Food Stapels

Food staple

A food that makes up the dominant part of a population's diet, supplying a major proportion of a person's energy and nutritional needs.

Inexpensive

Most food staples are inexpensive, plant-based foods that are usually full of calories for energy.

Cereal grains

Common food staples that include varieties of rice, corn, and wheat.

Tubers

Underground plant structures, such as potatoes and cassava, that are important food staples.

Nutritional needs

The full, healthy range of nutrients required by a person, which staple foods alone do not provide.

Consumption

The act of eating or using food, which can vary based on regional food sources and traditions.

Malnutrition

A condition resulting from a diet lacking in essential nutrients, which can occur when relying solely on staple foods.

Quinoa

A grain-like plant native to the Andes Mountains that has become popular in regions where it traditionally does not grow.

Rice

A staple food for over 3.5 billion people worldwide, particularly in Asia, cultivated for thousands of years.

Corn (maize)

A widely grown crop native to Central America, important for many food products and the source of many staples in the Americas.

Wheat

A reliable and versatile staple food first domesticated in the Middle East, key to the development of agriculture.

Roots and tubers

Common food staples in tropical regions, including yams, cassava, and taro.

Beer

An ancient beverage created from malt, which is made by germinating and drying wheat.

Maasai

A group in Kenya and Tanzania traditionally reliant on cattle for their diet, with a significant emphasis on milk and meat.

Tortilla crisis

A situation stemming from rising corn prices in Mexico that affected access to corn-based tortillas, a major food staple.

Goddess of Grain

Ceres, the Roman goddess regarded as the protector of grain, from whom the term 'cereal' is derived.