HOW FOODS ARE CLASSIFIED: THE 7 GROUPS - NUTRITION - 2025

The foods are classified into 7 groups, which if consumed responsibly, provide the nutrients for a healthy and balanced diet. This classification is made according to the nutrient composition of each food. Thus, for example, there are foods with an energy function, which are those that are considered a source of calories and that contain carbohydrates or lipids.

Meanwhile, proteins have the task of helping in the construction of structures, they are known as plastic foods. In turn, regulatory foods are those that control metabolism systems, these are rich in vitamins or minerals.

Among the energetic ones are fats, nuts, cereals, and egg yolk. Plastics include legumes, egg whites, meat, milk and fish. The regulators include fruits, vegetables and eggs.

In this way, food is divided into seven groups according to the function of the predominant nutrient that exists in it. It is possible to present these groups through colors and diagrams in order to achieve a better understanding; This is how the most important function can be distinguished. Pyramid-shaped charts are also common.

The yellow color is intended to represent energy foods, the red color is used for plastic foods, the green color differentiates the regulatory foods and for its part, the orange color is for mixed foods.

Food classification: The 7 groups

1- Milk and its derivatives

The first group of foods includes milk and products that can be derived from it, such as cheese and yogurt, that is, dairy products.

These are foods that are part of the plastics category, since they will be responsible for forming tissues. For this reason, we find a significant amount of protein in them.

In the case of milk, we find that it contains important characteristics in terms of nutrients that are present in it. In addition, when we talk about it, we refer to the main food that mammals receive at birth and during the first stage of their life.

It is, without a doubt, a transcendental food whose composition, for the most part, is water. It is a food rich in vitamin A and minerals such as calcium. Its main nutrients are carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

For their part, yogurt and cheese are derived from milk and also belong to the first food group. The achievement of yogurt is possible when we add ferments that will degrade lactose. Cheese, meanwhile, will be obtained by coagulating the milk and separating the whey.

In this case, it is a food with great nutritional value and with a greater contribution of calories when compared to milk, since cheese, being more concentrated, will provide a considerable amount of fat.

In this first group it is possible to find other foods such as butter, which can be obtained when the cream of the milk is whipped. Its composition, for the most part, is fat. Here we can also find ice creams, as its ingredients are, in most cases, milk, butter, cream and sugar.

2- Meats, fish and eggs

Iron is a tertiary bioelement present in red meat.

In the second group of the food classification are meats, which are classified within plastic foods. Meats are rich in protein, vitamins and also minerals.

According to the type of meat that is consumed, the amount of fat contained will depend. Its proportion will depend on the type of preparation that is made.

It is considered that the meat of poultry, that of cattle and that of pig cattle have the same amount of protein, but they differ in the proportion of fat, with pork, duck and lamb being those that contain more fat and those with the least amount of fat are skinless chicken, beef cattle and rabbit.

The egg, which also belongs to this group, is a food very rich in protein, which we find in the white. Meanwhile, the yolk is rich in fat, iron and vitamins.

Fish, for their part, have great protein value. Its skeleton provides great calcium content. Oily or fatty fish contain omega 3 acids, which work as cardioprotectors.

3-

The foods of this group fulfill the plastic and energetic function. They fulfill the energy function, since they provide energy thanks to carbohydrates. For their part, legumes are responsible for providing plant proteins. Meanwhile, nuts provide fatty acids.

4- Vegetables and vegetables

These foods fulfill the regulatory function. These are plants that can be consumed raw or after proper preparation. Its main characteristic is that they contain vegetable fiber and that they do not provide many calories. On the contrary, they are rich in vitamins and minerals.

5- The fruits

They also fulfill the regulatory function of group 4 vegetables. Fruits contain fructose, sucrose and glucose. However, its caloric amounts are low.

6- Bread, pasta, cereals, sugar and sweets

This type of food fulfills the energy function. They are responsible for providing calories from your carbohydrates. Cereals with rice, corn, wheat, rye, oats, sorghum. They are also a source of minerals and, through a series of transformations, it is possible to obtain flour.

Bread, for its part, provides carbohydrates and to a lesser extent proteins. Sugar is possible through sugar cane or beets. There is a high calorie index in it.

7- Fats, oil and butter

This type of food has an energy function. Here we find those foods that generate a symptom of satiety after eating food and slow digestion. Fats can be of vegetable or animal origin.

References

1. Educational Portal connecting neurons. Food groups and the importance of a good diet for man. (2006) Chile. Recovered from portaleducativo.net.
2. Moreno Moraga, Dr. Javier. The seven food groups: classification. Recovered from infonutricion.com.
3. Virgin active. Sport Nutrition. The 7 food groups. Recovered from virginactive.es.