food chain essay in english

• Biology Article
• Overview of Food Chain

An Overview of Food Chain

Table of Contents

• What is a food chain
• Types of food chain
• Frequently Asked Questions

Food Chain: Introduction

A food chain explains which organism eats another organism in the environment. The food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where nutrients and energy is transferred from one organism to the other. This occurs when one organism consumes another organism. It begins with the producer organism, follows the chain and ends with the decomposer organism. After understanding the food chain, we realise how one organism is dependent upon another organism for survival.

Now, let’s look at the other aspects of a food chain, to get a better understanding.

What is a Food Chain?

A food chain refers to the order of events in an ecosystem, where one living organism eats another organism, and later that organism is consumed by another larger organism. The flow of nutrients and energy from one organism to another at different trophic levels forms a food chain.

The food chain also explains the feeding pattern or relationship between living organisms. Trophic level refers to the sequential stages in a food chain, starting with producers at the bottom, followed by primary, secondary and tertiary consumers. Every level in a food chain is known as a trophic level.

The food chain consists of four major parts, namely:

• The Sun: The sun is the initial source of energy, which provides energy for everything on the planet.
• Producers: The producers in a food chain include all autotrophs such as phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, algae, and green plants. This is the first stage in a food chain. The producers make up the first level of a food chain. The producers utilise the energy from the sun to make food. Producers are also known as autotrophs as they make their own food. Producers are any plant or other organisms that produce their own nutrients through photosynthesis.
• Consumers: Consumers are all organisms that are dependent on plants or other organisms for food. This is the largest part of a food web, as it contains almost all living organisms. It includes herbivores which are animals that eat plants, carnivores which are animals that eat other animals, parasites that live on other organisms by harming them and lastly the scavengers, which are animals that eat dead animals’ carcasses.

Here, herbivores are known as primary consumers and carnivores are secondary consumers. The second trophic level includes organisms that eat producers. Therefore, primary consumers or herbivores are organisms in the second trophic level.

• Decomposers: Decomposers are organisms that get energy from dead or waste organic material. This is the last stage in a food chain. Decomposers are an integral part of a food chain, as they convert organic waste materials into inorganic materials, which enriches the soil or land with nutrients.

Decomposers complete a life cycle. They help in recycling the nutrients as they provide nutrients to soil or oceans, that can be utilised by autotrophs or producers. Thus, starting a whole new food chain.

Several interconnected food chains form a food web. A food web is similar to a food chain but the food web is comparatively larger than a food chain. Occasionally, a single organism is consumed by many predators or it consumes several other organisms. Due to this, many trophic levels get interconnected. The food chain fails to showcase the flow of energy in the right way. But, the food web is able to show the proper representation of energy flow, as it displays the interactions between different organisms.

When there are more cross-interactions between different food chains, the food web gets more complex. This complexity in a food web leads to a more sustainable ecosystem.

Types of Food Chain

There are two types of food chains, namely the detritus food chain and the grazing food chain. Let’s look at them more closely:

• Detritus food chain: The detritus food chain includes different species of organisms and plants like algae, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, mites, insects, worms and so on. The detritus food chain begins with dead organic material. The food energy passes into decomposers and detritivores, which are further eaten by smaller organisms like carnivores. Carnivores, like maggots, become a meal for bigger carnivores like frogs, snakes and so on. Primary consumers like fungi, bacteria, protozoans, and so on are detritivores which feed on detritus.
• Grazing food chain: The grazing food chain is a type of food chain that starts with green plants, passes through herbivores and then to carnivores. In a grazing food chain, energy in the lowest trophic level is acquired from photosynthesis.

In this type of food chain, the first energy transfer is from plants to herbivores. This type of food chain depends on the flow of energy from autotrophs to herbivores. As autotrophs are the base for all ecosystems on Earth, the majority of ecosystems in the environment follow this kind of food chain.

Understanding food chains is vital, as they explain the intimate relationships in an ecosystem. A food chain shows us how every living organism is dependent on other organisms for survival. The food chain explains the path of energy flow inside an ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions on Food Chain

What are the first organisms in a food chain, what is the difference between the food chain and the food web.

A food chain follows a single path, where animals discover food. But a food web shows different paths, where plants and animals are connected. A food web comprises several food chains.

In a food chain, an organism eats a single item, whereas in a food web an organism consumes multiple items. In a food chain, there is a singular path for energy flow and in a food web, there are different paths for energy flow.

What role do humans play in a food chain?

What are animals called in a food chain, what do food chains end with.

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Food Chains and Webs

A food chain outlines who eats whom. A food web is all of the food chains in an ecosystem. Each organism in an ecosystem occupies a specific trophic level or position in the food chain or web. Producers, who make their own food using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, make up the bottom of the trophic pyramid. Primary consumers, mostly herbivores, exist at the next level, and secondary and tertiary consumers, omnivores and carnivores, follow. At the top of the system are the apex predators: animals who have no predators other than humans.

Help your class explore food chains and webs with these resources.

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Food chain: useful essay on food chain (463 words).

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Food Chain: Useful Essay on Food Chain!

In nature, we generally distinguish two general types of food chains: of razing food chain and detritus food chain. The Grazing food chain starts from the living green plants, goes to grazing herbivores (that feed on living plant materials with their predators), and on to carnivores (animal eaters).

Ecosystems with such type of food chain are directly dependent on an influx of solar radiation. This type of chain thus depends on autotrophic energy capture and the movement of this captured energy to herbivores.

Most of the ecosystems in nature follow this type of food chain. From energy standpoint, these chains are very important. The phytoplankton’s – zooplanktons – fish sequence or the grasses – rabbit- fox sequence are the examples of grazing food chain.

The Detritus Food chain goes from dead organic matter into microorganisms and then to organisms feeding on detritus (detritivores) and their predators. Such ecosystems are thus less dependent on direct solar energy. These depend chiefly on the influx of organic matter produced in another system. A good example of a detritus food chain is based on mangrove leaves.

All the animals are detritus consumers. These detritivores are the key group of small animals, comprising only a few species but very large number of individuals. They ingest large amounts of the vascular plant detritus. These animals are in turn eaten by some minnows and small game fish etc. that is the small carnivores, which in turn serve as the main food for larger game fish and fish eating birds which are the large (top) carnivores.

The mangroves considered generally as of less economic value make a substantial contribution to the food chain that supports the fisheries, an important economy in that region. Similarly detritus from sea grasses, salt marsh grasses and seaweeds support fisheries in many estuarine areas.

Thus the detritus food chain ends up in a manner similar to the grazing food chain (big fish eat little fish), but the way in which the two chains begin is quite different. In detritus chain, the detritus consumers, in contrast to grazing herbivores, are a mixed group in terms of trophic levels.

These include herbivores, omnivores and primary carnivores. As a group, the detritus feeders obtain some of their energy directly from plant material, most of it secondarily from microorganisms, and some territorially through carnivores (for example by eating protozoa or other small invertebrates that have fed or bacteria that have digested plant material).

But under natural situations, system must always be self sufficient. In fact this type of food chain (detritus type) is simply a sub-component of another ecosystem. And, the above said two types of food chain in nature are indeed linked together belonging to the same ecosystem.

Related Articles:

• Food Chains: Useful notes on Food Chains (explained with diagram) | Ecology
• Food Chain: Short Notes on Concept and Types of Food Chain

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6.4: Food Chains and Food Webs

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Who eats whom?

Describing the flow of energy within an ecosystem essentially answers this question. To survive, one must eat. Why? To get energy. Food chains and webs describe the transfer of energy within an ecosystem, from one organism to another. In other words, they show who eats whom.

Food Chains and Food Webs

Food chains and food webs are diagrams that represent feeding relationships. Essentially, they show who eats whom. In this way, they model how energy and matter move through ecosystems .

Food Chains

A food chain represents a single pathway by which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem. An example is shown in Figure below . Food chains are generally simpler than what really happens in nature. Most organisms consume—and are consumed by—more than one species.

This food chain includes producers and consumers. How could you add decomposers to the food chain?

A food web represents multiple pathways through which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem. It includes many intersecting food chains. It demonstrates that most organisms eat, and are eaten, by more than one species. Examples are shown in Figures below and below .

Food Web. This food web consists of several different food chains. Which organisms are producers in all of the food chains included in the food web?

Examples of food webs.

