Staple Foods

Nutrition 3102 Unit 2

“Staple”

Staple Foods Grocery staples

Staple Foods• Grown in suitable

ecosystem

• Used in multiple dishes

• Eaten daily in most homes

Wheat

Wheat is eaten in many forms

Wheat germ

bran

Bulgar salad

Couscous & vegetables

pasta

Wheat is…

• A staple food in North America, Europe, and northern Asia

• Nutritious• Easily stored and transported• Eaten cooked in various forms, or ground into

flour to make a variety of foods. Its protein (gluten) allows it to hold a firm structure for bread or pasta.

Corn

Corn-growing regions

Staple food regions

Corn is eaten in various forms

Cooked kernals

Ground corn can be made into various kinds of porridge, or baked unleavened or leavened

Corn is…

• A staple in Central and South America, and parts of Africa

• Grown for livestock feed and commercial uses more than for human food

• Less nutritious than wheat• Edible raw, cooked, or dried and ground into

cornmeal.

Rice

But…

Rice is normally eaten as a grain, with the outer covering (bran) removed

Not from same plant!

Rice is…

• A staple in Southern and Eastern Asia• Less nutritious than most other grain staples• Less processed than most other grains, and

used in fewer forms.

Millet

Millet is not edible raw, but can be used in sweet or savoury dishes.

Breakfast porridge: Africa

Millet puffs: JapanPancakes with chilies and onions: India

Soup: India

Millet is…

• Grown in central Africa and India• Able to survive drought and poor soil• Nutritious and easy to store and transport• Usually eaten as a kind of porridge or stew.

Potatoes

Potato production

Potato consumption

Although potatoes are eaten often, they are less of a staple food than in the past.

Sweet potatoes and yams are actually different plants than potatoes.

Potatoes…

• Are popular in North America, and Europe• Are nutritious and easy to grow• Are harder to transport and store than grains• Can’t be used in as many ways as grains