NCERT Curiosity · Class 6 · Science
Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body
“annena jātani jivanti” — food gives life to living beings.
Key idea
Food Across India
Food choices differ from person to person and place to place, shaped by locally grown crops and traditions.
Wheat and maize form the base of many traditional dishes.
Rice-based dishes are common, reflecting the region's staple crop.
Rice and bamboo shoots feature widely in everyday cooking.
Key idea
Changing Culinary Practices
1
Then
Cooking on a chulha (wood-fired stove), and grinding spices on a sil-batta (stone grinder).
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2
Now
Gas stoves and electric grinders — changes driven by technology, transport, and communication.
Key idea
Carbohydrates and Fats
Carbohydrates and fats together are called energy-giving foods.
A primary energy source — cereals (wheat, rice, maize), vegetables (potato, sweet potato), fruits (banana, mango), and common sugar.
A source of stored energy — nuts and seeds (plant sources), ghee and oils, and animal sources.
Key idea
Proteins
Proteins help in growth and repair of the body, so they are called body-building foods. Growing children especially need the right amount.
Plant sourcesPulses, beans, peas, and nuts.
Animal sourcesMilk, paneer, egg, fish, and meat.
Key idea
Vitamins and Minerals
Nutrient | Some sources | Deficiency disease
Papaya, carrot, mango, milk — Night blindness
Wholegrains, pulses — Beriberi
Citrus fruits (lemon, orange) — Scurvy
Key idea
Vitamins and Minerals — continued
1
Vitamin D
Sunlight, milk, egg yolk — Rickets
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2
Iodine
Iodised salt — Goitre
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3
Iron
Green leafy vegetables, jaggery — Anaemia
Key idea
Roughage and Water
1
Roughage (dietary fibre)
Found in green leafy vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, and pulses. It provides no nutrients itself, but helps remove undigested food and keeps bowel movement smooth.
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2
Water
Helps the body absorb nutrients and removes waste through sweat and urine. Drinking enough water every day is essential for health.
Key idea
Testing Food for Nutrients
Test | What you add | Positive result
Iodine solution — Turns blue-black
Rub on paper — Leaves an oily, translucent patch
Copper sulfate + caustic soda — Turns violet
Key idea
Balanced Diet vs Junk Food
1
Balanced diet
Has all essential nutrients, roughage, and water in the right amounts. Requirements vary by age, gender, activity, and health.
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2
Junk food
High in sugar, fat, and calories, but low in protein, vitamins, minerals, and fibre (e.g. wafers, candy, carbonated drinks). Frequent eating can cause obesity and health problems.
Key idea
Millets and Food Miles
1
Millets (nutri-cereals)
Jowar, bajra, ragi, and sanwa are native Indian grains, easily grown in varied climates, and rich in vitamins, iron, calcium, and fibre.
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2
Food miles
The distance a food item travels from producer to consumer. Shorter food miles cost less, pollute less, support local farmers, and stay fresher.
Chapter · Key terms to remember
Key Terms
Nutrients
Parts of food that give energy, growth, and protection.
Carbohydrates & Fats
Energy-giving nutrients.
Proteins
Body-building nutrients.
Chapter · Key terms to remember
More Key Terms
Vitamins & Minerals
Protective nutrients.
Roughage
Fibre that helps digestion, without nutrients.
Deficiency disease
Illness caused by lack of a nutrient.
Chapter · Key terms to remember
More Key Terms
Millets
Nutrient-rich native Indian grains.
Food miles
Distance food travels to reach us.
Questions for your notebook
Write these down, then discuss
1Pick the odd one out and give reasons: (i) Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Chana (ii) Kidney beans, Green gram, Soya bean, Rice
2Discuss traditional versus modern culinary practices in India.
3A teacher says good food may act as medicine. Ravi wants to ask his teacher some questions about this. List at least two he could ask.
Project as-is — students copy the questions, then the class discusses answers together.