🎯 Learning outcomes
- Name the nutrients in food: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water
- Explain deficiency diseases and a balanced diet
- Describe ways of cooking and preserving food and preventing waste
Before you start: Energy, body-building and protective foods.
📖 Explanation
Food contains nutrients. Carbohydrates (rice, wheat, potato) and fats (oil, ghee, nuts) give energy. Proteins (dal, milk, eggs, fish, soya) build and repair the body. Vitamins and minerals (fruits, vegetables, milk) keep us healthy. Fibre (whole grains, vegetables) helps digestion, and water is needed for all body work.
A balanced diet gives all nutrients in the right amounts. Lack of a nutrient can cause a deficiency disease: lack of vitamin C causes scurvy (bleeding gums), lack of iodine causes goitre, lack of iron causes anaemia (tiredness).
Food can be preserved by drying (papad, dried fish), salting and oiling (pickles), sugar (jams, murabba), refrigeration and canning. Cook vegetables lightly and with lids to save vitamins; do not waste food.
Iodised salt is sold across India to prevent goitre, and many states give children iron tablets and nutritious mid-day meals at school.
✗ Fats are always bad for us
✓ We need some fats for energy and to absorb some vitamins; too much fried food is the problem.
🧪 Try this activity
Read the labels on three food packets. Note the protein, fat and sugar in each and decide which is the healthiest snack.
✍️ Question bank with answers
Tap an option to check multiple-choice answers. Open “Answer” or “Marking points” for the others.
-
Which nutrient mainly builds the body?
Answer
D. protein
Proteins build and repair body tissues.
-
Lack of iodine can cause
Answer
B. goitre
Iodine is needed by the thyroid gland.
-
Pickles are preserved mainly with
Answer
D. salt and oil
Salt and oil stop germs growing.
-
Name a food rich in carbohydrates.
Answer
rice, wheat, potato or ragi
-
Which vitamin's lack causes bleeding gums?
Answer
vitamin C
-
Why do we need fibre in our food?
Marking points
- It helps food move through the intestines
- Prevents constipation
-
Plan a day's balanced meals for a 10-year-old and name the nutrient each item gives.
Marking points
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner listed
- Carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin and mineral sources included
- Water and fruit included
-
Why should vegetables be washed before cutting, not after?
Answer
- Washing after cutting washes away vitamins
- Washing first removes dirt and germs
-
Draw a chart of the seven components of food with one example each.
Answer
- Carbohydrate: rice
- Protein: dal
- Fat: ghee
- Vitamin: orange
- Mineral: milk
- Fibre: whole wheat
- Water: water
🎲 Practice more
A new set of questions every time you press the button. Tap an option to check it and see why. Maths, science, computer and commerce sets get fresh numbers and pictures on every try.
Turn on JavaScript to get practice sets.