Health is a matter which affects not only each one of us as individuals but also the community in which we live. Good health is a vital part of the great experience of living. Today, steady progress is being made in the fields of education, medicine and surgery as well as public health. Attempts are being made to give everyone a fair chance to lead a healthier and fuller life. Food is one of the effective factors towards maintaining optimum positive health. Lack of proper food causes nutrient deficiency diseases.
Hence, as ‘health is wealth’, all aspects included in food and nutrition are realistic in their values in our day today life. By reading food and nutrition we come to know about the daily balanced diet which is to be taken by the individual. Having knowledge of balanced diet is must for an individual for a healthy living.
Disease is a part and parcel of everyone’s life. Hence we come to know about the various diets which are to be given to the persons who are diseased such that their recovery is fast and they can attain momentum back towards their healthy life.
Having knowledge about food preservation leads towards a healthy living and less spoilage and wastage of foods.
Studying food and nutrition makes us aware about different cooking methods to be used such that the nutrients are retained in the food from cooking till consumption.
We learn about different methods of processing food like refrigeration, dehydration, canning, pasteurization, cold storage and freezing etc, such that good quality of food is maintained.
AS ‘healthy mind resides in a healthy body’, we come to know about various combination methods to be used while cooking, what are the recommended dietary allowances for various nutrients to be taken by the individual when he is healthy and when in a disease state; we come to know about quality control of food so that we can eat healthy.
Various food adulterants present in food are taught so that we can shun away the hazardous effects of adulterated foods.
It tells us how to prepare nutrient dense diet and low cost recepies.
We come to know about various aspects of keeping food in hygienic conditions.
Various institutes running like hospitals, canteens, cafeterias, hotels, also associate with nutrition, food safety, quality and purity such that they can gain customer satisfaction and profit.
Once Mahatma Gandhi told- The first thing to realize one’s limitations. It should be obvious that the moment once transgresses those limits one falls ill. Thus a balanced diet, eaten in accordance with needs gives one freedom from disease. How is one to know what is is the proper diet for one? The purpose of all this is that everyone should be his own doctor and find out his limitations. 