• Food chains and food webs are diagrams that represent feeding relationships.
• Food chains and webs model how energy and matter move through ecosystems .
• What is a food chain?
• Describe the role of decomposers in food webs.
• Why is a food web more realistic than a food chain?
• Draw a terrestrial food chain that includes four feeding levels.

Food Chain: Definition, Types, Examples, and Diagram

A food chain is like a line that shows who eats whom in nature, as animals and plants are linked because they eat each other. Food chain, its types and eg. are briefly mentioned in the article below.

Table of Contents

A food chain is a simple way to show the flow of energy in an ecosystem . Each step in the food chain represents an organism that gets its energy by consuming the previous one. A producer traps the solar energy and then provides the basic food or energy for all the other life forms in the ecosystem The consumers or animals derive their energy needs directly or indirectly from the producers (plants).

When these producers and consumers die, the decomposers act on their bodies and return all the various elements back to the soil, air, and water. The decomposers help in recycling the materials in the ecosystem so that the process of life may go on and on like an unending chain. In biology , the study of the food chain in an area or habitat helps us to know various interactions among the different organisms and also explains their interdependence.

Food Chain Definition

Anything that we eat to live is called food. Food contains energy, the food (or energy) can be transferred from one organism to the other organism through the food chains. The starting point of a food chain is a category of organisms called Producers. Producers are, in fact, plants. So, we can say that almost the food chain begins with a green plant (or grass) which is the original source of food. Let us take an example to understand the meaning of the Food Chain.

Suppose there is a field having a lot of green plants (or producers of food). Now, plants can be eaten up by an insect, the insect can be eaten up by a rat. The rat, in turn, can be eaten up by a snake, further, the snakes are eaten up by the birds. And finally, the birds are decomposed by decomposers. So, we find that there is a sequence (or order) in which one organism can eat up the other organism (or consume the other organism) to fulfill its need for food. The Food Chain is the sequence of living organisms in a community in which one organism consumes other organisms (living beings) to transfer food energy. In simple words, A Food Chain is a list of organisms (living organisms) that shows “Who Eats Whom”. 

Some More about the Food Chain

Let us make the food chain more clear with a simple example of a grassland or forest food chain. In a grassland or forest, there is a lot of grass (which is a green plant). This grass is eaten up by various herbivores like deer. And then this deer or herbivore is consumed or eaten up by a lion or other carnivores. This is the simplest example of a forest food chain and it can also be written as:

Grass (producer)  →  Deer (herbivore)  →  Lion (carnivore)

Important Points about the Food Chain

• Food Chain represents a single-directional or unidirectional flow of energy. For example, the above food chain tells us that the transfer of energy takes place from grass to deer and then to lion.
• The food chain can not take place in the reverse direction from lion to deer to grass.
• It is very important to note that each organism occupies a specific position in the food chain. for eg. grass, deer, and lion occupy a specific position in the food chain.
• One organism can occur in more than one food chain. For e.g., in the forest food chain, a deer may be consumed either by a lion, tiger, or jackal.
• In an aquatic food chain the producer is a minute organism called Algae and Protozoa is also a minute herbivore.

Major Parts of the Food Chain

Here we have discussed almost all the major parts of the food chain that help in its proper functioning and energy transportation.

• Sun: The sun is the primary source of energy, driving photosynthesis in plants. This process forms the basis of the food chain, sustaining life by providing essential energy.
• Producers: Mostly producers are plant and blue-green algae. These plants and algae prepare their own food with the help of Photosynthesis, using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. They form the base of the food chain, providing energy to all the other living organisms in an ecosystem.
• Consumers: Consumers are living things that eat other organisms for energy. In nature, they include animals and some plants. They are divided into many categories such as primary consumers (eat plants), secondary consumers (eat other animals), and tertiary consumers (eat other animals).
• Primary Consumers: These are often called herbivores. These organisms directly feed on plants or other producers. They play a very crucial role in transferring energy from plants to higher levels of the food chain.
• Secondary Consumers: Secondary consumers are organisms in a food chain that feed on primary consumers or other herbivores. They occupy the next level of the food chain and play a crucial role in balancing ecosystem populations.
• Tertiary Consumers: These are organisms that are present at the top of the food chain and primarily feed on secondary consumers. They help to regulate the populations of lower tropic levels and also contribute to the proper balance of the ecosystem.
• Decomposers: The decomposers break down organic matter from all tropical levels. Some examples of decomposers include bacteria and fungi.

Examples of Food Chain

In the above food chain, there were three organisms involved: Grass, Deer, and Lion, so it is said to be a food chain having three steps or three links. A grassland or forest consists of many different organisms, so it has many other food chains operating in it which have different numbers of steps. Now let’s have a four-step grassland food chain example. In a grassland ecosystem grass is eaten up by insects; these insects are eaten by the frogs and lastly, these frogs are consumed by the birds. This food chain can be represented as:

Grass → Insects → Frog  → Snake → Bird 

In this grassland food chain grass is a producer, the insects (herbivores) are the primary consumers, the frogs (carnivores) are the secondary consumers, the snakes (carnivores) are the tertiary consumers whereas the birds (top carnivores) are the tertiary consumers.

Now let us take an example of the food chain that is operated in the aquatic ecosystem (water ecosystem) like ponds, lakes, rivers, or seas. In a pond, lake, or sea ecosystem, the algae also known as phytoplankton are eaten up by the protozoa or zooplankton; these protozoa are eaten up by the small fishes and then these small fishes are eaten up by the large fishes. This food chain can be represented as:

Algae (producer) → Protozoa (herbivore) → Small fish (carnivore) → Big fish (top carnivore)

Humans are at the end of most of the food chains in which they occur. But sometimes luck runs out of humans’ hands and they are forced to become food for others. A food chain is a great miracle of God in which ” A Hunter becomes Hunted”.

Types of Food Chains

These food chains are interconnected, which leads to the formation of complex food webs that tell us about the relationship between multiple organisms and their interactions. Food chains are categorized based on the role of organisms in the ecosystem and are named: Detritus Food Chain and Grazing Food Chain. Now let’s discuss them briefly.

Detritus Food Chain

The detritus food chain focuses on the decomposition of organic matter, as it involves organisms that break down and feed on decaying plants, animals, and other organic material. The decomposers such as fungi, and different types of insects are at the base of the detritus food chain. These decomposers help in the breaking of complex organic molecules into simpler substances, and release nitrogen(through the nitrogen cycle ), phosphorus (through the phosphorus cycle ), and carbon (through the carbon cycle ) back into the atmosphere. The detritus food chain is very important for nutrient recycling in the ecosystem. Its main function is to highlight the importance of decomposers in our environment.

Grazing Food Chain

The grazing food chain is also known as the Predator-prey food chain, as it represents the transfer of energy and nutrients through the consumption of living organisms. The grazing food chain explains the relationship between predators and their prey. In the grazing food chain, the chain starts with the producer such as plants which converts sunlight into energy through photosynthesis . And ends with the consumers, these consumers can be further divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers based on their position in the food chain. A grazing food chain helps regulate population size and maintain the balance between different species.

Parasitic Food Chain

Parasitic food chains involve organisms living in or on a host organism and deriving nutrients at the host’s expense . The energy flow starts with the host, which is then consumed by a parasite. The parasite derives its energy and nutrients from the host organism. This type of food chain is common in ecosystems where parasites play a significant role in controlling populations of other organisms.

A very large number of food chains exist in our ecosystem such as a grassland, a forest, a pond, or a crop field. As we already discussed one organism can be present in more than one food chain, these organisms form an interconnection between many food chains. So these interconnected food chains operating in an ecosystem that establish a network of relationships between various species of organisms is known as a food web. This tells us that various food chains in an ecosystem do not operate alone, they operate in the form of a network of food chains called food webs. There may be six, seven, or more food chains operating in a single Food Web .

Trophic Levels

As for now, we all know that the food chain represents the flow of energy or food in a set of organisms. The various steps in a food chain at which the transfer of food or energy takes place are called trophic levels. In fact, in a food chain, each step representing an organism forms a trophic level. In simple words, you can say that the term “trophic level” means the “feeding level” of an organism. Various trophic levels in a food chain can be represented as:

• The plants, are producers or autotrophs and form the first trophic level. They fix up the sun’s energy for the consumers or heterotrophs.
• Herbivores or primary consumers form the second trophic level.
• The carnivores or secondary consumers form the third trophic level.
• And the top carnivores or tertiary consumers constitute the fourth trophic level.

