Food from Plants

Food from Plants for Class 2 Science

The two different sources of food for human beings are plants and animals.

Different parts of a plant are used as food. Plants give us fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, and spices. In this concept, the students will learn how plants are essential sources of various food items.

After reading the concept, students will be able—

• Explain why cereals and pulses form significant portions of our food.
• Mention the parts of plants used as food.
• Give examples of fruit-producing plants.
• Identify the edible parts of plants.
• State the examples of herbs.

Each concept is explained to class 2 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.
Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Food from Plants provided in PDF format.

What is Food?

• Something which gives us energy is called food.
• Food is necessary for the growth and development of our bodies.
• Eating healthy food keeps us away from diseases.

Plants as a Source of Food

• 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 which we eat is either raw or processed.
• We get food from plants in the form of fruits, stems, leaves, seeds, and roots.

Food From Plants:

a)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.

Examples:

b) Fruits:

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

Examples:

c) Edible Leaves:

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

Examples:

d)Herbs from Plants:

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

Examples:

e)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.

Did you know?

• Humans use more than 2000 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.
• One can obtain the products from the coffee and tea farms for a very long time. Unlike other crops, they are not planted every year.