Exclusionary foods

Factual Questions
1

If “food” is taken to mean an edible item that humans have sought out for the purpose of consumption, what is the smallest list of ingredients that food contains at least one of?

For example, if I wanted a food that does not contain salt, sugar, or water, what would be left?

The answer “baking soda” wouild be suspect, because it is usually eaten in combination with salt, sugar or water.

The answer “gold” is also suspect, because while gold foil has been eaten on cake, it isn’t eaten by itself.

So “baking soda” and “gold” are not considered foods (although they are ingredients in foods).

2

What’s your definition of sugar? Broad enough to include any carbohydrates?

It seems that fat and meat (jerkey anyway) fit your criteria.

3

Almost everything contains at least trace water.

Can you clarify your question?

4

How’s this… food is something that contains at least one of the following:

(provide shortest possible list)

5

A possible definition is, food is a compound material containing organic chemicals that can be absorbed by the digestive tract and converted into energy within the organisms cells, without poisoning the organism.

Salt would not be a food, neither would water.
Sugar would be, but Destroying Angel fungus would not be.

6

There is no such food that has none of the above three. Sodium chloride is probably ubiquitous in all plant and animal tissue. Sugars likewise.

(Jerky still has some water, and it definitely has salt and sugar in the tissue.)

7

Protein, carbohydrate or fat I’d say. Anything that has calories.