Now let us explain the tropic level with the help of the simple food chain that we have already studied :

Grass    →    Deer   →    Lion

This food chain has three trophic levels. Grass (being producers) present at the first trophic level, deer (being herbivores) represent the second trophic level, and lions (being carnivores) represent the third tropic level.   Let us take another eg. of another food chain that only involves plants and men. This type of food chain has only two trophic levels, with which plants representing the first trophic level and Men representing the second tropical level.

The trophic level in a food chain can also be represented by a pyramid of numbers. It means that if we count the number of species (or organisms) living at each tropic level in a food chain, then we can represent the food chain by a pyramid of numbers.

Ten Percent law

During energy transfer through the trophic levels in an ecosystem, there is a loss of energy. No transfer of energy is 100 percent, as there is a uniform pattern of transfer of energy which is given by the 10 percent law. This 10 percent law was given by Lindeman in the year 1942, the 10 percent law is one of the most useful phenomena which helps us to check the magnitude of the loss of energy in the food chain. According to the 10 Percent Law, only 10 percent of energy entering a particular trophic level of organisms is available for the transfer of energy to the next higher trophic level. We can also say that the energy available at each successive trophic level is 10 percent of the previous level.

For more details, you can also go through our article on Difference Between Food Chain and Food Web

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Food Chain: FAQs

Q1. what is a food chain in simple words.

Ans. A food chain is like a continues chain that shows who eats whom in a simple way.

Q2. What are the two types of food chains?

Ans. The two different types of food chains are: Grazing food chain and Detritus food chain.

Q3. Who gave the 10 Percent Law?

Ans. The 10 Percent Law was given by Raymond Lindeman in 1942.

Q4. What is a food web?

Ans. The food web is like a complex version of food chain, as it interconnects many different food chains together.

Q5. Give an example of aquatic food chain?

Ans. In aquatic food chain the Algae are eaten up by the zooplankton, these zooplankton are eaten up by small fishes then these small fishes are consumed by the large fishes.

Q6. Define Topical Level?

Ans: The tropical level is a region near the equator with warm temperatures, lush vegetation, and high biodiversity, characterized by tropical rainforests and diverse ecosystems.

Q7. Give a most common example of Terrestrial Food Chain?

Ans: The most common example of Terrestrial Food Chain is: Grass (producer)  →  Deer (herbivore)  →  Lion (carnivore)

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Six brilliant student essays on the power of food to spark social change.

Read winning essays from our fall 2018 “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” student writing contest.

For the Fall 2018 student writing competition, “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” we invited students to read the YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,”   by Korsha Wilson and respond to this writing prompt: If you were to host a potluck or dinner to discuss a challenge facing your community or country, what food would you cook? Whom would you invite? On what issue would you deliberate? 

The Winners

From the hundreds of essays written, these six—on anti-Semitism, cultural identity, death row prisoners, coming out as transgender, climate change, and addiction—were chosen as essay winners.  Be sure to read the literary gems and catchy titles that caught our eye.

Middle School Winner: India Brown High School Winner: Grace Williams University Winner: Lillia Borodkin Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Literary Gems Clever Titles

Middle School Winner: India Brown  

A Feast for the Future

Close your eyes and imagine the not too distant future: The Statue of Liberty is up to her knees in water, the streets of lower Manhattan resemble the canals of Venice, and hurricanes arrive in the fall and stay until summer. Now, open your eyes and see the beautiful planet that we will destroy if we do not do something. Now is the time for change. Our future is in our control if we take actions, ranging from small steps, such as not using plastic straws, to large ones, such as reducing fossil fuel consumption and electing leaders who take the problem seriously.

 Hosting a dinner party is an extraordinary way to publicize what is at stake. At my potluck, I would serve linguini with clams. The clams would be sautéed in white wine sauce. The pasta tossed with a light coat of butter and topped with freshly shredded parmesan. I choose this meal because it cannot be made if global warming’s patterns persist. Soon enough, the ocean will be too warm to cultivate clams, vineyards will be too sweltering to grow grapes, and wheat fields will dry out, leaving us without pasta.

I think that giving my guests a delicious meal and then breaking the news to them that its ingredients would be unattainable if Earth continues to get hotter is a creative strategy to initiate action. Plus, on the off chance the conversation gets drastically tense, pasta is a relatively difficult food to throw.

In YES! Magazine’s article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson says “…beyond the narrow definition of what cooking is, you can see that cooking is and has always been an act of resistance.” I hope that my dish inspires people to be aware of what’s at stake with increasing greenhouse gas emissions and work toward creating a clean energy future.

 My guest list for the potluck would include two groups of people: local farmers, who are directly and personally affected by rising temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, drought, and flooding, and people who either do not believe in human-caused climate change or don’t think it affects anyone. I would invite the farmers or farm owners because their jobs and crops are dependent on the weather. I hope that after hearing a farmer’s perspective, climate-deniers would be awakened by the truth and more receptive to the effort to reverse these catastrophic trends.

Earth is a beautiful planet that provides everything we’ll ever need, but because of our pattern of living—wasteful consumption, fossil fuel burning, and greenhouse gas emissions— our habitat is rapidly deteriorating. Whether you are a farmer, a long-shower-taking teenager, a worker in a pollution-producing factory, or a climate-denier, the future of humankind is in our hands. The choices we make and the actions we take will forever affect planet Earth.

 India Brown is an eighth grader who lives in New York City with her parents and older brother. She enjoys spending time with her friends, walking her dog, Morty, playing volleyball and lacrosse, and swimming.

High School Winner: Grace Williams

Apple Pie Embrace

It’s 1:47 a.m. Thanksgiving smells fill the kitchen. The sweet aroma of sugar-covered apples and buttery dough swirls into my nostrils. Fragrant orange and rosemary permeate the room and every corner smells like a stroll past the open door of a French bakery. My eleven-year-old eyes water, red with drowsiness, and refocus on the oven timer counting down. Behind me, my mom and aunt chat to no end, fueled by the seemingly self-replenishable coffee pot stashed in the corner. Their hands work fast, mashing potatoes, crumbling cornbread, and covering finished dishes in a thin layer of plastic wrap. The most my tired body can do is sit slouched on the backless wooden footstool. I bask in the heat escaping under the oven door.

 As a child, I enjoyed Thanksgiving and the preparations that came with it, but it seemed like more of a bridge between my birthday and Christmas than an actual holiday. Now, it’s a time of year I look forward to, dedicated to family, memories, and, most importantly, food. What I realized as I grew older was that my homemade Thanksgiving apple pie was more than its flaky crust and soft-fruit center. This American food symbolized a rite of passage, my Iraqi family’s ticket to assimilation. 

 Some argue that by adopting American customs like the apple pie, we lose our culture. I would argue that while American culture influences what my family eats and celebrates, it doesn’t define our character. In my family, we eat Iraqi dishes like mesta and tahini, but we also eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast. This doesn’t mean we favor one culture over the other; instead, we create a beautiful blend of the two, adapting traditions to make them our own.

 That said, my family has always been more than the “mashed potatoes and turkey” type.

My mom’s family immigrated to the United States in 1976. Upon their arrival, they encountered a deeply divided America. Racism thrived, even after the significant freedoms gained from the Civil Rights Movement a few years before. Here, my family was thrust into a completely unknown world: they didn’t speak the language, they didn’t dress normally, and dinners like riza maraka seemed strange in comparison to the Pop Tarts and Oreos lining grocery store shelves.

 If I were to host a dinner party, it would be like Thanksgiving with my Chaldean family. The guests, my extended family, are a diverse people, distinct ingredients in a sweet potato casserole, coming together to create a delicious dish.

In her article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson writes, “each ingredient that we use, every technique, every spice tells a story about our access, our privilege, our heritage, and our culture.” Voices around the room will echo off the walls into the late hours of the night while the hot apple pie steams at the table’s center.

We will play concan on the blanketed floor and I’ll try to understand my Toto, who, after forty years, still speaks broken English. I’ll listen to my elders as they tell stories about growing up in Unionville, Michigan, a predominately white town where they always felt like outsiders, stories of racism that I have the privilege not to experience. While snacking on sunflower seeds and salted pistachios, we’ll talk about the news- how thousands of people across the country are protesting for justice among immigrants. No one protested to give my family a voice.

