Food is what living things eat or drink to stay alive and grow. Your breakfast cereal, your dog's kibble, the nectar a hummingbird sips from flowers: all of these are food. Without food, animals and people would have no energy to run, think, play, or even breathe.

Food gives your body the fuel and building blocks it needs. When you eat an apple or a sandwich, your body breaks it down and uses it to power your muscles, help you concentrate in class, and repair scraped knees. Different foods provide different things: milk and cheese help build strong bones, while bread and rice give you energy to get through the day.

The word can also mean a particular type of thing you eat. Cat food. Chinese food. Comfort food. Junk food. Each describes a specific category.

Throughout history, finding enough food has shaped how humans lived. Early humans spent most of their time hunting animals and gathering plants. About 10,000 years ago, people learned to farm, growing their own food instead of constantly searching for it. This changed everything: people could settle in one place, build cities, and develop new technologies. Today, modern farming produces enough food to feed billions of people, though making sure everyone has enough remains one of humanity's most important challenges.