Difference between revisions of "Food"

Revision as of 14:26, 26 February 2013

This is a database of food, which includes all the necessary information to permit automated selection, based on defined criteria, of optimum foods based on locally available resources, such as land surface, soil fertility, availability of water, per person calorie target, etc.

Nutrients

There are several categories of food nutrients. The common ones are water, energy (measured in (kilo)calories or kilojules), carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. The minerals are directly absorbed by the plant from the soil, therefore any minerals a plant has must be present in the soil for the plant to grow. Vitamins are organic compounds that an organism doesn't produce in sufficient quantities and must be ingested; although different organisms have a different set of compounds considered vitamins, any references to Vitamins in this database assume these are for Humans. All foods have some degree (or ratio, per energy output) of carbohydrates, fats and proteins; all fats and protein can be absorbed and digested, and used to produce energy or other metabolic functions; only simple carbohydrates can be absorbed and turned into energy, whilst some complex carbohydrates can be absorbed onced cooked; Humans cannot absorb or use complex carbohydrates like uncooked starches, soluble fibre or celulose for producing energy, however some of these may feed gut bacteria, some of which produces vitamins and other nutrients as by-products.

The nutrient database used by this wiki is sourced, at this time, solely from the USDA publicly available database.

Meals and foodstuff

Several meals and foodstuff are staple foods of many cultures, and desirable for maintaining familiarity with foods. This section describes all these types of food that are prepared by baking or other cooking methods using processed or fractioned foods such as flours, oils, essences, etc.

Plants

Tubers

Tubers are rich in starchy carbohydrates, and usually fast growing. Can be easily grown in greenhouses and vertical farming.

Roots

Roots are rich in sugars and other carbohydrates, and usually fast growing. Can be easily grown in greenhouses and vertical farming.

Squashes

Pulses

Fruit

Greens

Fungi

Animals

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Marine vertebrates

Marine invertebrates

Oysters

Oysters are a source of protein, vitamins and zinc, and are widely considered a delicacy. Their luxurious appeal might improve morale and desirability for the project. They are thought to contain a lot of cholesterol but this is disputed (six medium sized oysters = 57 calories). They contain a lot of salt which can be dangerous to heart patients. They can be grown by setting out seed and then harvesting. Oysters might require a lake. Their shells can be used to improve gardens.

Plants in tropical climates

Sugar palm

Willie Smits talks about sugar palms in this video: http://www.ted.com/talks/willie_smits_restores_a_rainforest.html

Land invertebrates

Agriculture