Our Thanksgiving food is more than just sustenance, it is a physical representation of my family ’s blended and ever-changing culture, even after 40 years in the United States. No matter how the food on our plates changes, it will always symbolize our sense of family—immediate and extended—and our unbreakable bond.

Grace Williams, a student at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, enjoys playing tennis, baking, and spending time with her family. Grace also enjoys her time as a writing editor for her school’s yearbook, the Pioneer. In the future, Grace hopes to continue her travels abroad, as well as live near extended family along the sunny beaches of La Jolla, California.

University Winner: Lillia Borodkin

Nourishing Change After Tragedy Strikes

In the Jewish community, food is paramount. We often spend our holidays gathered around a table, sharing a meal and reveling in our people’s story. On other sacred days, we fast, focusing instead on reflection, atonement, and forgiveness.

As a child, I delighted in the comfort of matzo ball soup, the sweetness of hamantaschen, and the beauty of braided challah. But as I grew older and more knowledgeable about my faith, I learned that the origins of these foods are not rooted in joy, but in sacrifice.

The matzo of matzo balls was a necessity as the Jewish people did not have time for their bread to rise as they fled slavery in Egypt. The hamantaschen was an homage to the hat of Haman, the villain of the Purim story who plotted the Jewish people’s destruction. The unbaked portion of braided challah was tithed by commandment to the kohen  or priests. Our food is an expression of our history, commemorating both our struggles and our triumphs.

As I write this, only days have passed since eleven Jews were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. These people, intending only to pray and celebrate the Sabbath with their community, were murdered simply for being Jewish. This brutal event, in a temple and city much like my own, is a reminder that anti-Semitism still exists in this country. A reminder that hatred of Jews, of me, my family, and my community, is alive and flourishing in America today. The thought that a difference in religion would make some believe that others do not have the right to exist is frightening and sickening.  

 This is why, if given the chance, I would sit down the entire Jewish American community at one giant Shabbat table. I’d serve matzo ball soup, pass around loaves of challah, and do my best to offer comfort. We would take time to remember the beautiful souls lost to anti-Semitism this October and the countless others who have been victims of such hatred in the past. I would then ask that we channel all we are feeling—all the fear, confusion, and anger —into the fight.

As suggested in Korsha Wilson’s “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” I would urge my guests to direct our passion for justice and the comfort and care provided by the food we are eating into resisting anti-Semitism and hatred of all kinds.

We must use the courage this sustenance provides to create change and honor our people’s suffering and strength. We must remind our neighbors, both Jewish and non-Jewish, that anti-Semitism is alive and well today. We must shout and scream and vote until our elected leaders take this threat to our community seriously. And, we must stand with, support, and listen to other communities that are subjected to vengeful hate today in the same way that many of these groups have supported us in the wake of this tragedy.

This terrible shooting is not the first of its kind, and if conflict and loathing are permitted to grow, I fear it will not be the last. While political change may help, the best way to target this hate is through smaller-scale actions in our own communities.

It is critical that we as a Jewish people take time to congregate and heal together, but it is equally necessary to include those outside the Jewish community to build a powerful crusade against hatred and bigotry. While convening with these individuals, we will work to end the dangerous “otherizing” that plagues our society and seek to understand that we share far more in common than we thought. As disagreements arise during our discussions, we will learn to respect and treat each other with the fairness we each desire. Together, we shall share the comfort, strength, and courage that traditional Jewish foods provide and use them to fuel our revolution. 

We are not alone in the fight despite what extremists and anti-semites might like us to believe.  So, like any Jew would do, I invite you to join me at the Shabbat table. First, we will eat. Then, we will get to work.  

Lillia Borodkin is a senior at Kent State University majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Child Psychology. She plans to attend graduate school and become a school psychologist while continuing to pursue her passion for reading and writing. Outside of class, Lillia is involved in research in the psychology department and volunteers at the Women’s Center on campus.   

Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester

As a kid, I remember asking my friends jokingly, ”If you were stuck on a deserted island, what single item of food would you bring?” Some of my friends answered practically and said they’d bring water. Others answered comically and said they’d bring snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or a banana. However, most of my friends answered sentimentally and listed the foods that made them happy. This seems like fun and games, but what happens if the hypothetical changes? Imagine being asked, on the eve of your death, to choose the final meal you will ever eat. What food would you pick? Something practical? Comical? Sentimental?  

This situation is the reality for the 2,747 American prisoners who are currently awaiting execution on death row. The grim ritual of “last meals,” when prisoners choose their final meal before execution, can reveal a lot about these individuals and what they valued throughout their lives.

It is difficult for us to imagine someone eating steak, lobster tail, apple pie, and vanilla ice cream one moment and being killed by state-approved lethal injection the next. The prisoner can only hope that the apple pie he requested tastes as good as his mom’s. Surprisingly, many people in prison decline the option to request a special last meal. We often think of food as something that keeps us alive, so is there really any point to eating if someone knows they are going to die?

“Controlling food is a means of controlling power,” said chef Sean Sherman in the YES! Magazine article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” by Korsha Wilson. There are deeper stories that lie behind the final meals of individuals on death row.

I want to bring awareness to the complex and often controversial conditions of this country’s criminal justice system and change the common perception of prisoners as inhuman. To accomplish this, I would host a potluck where I would recreate the last meals of prisoners sentenced to death.

In front of each plate, there would be a place card with the prisoner’s full name, the date of execution, and the method of execution. These meals could range from a plate of fried chicken, peas with butter, apple pie, and a Dr. Pepper, reminiscent of a Sunday dinner at Grandma’s, to a single olive.

Seeing these meals up close, meals that many may eat at their own table or feed to their own kids, would force attendees to face the reality of the death penalty. It will urge my guests to look at these individuals not just as prisoners, assigned a number and a death date, but as people, capable of love and rehabilitation.  

This potluck is not only about realizing a prisoner’s humanity, but it is also about recognizing a flawed criminal justice system. Over the years, I have become skeptical of the American judicial system, especially when only seven states have judges who ethnically represent the people they serve. I was shocked when I found out that the officers who killed Michael Brown and Anthony Lamar Smith were exonerated for their actions. How could that be possible when so many teens and adults of color have spent years in prison, some even executed, for crimes they never committed?  

Lawmakers, police officers, city officials, and young constituents, along with former prisoners and their families, would be invited to my potluck to start an honest conversation about the role and application of inequality, dehumanization, and racism in the death penalty. Food served at the potluck would represent the humanity of prisoners and push people to acknowledge that many inmates are victims of a racist and corrupt judicial system.

Recognizing these injustices is only the first step towards a more equitable society. The second step would be acting on these injustices to ensure that every voice is heard, even ones separated from us by prison walls. Let’s leave that for the next potluck, where I plan to serve humble pie.

Paisley Regester is a high school senior and devotes her life to activism, the arts, and adventure. Inspired by her experiences traveling abroad to Nicaragua, Mexico, and Scotland, Paisley hopes to someday write about the diverse people and places she has encountered and share her stories with the rest of the world.

Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo

The Empty Seat

“If you aren’t sober, then I don’t want to see you on Christmas.”

Harsh words for my father to hear from his daughter but words he needed to hear. Words I needed him to understand and words he seemed to consider as he fiddled with his wine glass at the head of the table. Our guests, my grandma, and her neighbors remained resolutely silent. They were not about to defend my drunken father–or Charles as I call him–from my anger or my ultimatum.

This was the first dinner we had had together in a year. The last meal we shared ended with Charles slopping his drink all over my birthday presents and my mother explaining heroin addiction to me. So, I wasn’t surprised when Charles threw down some liquid valor before dinner in anticipation of my anger. If he wanted to be welcomed on Christmas, he needed to be sober—or he needed to be gone.

Countless dinners, holidays, and birthdays taught me that my demands for sobriety would fall on deaf ears. But not this time. Charles gave me a gift—a one of a kind, limited edition, absolutely awkward treat. One that I didn’t know how to deal with at all. Charles went home that night, smacked a bright red bow on my father, and hand-delivered him to me on Christmas morning.

He arrived for breakfast freshly showered and looking flustered. He would remember this day for once only because his daughter had scolded him into sobriety. Dad teetered between happiness and shame. Grandma distracted us from Dad’s presence by bringing the piping hot bacon and biscuits from the kitchen to the table, theatrically announcing their arrival. Although these foods were the alleged focus of the meal, the real spotlight shined on the unopened liquor cabinet in my grandma’s kitchen—the cabinet I know Charles was begging Dad to open.

