Exploring the staple foods that nourish us. Vocabulary in this post staple noun /ˈsteɪ.pəl/ A town containing merchants who have exclusive right, under royal authority, to purchase or produce certain goods for export; also, the body of such merchants seen as a group. Examples: "The London Company was a staple in the early English trading system. " grain noun /ɡɹeɪn/ The harvested seeds of various grass food crops eg: wheat, corn, barley. Examples: "We stored a thousand tons of grain for the winter." rice noun /ɹaɪs/ The seeds of this plant used as food. Examples: "My mother cooked rice for dinner tonight. " carbohydrate noun /kɑːbəʊˈhaɪdɹeɪt/ /kɑːɹboʊˈhaɪdɹeɪt/ (nutrition) A sugar, starch, or cellulose that is a food source of energy for an animal or plant. Examples: "These microbes are primarily responsible for breaking down cellulose and other carbohydrates into volatile fatty acids (VFAs)." processed adjective /ˈprɑˌsɛst/ /ˈproʊˌsɛst/ Modified through manufacture such as refinement or food processing. Examples: "Processed foods are of dubious nutritional value." cultivate verb /ˈkʌltɪveɪt/ To grow plants, notably crops Examples: "Most farmers in this region cultivate maize." harvest noun /ˈhaːvəst/ /ˈhɑː(ɹ)vəst/ /ˈhɑɹ.vəst/ The process of gathering the ripened crop; harvesting. Examples: "The farmer's harvest was plentiful this year, so he had plenty of corn for the winter. " nutrient noun /ˈnjuː.tɹi.ənt/ /ˈnuː.tɹi.ənt/ A source of nourishment, such as food, that can be metabolized by an organism to give energy and build tissue. Examples: "Vegetables are a good source of nutrients for a healthy diet. " fiber noun /ˈfaɪ.bə/ /ˈfaɪ.bɚ/ Dietary fiber. Examples: "Fresh vegetables are a good source of fiber" variety noun /vəˈɹaɪ.ɪ.ti/ A number of different things. Examples: "The school cafeteria offers a variety of foods for lunch. " energy noun /ˈɛnəd͡ʒi/ /ˈɛnɚd͡ʒi/ The capacity to do work. Examples: "The children needed lots of energy to play all day at the park. "
