# Core Concepts Ingredient [#ingredient] In the context of BetterMenu, an ingredient is a single food item that is used for human consumption. This can be a raw food item, a processed food item, or a prepared food item. Some of the examples include | Ingredient | Type of Food | Notes | | ---------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | Apple | Raw Food | Available as a grocery item | | Tomato | Raw Food | Available as a grocery item | | Soy Sauce | Processed Food | Available as a packaged item | | Bread | Processed Food | Available as a packaged item | | Pizza | Prepared Food | Available as a packaged item or as a prepared meal | | Thai Curry | Prepared Food | Available as a packaged item or as a prepared meal | All the packaged items or prepared meals consists of multiple ingredients, and a series of steps are followed to prepare them. See [Recipe](./recipe) for more details. Nutrition [#nutrition] In addition to satiating hunger, the primary goal of food is to provide nutrition to the body. Nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth. The food we eat provides the body with the variety of nutrients it needs to function properly. Nutrient [#nutrient] Every ingredient made for consumption contains a variety of nutrients. Nutrients are substances that provide nourishment essential for the maintenance of life and for growth. Nutrients can be divided into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. For more details, see [Nutrients](./nutrient). Recipe [#recipe] A recipe is a set of instructions for preparing a particular food meant for consumption. See [Recipe](./recipe) for more details.