I’ve isolated myself from Charles. My family has too. It means we don’t see Dad, but it’s the best way to avoid confrontation and heartache. Sometimes I find myself wondering what it would be like if we talked with him more or if he still lived nearby. Would he be less inclined to use? If all families with an addict tried to hang on to a relationship with the user, would there be fewer addicts in the world? Christmas breakfast with Dad was followed by Charles whisking him away to Colorado where pot had just been legalized. I haven’t talked to Dad since that Christmas.

As Korsha Wilson stated in her YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” “Sometimes what we don’t cook says more than what we do cook.” When it comes to addiction, what isn’t served is more important than what is. In quiet moments, I like to imagine a meal with my family–including Dad. He’d have a spot at the table in my little fantasy. No alcohol would push him out of his chair, the cigarettes would remain seated in his back pocket, and the stench of weed wouldn’t invade the dining room. Fruit salad and gumbo would fill the table—foods that Dad likes. We’d talk about trivial matters in life, like how school is going and what we watched last night on TV.

Dad would feel loved. We would connect. He would feel less alone. At the end of the night, he’d walk me to the door and promise to see me again soon. And I would believe him.

Emma Lingo spends her time working as an editor for her school paper, reading, and being vocal about social justice issues. Emma is active with many clubs such as Youth and Government, KHS Cares, and Peer Helpers. She hopes to be a journalist one day and to be able to continue helping out people by volunteering at local nonprofits.

Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Bittersweet Reunion

I close my eyes and envision a dinner of my wildest dreams. I would invite all of my relatives. Not just my sister who doesn’t ask how I am anymore. Not just my nephews who I’m told are too young to understand me. No, I would gather all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins to introduce them to the me they haven’t met.

For almost two years, I’ve gone by a different name that most of my family refuses to acknowledge. My aunt, a nun of 40 years, told me at a recent birthday dinner that she’d heard of my “nickname.” I didn’t want to start a fight, so I decided not to correct her. Even the ones who’ve adjusted to my name have yet to recognize the bigger issue.

Last year on Facebook, I announced to my friends and family that I am transgender. No one in my family has talked to me about it, but they have plenty to say to my parents. I feel as if this is about my parents more than me—that they’ve made some big parenting mistake. Maybe if I invited everyone to dinner and opened up a discussion, they would voice their concerns to me instead of my parents.

I would serve two different meals of comfort food to remind my family of our good times. For my dad’s family, I would cook heavily salted breakfast food, the kind my grandpa used to enjoy. He took all of his kids to IHOP every Sunday and ordered the least healthy option he could find, usually some combination of an overcooked omelet and a loaded Classic Burger. For my mom’s family, I would buy shakes and burgers from Hardee’s. In my grandma’s final weeks, she let aluminum tins of sympathy meals pile up on her dining table while she made my uncle take her to Hardee’s every day.

In her article on cooking and activism, food writer Korsha Wilson writes, “Everyone puts down their guard over a good meal, and in that space, change is possible.” Hopefully the same will apply to my guests.

When I first thought of this idea, my mind rushed to the endless negative possibilities. My nun-aunt and my two non-nun aunts who live like nuns would whip out their Bibles before I even finished my first sentence. My very liberal, state representative cousin would say how proud she is of the guy I’m becoming, but this would trigger my aunts to accuse her of corrupting my mind. My sister, who has never spoken to me about my genderidentity, would cover her children’s ears and rush them out of the house. My Great-Depression-raised grandparents would roll over in their graves, mumbling about how kids have it easy nowadays.

After mentally mapping out every imaginable terrible outcome this dinner could have, I realized a conversation is unavoidable if I want my family to accept who I am. I long to restore the deep connection I used to have with them. Though I often think these former relationships are out of reach, I won’t know until I try to repair them. For a year and a half, I’ve relied on Facebook and my parents to relay messages about my identity, but I need to tell my own story.

At first, I thought Korsha Wilson’s idea of a cooked meal leading the way to social change was too optimistic, but now I understand that I need to think more like her. Maybe, just maybe, my family could all gather around a table, enjoy some overpriced shakes, and be as close as we were when I was a little girl.

 Hayden Wilson is a 17-year-old high school junior from Missouri. He loves writing, making music, and painting. He’s a part of his school’s writing club, as well as the GSA and a few service clubs.

 Literary Gems

We received many outstanding essays for the Fall 2018 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.

Thinking of the main staple of the dish—potatoes, the starchy vegetable that provides sustenance for people around the globe. The onion, the layers of sorrow and joy—a base for this dish served during the holidays.  The oil, symbolic of hope and perseverance. All of these elements come together to form this delicious oval pancake permeating with possibilities. I wonder about future possibilities as I flip the latkes.

—Nikki Markman, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

The egg is a treasure. It is a fragile heart of gold that once broken, flows over the blemishless surface of the egg white in dandelion colored streams, like ribbon unraveling from its spool.

—Kaylin Ku, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, Princeton Junction, New Jersey

If I were to bring one food to a potluck to create social change by addressing anti-Semitism, I would bring gefilte fish because it is different from other fish, just like the Jews are different from other people.  It looks more like a matzo ball than fish, smells extraordinarily fishy, and tastes like sweet brine with the consistency of a crab cake.

—Noah Glassman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School,  Bronx, New York

I would not only be serving them something to digest, I would serve them a one-of-a-kind taste of the past, a taste of fear that is felt in the souls of those whose home and land were taken away, a taste of ancestral power that still lives upon us, and a taste of the voices that want to be heard and that want the suffering of the Natives to end.

—Citlalic Anima Guevara, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

It’s the one thing that your parents make sure you have because they didn’t.  Food is what your mother gives you as she lies, telling you she already ate. It’s something not everybody is fortunate to have and it’s also what we throw away without hesitation.  Food is a blessing to me, but what is it to you?

—Mohamed Omar, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

Filleted and fried humphead wrasse, mangrove crab with coconut milk, pounded taro, a whole roast pig, and caramelized nuts—cuisines that will not be simplified to just “food.” Because what we eat is the diligence and pride of our people—a culture that has survived and continues to thrive.

—Mayumi Remengesau, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Some people automatically think I’m kosher or ask me to say prayers in Hebrew.  However, guess what? I don’t know many prayers and I eat bacon.

—Hannah Reing, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Bronx, New York

Everything was placed before me. Rolling up my sleeves I started cracking eggs, mixing flour, and sampling some chocolate chips, because you can never be too sure. Three separate bowls. All different sizes. Carefully, I tipped the smallest, and the medium-sized bowls into the biggest. Next, I plugged in my hand-held mixer and flicked on the switch. The beaters whirl to life. I lowered it into the bowl and witnessed the creation of something magnificent. Cookie dough.

—Cassandra Amaya, Owen Goodnight Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

Biscuits and bisexuality are both things that are in my life…My grandmother’s biscuits are the best: the good old classic Southern biscuits, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Except it is mostly Southern people who don’t accept me.

—Jaden Huckaby, Arbor Montessori, Decatur, Georgia

We zest the bright yellow lemons and the peels of flavor fall lightly into the batter.  To make frosting, we keep adding more and more powdered sugar until it looks like fluffy clouds with raspberry seed rain.

—Jane Minus, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Tamales for my grandma, I can still remember her skillfully spreading the perfect layer of masa on every corn husk, looking at me pitifully as my young hands fumbled with the corn wrapper, always too thick or too thin.

—Brenna Eliaz, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

Just like fry bread, MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) remind New Orleanians and others affected by disasters of the devastation throughout our city and the little amount of help we got afterward.

—Madeline Johnson, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

I would bring cream corn and buckeyes and have a big debate on whether marijuana should be illegal or not.

—Lillian Martinez, Miller Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

We would finish the meal off with a delicious apple strudel, topped with schlag, schlag, schlag, more schlag, and a cherry, and finally…more schlag (in case you were wondering, schlag is like whipped cream, but 10 times better because it is heavier and sweeter).

—Morgan Sheehan, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Clever Titles

This year we decided to do something different. We were so impressed by the number of catchy titles that we decided to feature some of our favorites. 

