples of energy foods are: Fats?oil, butter, ghee (clarified butter), meat, fat Fat rich foods: Nuts, oil seeds, paneer (casein) Sugars: White and brown sugar, honey, jaggery (raw sugar) Foods that contain lots of vitamins and minerals Vitamins are protective foods. They help our bodies work properly. We become sick if we do not eat foods with all the necessary vitamins. Some examples of vitamin foods are: Dark green leafy vegetable?spinach, drumstick leaves, amarnath (China Spinach) Dark yellow vegetables?carrots, pumpkin Other vegetables?tomatoes Fruits?papaya, amla (Indian gooseberry), orange, mango, lemon Animal products?meat, eggs, chicken, fish, milk Minerals are needed for making healthy blood and teeth. Some examples of mineral foods are: Millet contains lot of calcium and iron, jaggery (raw sugar) and tamarind contain iron for making healthy blood, dark leafy vegetables contain lots of iron, seaweed for iodine.