# Alimentos plásticos



## Sagrario Patón

Hello, I'd like to translate "alimentos plásticos" to English. It's for a lesson on Natural Science for secondary students. I don't think that 'plastic food' is correct and I can't give more context.
Thanks in advance.


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## k-in-sc

So you don't know what  "alimentos plásticos" are?


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## Mate

Sagrario, si no sabemos qué son los alimentos plásticos, mal podemos intentar traducir eso.


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## Ilialluna

Hola. Supongo que se refiere a las proteínas.


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## Sagrario Patón

Thanks for your answers. The thing is that it's a question I was asked by a colleague so I don't know exactly what it refers to.
I will tell her about proteins. Thanks again for you help.

Sagrario


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## Sherlockat

Well, without the longed-for context:

*Plastic Food:* Most of the restaurants in Japan have plastic food models of many of their dishes outside the restaurant or in their windows. There are some amazing models which look good enough to eat, and give you a great idea of what to order. There’s no problem trying to understand a badly translated menu when you can see a perfect plastic replica of what you can order.

Source: http://www.happyjappy.com/other/offbeat/plastic_food.html

Somehow the thread have to be answered


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## k-in-sc

There's also plastic food for kids to play with. But wouldn't that be "alimentos *de* plástico"?
And actually, if no context is provided, we are asked _not_ to answer (although it's not Sagrario's fault that he doesn't have any).


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## marinakatz

Hola Sagrario: 

Te hago llegar una definición -en castellano- del vocablo compuesto _alimento plástico_: 
** 
Un alimento plástico es aquel que sirve principalmente, como los albuminoides, para reparar la pérdida de materia que constantemente padece el organismo a consecuencia de su actividad fisiológica. (Fuente: Academia argentina de letras) 
 
Espero que te sea de utilidad. 
 
Marina


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## k-in-sc

The term "plastic food" seems to have been in use about 100 years ago:
Source: _Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)_
_"... Foods are divided into two main groups: nitrogenous, or proteid, foods, i.e., those which contain nitrogen, and nonnitrogenous, i.e., those which do not contain nitrogen. The latter group embraces the fats and carbohydrates, which collectively are sometimes termed heat producers or respiratory foods, since by oxidation in the body they especially subserve the production of heat. The proteids, on the other hand, are known as *plastic foods* or tissue formers, since no tissue can be formed without them. These latter terms, however, are misleading, since proteid foods may also give rise to heat both directly and indirectly, and the fats and carbohydrates are useful in other ways than in producing heat. ..."
_
If you wanted to use this hoary old term today (and why would you?), you would definitely have to make it very clear you didn't mean food made out of plastic.


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## Sagrario Patón

Thank you all for your answers. I think that now I have a clear idea of what plastic foods are.
I didn't know about the Japanese thing. It's very interesting and useful when travelling there!


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## Ilialluna

k-in-sc said:


> The term "plastic food" seems to have been in use about 100 years ago:
> Source: _Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)_
> _"... Foods are divided into two main groups: nitrogenous, or proteid, foods, i.e., those which contain nitrogen, and nonnitrogenous, i.e., those which do not contain nitrogen. The latter group embraces the fats and carbohydrates, which collectively are sometimes termed heat producers or respiratory foods, since by oxidation in the body they especially subserve the production of heat. The proteids, on the other hand, are known as *plastic foods* or tissue formers, since no tissue can be formed without them. These latter terms, however, are misleading, since proteid foods may also give rise to heat both directly and indirectly, and the fats and carbohydrates are useful in other ways than in producing heat. ..."_
> 
> If you wanted to use this hoary old term today (and why would you?), you would definitely have to make it very clear you didn't mean food made out of plastic.


 
A mí me enseñaron aquello de alimentos plásticos y alimentos energéticos en algún momento de la carrera, y aunque ya tengo una edad no tengo 100 años...
Eso sí, estoy de acuerdo en que son términos un poco obsoletos.


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## marinakatz

Ilialluna said:


> A mí me enseñaron aquello de alimentos plásticos y alimentos energéticos en algún momento de la carrera, y aunque ya tengo una edad no tengo 100 años...
> Eso sí, estoy de acuerdo en que son términos un poco obsoletos.


 
Me parece que no es un vocablo obsoleto. Sí es un término que sólo se utiliza en textos de divulgación científica.


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## k-in-sc

I'm wondering if it's more current in Spanish than English. I've read at least as much about nutrition as the next person and I've never seen it used.


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## marinakatz

Quizás, deberíamos consultar un diccionario que posea terminología científica. De todos modos, yo llamé a la academia argentina de letras y me brindaron la definición que cité el 1º de octubre.


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