“Eat Like a Baby: Why Shame Has No Place at a Baby’s Dinner Plate”

—Tate Miller, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas 

“The Cheese in Between”

—Jedd Horowitz, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Harvey, Michael, Florence or Katrina? Invite Them All Because Now We Are Prepared”

—Molly Mendoza, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

“Neglecting Our Children: From Broccoli to Bullets”

—Kylie Rollings, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri  

“The Lasagna of Life”

—Max Williams, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

“Yum, Yum, Carbon Dioxide In Our Lungs”

—Melanie Eickmeyer, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

“My Potluck, My Choice”

—Francesca Grossberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Trumping with Tacos”

—Maya Goncalves, Lincoln Middle School, Ypsilanti, Michigan

“Quiche and Climate Change”

—Bernie Waldman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Biscuits and Bisexuality”

“W(health)”

—Miles Oshan, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

“Bubula, Come Eat!”

—Jordan Fienberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School,  Bronx, New York

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Biology Food Chain

The animal brain contributes immensely to the normal functioning of an individual. Any impairment with its normal actions lead to drop of the expected goals due to halt of conductions of nerve impulses involved in the management of the organism system. The body coordination in an organism are carried out in the central nervous system that depends entirely on the neurons conducted from the receptor sites to the effectors’ sites in the body. For instance, surprise leads to production of a large amount of adrenaline in humans enhancing an individual to have the potential of flight or fight in case of an approach of danger. A surprised individual tends to have an impairment in the normal functioning of the body (Bardin, 1); this is due concentration of a lot of blood to the brain, muscles, and limbs paralyzing other body functions.

According to the knowledge gathered from various academic fields, including biology, free animals are more productive compared to enclosed animals. This phenomenon reflects back to what used to happen during slavery in early 18 th and 19 th century. The slaves under imposition hard labor were less productive irrespective of their high numbers. This was due to the stressful conditions they lived in imposed by their cruel masters. The majority of the colonialist believed in having more than enough slaves as the only way of expounding their economic demands only to end up with low products.

Animals living under any kind of stress lose weight so quickly. This is due to the lack of enough ability to withstand the stressing conditions and at the same time gaining weight. Research carried out shows that too much straining leads to over utilization of the stored proteins in the body in the form of tissues, resulting to deterioration of the healthy conditions of an organism. In order for an individual to produce more energy for the maintenance of the body, huge lumps of proteins have to be broken down. On the other hand, organisms in the soil depend entirely on the protein products and by-products for their survival. In utilization of the protein products, the organisms break down amino acids into various nitrogen nutrients that are easily absorbed and utilized by plants in manufacturing of the foods. This is because ecology balance depends entirely on the fluency of the ecosystem that is made up microorganisms that are in the lowest rank to scavengers that are tertiary consumers.

In addition, the organism body is mainly made up of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (Phelan, 72). These elements are held together by a diversity of bonds that are easily broken if they encounter strenuous conditions. The body experiences a lot of self-degradation during stressful periods. This is because the body utilizes more than enough oxygen in the breaking down of proteins in order to produce enough energy required by the body resulting to immense loss in weight of an organism.

The stressful conditions imposed by fear contribute immensely to the break of the bonds within the protein tissues resulting to loss of essential components that supports growth and advancement of the organisms in the soil. In sum, lack of enough food material and nutrients to the microorganisms in the soil, due to the protein breakdown lead to their death resulting in low productivity of plants. Plants depend entirely on the microorganisms in the breaking down of organic materials that contain the nutrients required by the plants for their growth and productivity.

Stress has also been associated with the hiking of the body temperature of an individual. Increase in body temperatures above the optimum level results to denaturing of proteins. Therefore, much straining may result in the loss of some of the proteins in the body leading to decline of the amount of amino acids required by the microorganisms. Microorganisms also require nutrients from the proteins from dead organisms in their normal functioning. Without normal functioning of the microorganisms, enough nitrogen products required in the manufacture of proteins and other essential elements required by the plants will not be produced. High temperatures also affect the shape of the proteins in the body; change in shape of the proteins contributes greatly to the misunderstanding with the body of an individual.

All the biological functions in the body of microorganisms and organisms depend entirely on the enzymatic actions. On the other hand, enzymes are made up of proteins (Phelan, 73). The loss of proteins in the body due to its breakdown in the production of energy leads to the decline in the enzymatic actions of the microorganisms.

With our activated flight system, we perceive everything around us as enemies; the flight conditions lead us into an attack mode. Due to over concentration on the straining elements, we may end up inputting much of our effort in searching for the potential enemies leading to sustain of the produced chemicals in our system that are harmful. Overwhelming excessive stress conditions results to organisms’ lives being a series of short-term tragedies.

Some animals such as the toad due to stress imposed by their predators produce some toxic chemicals to keep away predators (Bardin, 1). Such chemicals are so poisonous, and in cases where the predators end up eating the poisonous prey, the ecosystem is affected immensely resulting in the death of microorganisms that are facultative to the poison produced by the toad. Some plants just as toads also protect themselves from predators by producing harmful chemicals, the touch by the predating animal to the plant results to reflex action of the plant that produces many harmful chemicals resulting in the control of the animal population.

In conclusion, the body conditions of an organism contribute immensely to its well-being. Organisms entitled to stressful conditions produce poorly in terms of by products and maintenance of ecological niche. This is because the stressful conditions hampers with the normal functioning of body cells resulting to underproduction of essential elements in the body. Over concentration of blood in the muscles and the brain hampers the functions of other essential organs in the body resulting to paralyzing of the development of an organism. Stressful conditions also results to an organism inputting much effort and force towards management of any causes of threat denying the organism the chance of expounding. Microorganisms are the ones that end up incurring the consequences of the stress imposed on their source of food after death. Such situations that have resulted to low nutrients in the soil contribute to the low productivity in plants.

Bardin, Jon. “Grasshoppers increase metabolic rate when scared.” Los Angeles Times (2012): 1. Print.

Phelan, Jay. What is Life? A Guide to Biology . New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 2012. Print.

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Top of the Food Chain Analysis Essay

Boyle’s short story titled Top of the Food Chain follows a narrator that recites a crisis of nature. While it may seem to be a bleak insight into the nature of humankind as a cruel and domineering force, this is only because it is presented through an ironic lens. The recurring event and theme of the work include the mass deaths that occur not only among the animals and vermin but also impact humanity. In order to curb the hazardous nature of vermin insects, poison, followed by geckos, is introduced which also becomes problematic. After this, the situation is managed with cats which begin to die and result in an infestation of rats. Boyle presents a general image of escalating destruction as a result of a series of self-centered and poor decision-making.

However, the ironic tone is crucial to depicting the morale of the story. The narrator themselves state that ‘Borneo wouldn’t be Borneo without some damned insect blackening the air’ (Boyle, 1993). Despite this, their actions of utilizing poison and the introduction of geckos led directly to a change in the population of both mosquitos and flies in the area. The narrator consistently lacks hindsight, as the geckos ‘started turning belly-up in the streets’ after being brought to the village (Boyle, 1993). Essentially, the narrative suggests that the immoral and careless actions of humanity are not only detrimental to their surroundings, but to themselves as well. The narrator finalizes the story with the following quote: ‘it could be worse and to every cloud a silver lining’ (Boyle, 1993). Meanwhile, the final sentences of the story describe a very dire status quo with an emerging virus and a return of the geckos.

Boyle, Thomas C. Top of the Food Chain . Viking Press, 1993.

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Environment: The food chain

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This lesson plan provides an ideal introduction to the concept of food chains. Students complete a food chain diagram then listen to a clear explanation of each link in the chain from producers to third-level consumers. The listening also includes a clear explanation of why food chains are important. A gap-fill consolidates key vocabulary such as: ‘carnivores’, ‘herbivores’, ‘consume’, ‘destroy’ and ‘produce’. A fun group speaking activity asks students to describe a food chain word to their friends without using that word.

Environment - the food chain

Environment - the food chain - listening exercise.

• British English
• Lesson Plan / Teacher's Notes
• Pre-Intermediate
• Printable Worksheet
• Up to 60 mins
• Whole Class

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Essays About Food: Top 5 Examples and 6 Writing Prompts

Food is one of the greatest joys of life; it is both necessary to live and able to lift our spirits. If you are writing essays about food, read our guide.

Many people live and die by food. While its primary purpose is to provide us with the necessary nutrients to carry out bodily functions, the satisfaction food can give a person is beyond compare. For people of many occupations, such as chefs, waiters, bakers, and food critics, food has become a way of life.

