Food Plants: Types, Significance, Examples

If you have been to a grocery shop, you must have noticed most of the food products directly or indirectly are procured from plants. Plants are the primary source of food that nourishes and keeps the human body healthy. Food plants are those plants that produce food in different forms. Even the sweets in a sweet shop or a cake are made of food from plants.

Even processed food like chips, biscuits, noodles, pizzas, etc. that we use in our day-to-day life comes from plants. The spices and condiments used for seasoning and adding flavour to the food also come from plants. In this article, we will provide detailed information on food plants. Scroll down to learn more!

What are Food Plants?

Food plants are those plants that produce food that we consume in our daily life.  Many food products that we eat are derived from the stems, leaves, and roots, and other parts of different plants or trees.

Fig: Food from plants

Classification of Food Plants

The classification of food plants is mentioned below:

1. Vegetables: These are the most common food that we get from plants. These are a rich source of nutrients. Some of the common vegetables are tomato, beetroot, potato, spinach, and cauliflower. The roots, leaves, and stems of many plants are used as vegetables and are edible.

A. Roots: Roots of many plants are used as vegetables—for example, carrot, radish, beetroot, turnip, etc.

Fig: Root Vegetables

B. Leaves: Leaves of many plants are used as vegetables in day-to-day life for eating—for example, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, etc.

Fig: Leaf Vegetables

C. Stems: Stems of many plants are used as vegetables—for example, potato, ginger, mushroom etc. An onion is a modified stem bulb that is used as a vegetable. It is called spring onion at a younger age, and the upper part of the spring onion, which is above the soil and looks like leaves, is also edible.

Fig: Stem Vegetables

D. Flower: There are some flowers which are also eaten as vegetables—for example, broccoli, cauliflower.

Fig: Flower Vegetables

2. Fruits: These are the healthy food products that we get from plants. These are full of nutrients and taste. They are considered beneficial for the human body; that is why it is said, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Examples of fruits are apples, mangoes, bananas, guava, grapes, pomegranate, etc.

     Fig: Fruits

3. Cereals: Cereals are a good source of dietary protein, iron, vitamin, carbohydrates and minerals. They provide energy, so humans use them regularly as food. Examples of cereals are rice, wheat, jowar, maize, barley, etc.

Fig: Cereals

4. Pulses: Pulses are a rich source of proteins that we get from plants. Few examples of pulses are lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, etc.

Fig: Pulses

5. Beverages: In India, the morning starts with tea or coffee. They are also produced by plants. In general, tea and coffee are consumed as a drink. Tea and coffee are mainly grown in the eastern and southern parts of India, respectively.

Fig: Tea and Coffee

6. Sugar: Sugar which is used as a sweetener in many foods is produced from sugarcane plants.

Fig: Sugar

7. Oil: Some seeds and leaves are used to extract oils. Some examples of oil-producing plants are castor, mustard, and sunflower.

Fig: Oil

8. Spices: These are used in cooking for seasoning and to add flavour to the cooked items. Examples of spices are mentioned below:

Fig: Spices

Importance of Food Plants

Food plants have several uses in our day-to-day life. The importance of food plants is mentioned below:
1. Vegetables and fruits are full of nutrients and used as typical food from plants.
2. Food plants are used to make many edible items that humans consume.
3. Packed food like chips, noodles, etc., are made from food plants.
4. Spices are used for seasoning and flavouring cooked food.
5. Oil extracted from plant seeds and leaves is used in cooking.
6. Cereals are a common form of food that humans, as well as animals, use.
7. Food plants provide food for animals and birds.
8. Food plants help in the economic growth of the country.
9. Farmers grow food plants like vegetables, cereals, fruits, etc., for their livelihood.
10. Many food plants have medicinal uses.

Summary

A healthy body needs a balanced diet. Food from plants is a good source of nutrients and includes carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats. They are essential for the human body to stay healthy and in perfect working condition. It is always advised to take vegetables and fruits daily as they are rich in nutrients. Human beings use many food products produced by plants like vegetables, fruits, cereals, oil, etc., including stems, leaves of some plants.

Food plants are also an essential source of food for animals. We take food from plants directly or indirectly. The primary food produced by plants are potatoes, tomatoes, apples, oranges, rice, wheat, edible oil, spices, etc. 

FAQs on Food Plants

Q.1. What are food plants?
Ans: Plants that provide food are known as food plants.

Q.2. Give two examples of a stem of a plant used as food?
Ans: The two examples of a stem of a plant used as food are potatoes and mushrooms.

Q.3. Write three good sources of protein by plants?
Ans: The three good sources of protein by plants are chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans.

Q.4. Which plant gives us sugar?
Ans: Sugarcane gives us sugar.

Q.5. Give three examples of cereals?
Ans: Rice, wheat and barley are the three examples of cereals.

Practice Questions On Food Chain Here

We hope this detailed article on Food Plants helps you in your preparation. If you get stuck do let us know in the comments section below and we will get back to you at the earliest.