NCERT Solutions for Class 6th Science Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
People across India eat very different food, because the traditional food of a state is built on the crops grown there — makki di roti and sarson da saag in Punjab, ragi mudde and rasam in Karnataka, eromba and singju in Manipur. Culinary practices change with time. The chulha has given way to the gas stove and the sil-batta to the electric grinder, mainly because of technology, better transport and better communication. Food is made of components . The major nutrients are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals ; in addition our body needs dietary fibre (roughage) and water . Carbohydrates and fats are energy-giving , proteins are body-building , and vitamins and minerals are protective nutrients . A long-term lack of any of them causes a deficiency disease — scurvy, beriberi
- What Do We Eat?
- Food in different regions
- How have cooking practices changed over time?
- What are the Components of Food?
- Proteins, and the two cases of Vitamin C and iodine
- Fig. 3.5, vitamins, minerals and deficiency diseases
- Nutrients, cooking losses, roughage and water
- Test for starch
- Test for fats
- Test for proteins
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Indian examples / sources | Where it comes in the chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | The main and quickest source of energy | Rice, wheat, bajra, potato, sweet potato, banana, mango, sugar, glucose | Section 3.2, page 40 |
| Fat | A source of stored energy; gives more energy than carbohydrates | Ghee, mustard oil, butter, groundnut, coconut, til, almonds, sunflower seeds | Section 3.2, page 40 |
| Protein | Body-building nutrient — used for growth and repair | Moong, tuar dal, rajma, chana, soya bean, milk, paneer, curd, egg, fish, edible mushroom | Section 3.2, page 41 |
| Vitamins | Protective nutrients needed in small amounts | A — papaya, carrot; B1 — whole grains; C — amla, lemon; D — sunlight, fish | Fig. 3.5, page 44 |
| Minerals | Protective nutrients that build bones, teeth and blood | Calcium — milk, paneer; Iron — green leafy vegetables, beetroot; Iodine — iodised salt, singhada | Fig. 3.5, page 44 |
| Nutrients | Food components that give energy, support growth, repair the body and protect it from disease | Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals | Page 45 |
| Roughage (dietary fibre) | Plant matter that gives no nutrient but keeps the passage of stool smooth | Green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, wholegrains, pulses, nuts | Page 46 |
| Balanced diet | A diet with all essential nutrients, roughage and water in the right amount | Roti + dal + sabzi + curd + salad + a fruit | Section 3.4, page 51 |
| Deficiency disease | An illness caused by long-term shortage of a nutrient | Scurvy, beriberi, rickets, goitre, anaemia, night blindness | Fig. 3.5, page 44 |
| Junk food | Food high in sugar and fat but very low in protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre | Potato wafers, candy bars, carbonated drinks | Page 52 |
| Millets (nutri-cereals) | Small-sized native grains, rich in vitamins, iron, calcium and fibre | Jowar, bajra, ragi, sanwa | Section 3.5, page 53 |
| Food miles | The entire distance a food item travels from the producer to the consumer | Wheat: farm → thresher → godown → flour mill → shop → your plate | Section 3.6, page 54 |
Exercises
- Activity 3.1: Let us record — What Do We Eat? Page 35 & 36
- Activity 3.2: Let us explore — Food in different regions Page 36 & 37
- Activity 3.3: Let us interact and find out — How have cooking practices changed over time? Page 38 & 39
- In-text Questions — What are the Components of Food? Page 39–41
- In-text Questions — Proteins, and the two cases of Vitamin C and iodine Page 42 & 43
- Activity 3.4: Let us conduct a survey — Fig. 3.5, vitamins, minerals and deficiency diseases Page 43 & 44
- In-text Questions — Nutrients, cooking losses, roughage and water Page 45–47
- Activity 3.5: Let us investigate — Test for starch Page 48
- Activity 3.6: Let us investigate — Test for fats Page 49
- Activity 3.7: Let us investigate — Test for proteins Page 49 & 50
- In-text Questions — Balanced Diet Page 51
- Activity 3.8: Let us find out — Is your own diet balanced? Page 51
- Activity 3.9: Let us compare — Potato wafers versus roasted chana Page 52 & 53
- In-text Questions — Millets and 3.6 Food Miles Page 53–55
- End-of-chapter questions — Let us enhance our learning Page 56–58
- Projects and further exploration — Learning further Page 58 & 59