Why do so many people enjoy food? It can provide us with the sensory pleasure we need to escape from the trials of daily life. From the moist tenderness of a good-quality steak to the sweet, rich decadence of a hot fudge sundae, food is truly magical. Instead of eating to stay alive, many even joke that they “live to eat.” In good food, every bite is like heaven.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. food essay by evelin tapia, 2. why japanese home cooking makes healthy feel effortless by kaki okumura, 3. why i love food by shuge luo.

• 4.  My Favorite Food by Jayasurya Mayilsamy 
• 5. ​​Osteria Francescana: does the world’s best restaurant live up to the hype? by Tanya Gold

6 Prompts for Essays About Food

1. what is your favorite dish, 2. what is your favorite cuisine, 3. is a vegan diet sustainable, 4. the dangers of fast food, 5. a special food memory, 6. the food of your home country.

“Food has so many things in them such as calories and fat. Eating healthy is important for everyone to live a healthy life. You can eat it, but eating it daily is bad for you stay healthy and eat the right foods. Deep fried foods hurt your health in many ways. Eat healthy and exercise to reduce the chances of any health problems.”

In this essay, Tapia writes about deep-fried foods and their effects on people’s health. She says they are high in trans fat, which is detrimental to one’s health. On the other hand, she notes reasons why people still eat foods such as potato chips and french fries, including exercise and simply “making the most of life.” Despite this, Tapia asserts her position that these foods should not be eaten in excess and can lead to a variety of health issues. She encourages people to live healthy lives by enjoying food but not overeating. 

“Because while a goal of many vegetables a day is admirable, in the beginning it’s much more sustainable to start with something as little as two. I learned that with an approach of two-vegetable dishes at a time, I would be a lot more consistent, and over time a large variety would become very natural. In fact, now following that framework and cooking a few simple dishes a day, I often find that it’s almost difficult to not reach at least several kinds of vegetables a day.”

Okumura discusses simple, healthy cooking in the Japanese tradition. While many tend to include as many vegetables as possible in their dishes for “health,” Okumura writes that just a few vegetables are necessary to make healthy but delicious dishes. With the help of Japanese pantry staples like miso and soy sauce, she makes a variety of traditional Japanese side dishes. She shows the wonders of food, even when executed in its simplest form. 

“I make pesto out of kale stems, toast the squash seeds for salad and repurpose my leftovers into brand new dishes. I love cooking because it’s an exercise in play. Cooking is forgiving in improvisation, and it can often surprise you. For example, did you know that adding ginger juice to your fried rice adds a surprisingly refreshing flavor that whets your appetite? Neither did I, until my housemate showed me their experiment.”

In her essay, Luo writes about her love for food and cooking, specifically how she can combine different ingredients from different cuisines to make delicious dishes. She recalls experiences with her native Chinese food and Italian, Singaporean, and Japanese Cuisine. The beauty of food, she says, is the way one can improvise a dish and create something magical. 

4.   My Favorite Food by Jayasurya Mayilsamy 

“There is no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap. My love for Pizza is very high. I am always hungry for pizza, be it any time of the day. Cheese is the secret ingredient of any food it makes any food taste yummy. Nearly any ingredient can be put on pizza. Those diced vegetables, jalapenos, tomato sauce, cheese and mushrooms make me eat more and more like a unique work of art.”

Mayilsamy writes about pizza, a food he can’t get enough of, and why he enjoys it as much as he does. He explains the different elements of a good pizza, such as cheese, tomato sauce, other toppings, and the crust. He also briefly discusses the different types of pizzas, such as thin crust and deep dish. Finally, he gives readers an excellent description of a mouthwatering pizza, reminding them of the feeling of eating their favorite food. 

5. ​​ Osteria Francescana: does the world’s best restaurant live up to the hype? by Tanya Gold

“After three hours, I am exhausted from eating Bottura’s dreams, and perhaps that is the point. If some of it is delicious, it is also consuming. That is the shadow cast by the award in the hallway, next to the one of a man strangled by food. I do not know if this is the best restaurant on Earth, or even if such a claim is possible. I suspect such lists are designed largely for marketing purposes: when else does Restaurant magazine, which runs the competition, get global coverage for itself and its sponsors?”

Gold reviews the dishes at Osteria Francescana, which is regarded by many as the #1 restaurant in the world. She describes the calm, formal ambiance and the polished interiors of the restaurants. Most importantly, she goes course by course, describing each dish in detail, from risotto inspired by the lake to parmesan cheese in different textures and temperatures. Gold concludes that while a good experience, a meal at the restaurant is time-consuming, and her experience is inconclusive as to whether or not this is the best restaurant in the world. 

Everyone has a favorite food; in your essay, write about a dish you enjoy. You can discuss the recipe’s history by researching where it comes from, the famous chefs who created it, or which restaurants specialize in this dish. Provide your readers with an ingredients list, and describe how each ingredient is used in the recipe. Conclude your essay with a review of your experience recreating this recipe at home, discuss how challenging the recipe is, and if you enjoyed the experience.

Aside from a favorite dish, everyone prefers one type of cuisine. Discuss your favorite cuisine and give examples of typical dishes, preparations for food, and factors that influence your chosen cuisine. For example, you could choose Italian cuisine and discuss pasta, pizza, gelato, and other famous food items typically associated with Italian food.

Many people choose to adopt a vegan diet that consists of only plant-based food. For your essay, you can discuss this diet and explain why some people choose it. Then, research the sustainability of a plant-based diet and if a person can maintain a vegan diet while remaining healthy and energized. Provide as much evidence as possible by conducting interviews, referencing online sources, and including survey data. 

Fast food is a staple part of diets worldwide; children are often raised on salty bites of chicken, fries, and burgers. However, it has been linked to many health complications, including cancer and obesity . Research the dangers of fast food, describe each in your essay, and give examples of how it can affect you mentally and physically. 

Is there a memory involving food that you treasure? Perhaps it could be a holiday celebration, a birthday, or a regular day when went to a restaurant. Reflect on this memory, retelling your story in detail, and describe the meal you ate and why you remember it so fondly.

Every country has a rich culture, a big component of which is food. Research the history of food in your native country, writing about common native dishes and ingredients used in cooking. If there are religious influences on your country’s cuisine, note them as well. Share a few of these recipes in your essay for an engaging piece of writing.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

For help picking your next essay topic, check out the best essay topics about social media .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Food Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on food.

Food is the basic human need to stay alive. Moreover, it is the need of every living organism . Therefore it is important that we should not waste food. Our world consists of different types of cultures. These cultures have varieties of dishes of food in them.

Thus, all the dishes have different taste. Furthermore, our nature provides us a variety of food. From fruits to vegetables, from Dairy food to seafood everything is available. Different countries have their own specialty of dishes. Therefore some of them are below:

World-famous Cuisines

Italian Cuisines – Italian cuisines is one of the most popular cuisines around the world. Moreover, it is widely available in our India too. Dishes like pizza, pasta, and lasagna own a special place in the hearts’ of people.

Furthermore, restaurants like Dominos and Pizza hut are available all over the country. People of every age love the taste of these Italian dishes. Also, Italian dishes are famous for their’ cheese filling. Every dish is load with cheese. Which enhances the taste of these Italian dishes.

Indian cuisine – Indian cuisine is always filled with a lot of herbs and spices. Furthermore, the specialty of Indian dishes is, it is always filled with curries. Whether veg or non-veg the dishes are in curry form. Moreover, Indian cuisine has so many varieties of food that has further branches. The Branch consists of Mughal cuisine which is mostly of non-vegetarian dishes. Also, almost every Indian love Muglia dishes.

Chinese Cuisine – Chinese cuisine in India is also very popular. There are many Chinese theme-based restaurants here. Moreover, in these restaurants Chinese are preferable chefs because they can only give the perfect Chinese blend. Chinese cuisines have a wide variety of dishes. Some of them are Chinese noodles, fried rice, Dumplings, etc. Dumplings have a different name here. They go by the name of momos in India and people love the taste of it.

These were some of the favorites of Indian people. Moreover, these are in almost every part of the city. You can find it anywhere, whether be it in 5-star restaurants or at the side of the street as street foods.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Food in Our Life

We cannot deny the importance of food in our lives. As it is the basic need to survive. Yet some people waste not thinking that there are still some people that do not get any of it. We should always be careful while taking a meal on our plates.

In other words, we should take only that much that our stomach can allow. Or else there will be wasting of food . In India there are many people living in slums, they do not have proper shelter. Moreover, they are not able to have even a one-time meal. They starve for days and are always in a state of sickness.

Many children are there on roads who are laboring to get a daily meal. After seeing conditions like these people should not dare to waste food. Moreover, we should always provide food to the needy ones as much as we can.

Q1. Name any two different types of cuisines available in India.

A1. The two different types of cuisines available in India are Italian and Chinese cuisine. These are famous apart from Indian cuisine.

Q2. How can we not waste food?

A2. You cannot waste food by taking only a sufficient amount of it. Moreover, people should seal pack the leftover food and give it to the beggars. So that they can at least stay healthy and not starve.

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An opinion essay about fast food.

Look at the exam question and essay and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. 

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first. Then read the text and do the other exercises.

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Check your understanding: matching

Check your vocabulary: gap fill, check your writing: multiple choice, worksheets and downloads.

Is fast food popular in your country? Do you think it causes health problems or any other kinds of problems?

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Essay On Food In 10 Lines, Short and Long Paragraphs For Children

Food is the fuel that keeps us running throughout the day, and it also supports the body’s metabolic process and ensures we remain healthy. Children need to understand the importance of food to build healthy eating habits in the long term. They also need to learn that the body needs energy from healthy food to conduct day-to-day activities. Writing an essay on food in English is a great way to get kids acquainted with important information on the different food categories and their role in our diets. In this blog, we have put together a few examples of essays on food for classes 1, 2 & 3 that are easy to understand and informative.

Key Points To Remember When Writing An Essay On Food For Lower Primary Classes

Food is critical for the survival of every living being on earth. Here are some important to keep in mind when writing a food essay:

• Long essays on foods require the students to memorise important facts about food groups and nutrients.
• Always add an introductory and concluding paragraph for a long format.
• An essay should reflect a healthy attitude towards food and eating.

10 Lines On Food For Kids

An essay about food for class 1 and class 2 can be short and focus on simple ideas children have about food. Here is an example of a few lines on food:

• Food is the substance we eat every day for energy and strength.
• There are many different types of food, such as fruits, vegetables, rice, and pasta.
• We need to eat a variety of foods to get all the essential nutrients the body needs.
• Not eating a healthy and balanced diet leads to weakness and deficiency diseases.
• All children love eating delicious food, although sometimes it may not be beneficial.
• We must eat more natural foods and less junk to maintain good health.
• Food is divided into categories such as grains, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
• Different food category gives different types of nutrition the body needs.
• Junk food is tasty, but it is also harmful to our health.
• To stay healthy and fit, we must consume a balanced diet and little junk.

A Paragraph On Food For Children

Younger kids are expected to write small paragraphs initially on the given topic for a better understanding of the subject. Here is an example of a short paragraph about food:

Food is one of the most basic needs for all human beings, apart from clothes and shelter. It is necessary to give us the energy to function and maintain the bodily process that keeps us alive. To stay healthy, eating various foods that provide essential nutrition for the body is crucial. The body needs carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to maintain all the organs functioning well. Excess junk deprives us of healthy nutrition, leading to obesity and deficiency diseases. The best diet balances different types of food and minimises junk.

Short Essay On Food in English For Kids

A short essay should be easy to write once they have mastered paragraph essays. Here’s an essay on food for classes 1, 2 and 3:

Food is like breathing; we take it for granted as we get to eat a meal three times a day and snacks in between. But, the reality is that this is one of the basic necessities for which we work really hard every day. We often go for the food we find tasty and pleasing without considering its nutritional content. The main goal of eating food is to provide the body with all the essential nutrients it needs to function correctly. Therefore we must eat a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Different food groups contain varying levels of essential nutrients, so eating various foods is crucial to get all the nutrients. Our diets should have grains for carbohydrates, seeds, pulses, and meats for protein, fruits, and vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and fibres, and dairy for important fats and protein. A balanced diet is a way to lead a healthy and happy life.

Long Essay On Importance of Food For Children

A long essay for class 3 is a bit more advanced as it involves balancing facts with a good narrative. Here is an example of an extended food essay:

Food constitutes different types of stuff we eat that are sourced from plants and animals. Humans are omnivores and consume a broad range of food items sourced from agricultural fields, forests, oceans, and farms. Food provides the energy to a person for proper physical and mental functioning, and every nutrient helps build and repair the body.

The food we eat can be broadly categorised as fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. These categories of foods contain all the nutrients the body needs. For example, grains are a source of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, while meats are a great source of protein and micronutrients. It is important to consume all the food categories as part of a balanced diet to maintain good health and growth.

Carbohydrates in food give us the energy that is needed to perform everyday activities. Proteins are essential for the growth and repair of the body after injury or exercise. Fats are a dense source of energy and a medium for absorbing several fat-soluble nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients needed for all kinds of cellular processes. It is believed that a good diet consists of high protein, fats, and a good amount of carbohydrates, while fruits and vegetables give vitamins and minerals.

In today’s time, people consume plenty of fast food and junk food which consists of high sugar, high sodium, and trans fats, which are all unhealthy. Eating excess junk food makes people feel full and avoid eating other nutritious foods that the body requires. Eating junk food is harmful as it leads to obesity and other health problems in the long run.

Ideally, people should eat healthy foods from a wide source and avoid junk altogether. But since fast food is part of our modern world, it can be consumed in low quantities but not at the expense of healthy foods.

Why Is Food Important??

Here are some of the reasons food is important:

• Gives Energy: The average adult needs around 2000 calories a day. Food groups such as carbohydrates and fats are broken down by the body to produce energy.
• Promotes Growth: Proteins are needed for the body to build new cells and tissue, which promotes growth.
• Builds Immunity: Vitamin C and other nutrients are necessary to defend the body against the attack of diseases.
• Builds Bones and Muscles: In adults, proteins and calcium help strengthen bones and balances muscles density.
• Maintaining Body Weight: A balanced diet is needed to maintain a healthy and functioning body, and it is crucial to maintain a balanced body-height-weight ratio.

What Are Different Types of Foods?

The different types of food sources include:

• Cereals: Cereals are a source of carbohydrates. Examples of cereals include corn, millets, ragi, etc.
• Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of plant fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Examples: apples, guava, papaya, brinjal, etc
• Dairy: Dairy products include milk, cheese, and butter. They are a rich source of proteins, fats, and calcium.
• Meat and Fish: Meats and fish are an excellent source of proteins for most of the world’s population. Examples include fatty fish, sea foods, chicken, beef, mutton, and pork.

What Are Some World-Famous Cuisines?

Three cuisines famous around the world include:

• Italian Cuisine: Italian cuisine originates from Italy and includes plenty of cheese in most of its items. Some examples include pasta, pizza, and lasagna.
• Indian Cuisine: Indian cuisines are famous for their flavourful spices and variety. Some popular foods include curry, biryani, roti, dal tadka, idli sambhar, etc.
• Chinese Cuisine: Chinese cuisines include a variety of spices native to china, and they are also rich in herbs. Some famous examples are noodles, dumplings, sushi, etc.

Basic Tips For Eating Healthy Foods

Here are some tips for eating healthy every day:

• Eat a variety of food to gain as many nutrients as possible. It’s important to include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Always buy and cook fresh vegetables and meats. Stale foods have low nutritional value.
• Eat in small portions more frequently during the day. Avoid stuffing yourself.
• Cut down on eating excess refined sugars and carbohydrates as they lead to obesity.
• Avoid junk food as much as possible.
• Add healthy fats to the diet and cut down on trans fats.

What Will Your Child Learn From The Essay on Food?

The food essays are meant to set an example for essay writing. Your child can learn facts about foods as well as structure such essays. Using the above essays as an example, they can easily write their own.

1. Which Nutrients Are Important For Human Body?

The body requires carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water to stay healthy.

2. Why Is Junk Food Called So?

Junk foods lack most of the essential nutrients for the body. Instead, they are full of unhealthy fats, sugars, and salts, and these foods only satisfy our taste buds and fill our stomachs.

Food is imperative for survival, and healthy food is necessary for vitality and productivity. The above examples and facts will give students a good idea about food and essay writing.

Essay On ‘My Favourite Food for Kids Essay on Healthy Food for Class 1, 2 and 3 Children Harmful Effects of Junk Food Essay for Lower Primary Classes

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• Essays for Class 3

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