NCERT Question-Answer Solution for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 – Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body
Complete NCERT Question–Answer Set for Class 6 Science (Curiosity Textbook) – Chapter 3: Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body
Class 6 Science NCERT Solution – Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body
Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body – Full NCERT Question–Answer Set (CBSE Class 6 Science – Curiosity Book)
NCERT Solution – Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body
1. Pick the odd one out and give reasons:
(i) Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Chana
Answer: Chana is the odd one out.
Reason: Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are millets, while Chana is a pulse.
(ii) Kidney beans, Green gram, Soya bean, Rice
Answer: Rice is the odd one out.
Reason: Kidney beans, green gram and soya bean are pulses rich in protein; rice is a cereal rich in carbohydrates.
2. Discuss traditional versus modern culinary practices in India.
Answer: Traditional cooking used chulhas, firewood, and sil-batta for grinding. Food was slow-cooked and used natural ingredients.
Modern culinary practices use gas stoves, mixers, pressure cookers, induction stoves, microwaves, and ready-to-cook items. Food preparation has become faster due to technology and lifestyle changes.
3. A teacher says that good food may act as medicine. Ravi has some questions. List two questions he may ask.
Answer:
- How can food protect us from diseases?
- Which foods act like natural medicines for the body?
4. Not all delicious foods are healthy; not all nutritious foods are enjoyable. Explain with examples.
Answer: Foods like wafers, cakes, and soft drinks are tasty but unhealthy as they contain high sugar and fats.
Nutritious foods like green leafy vegetables, ragi, millets, and sprouts are healthy but not enjoyed by all.
5. Medu eats biscuits, noodles and white bread but not vegetables. He suffers from stomach ache and constipation. What changes should he make in his diet?
Answer:
Medu should increase the intake of fibre-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pulses, and nuts. He should reduce junk food and drink enough water. Dietary fibre and water will relieve constipation.
6. Reshma cannot see properly in dim light. Doctor prescribed vitamins.
(i) Which deficiency disease is she suffering from?
Answer: Night blindness.
(ii) Which food component is lacking?
Answer: Vitamin A.
(iii) Suggest four food items rich in this nutrient.
Answer: Carrot, papaya, milk, mango.
7. You are given canned fruit juice, fresh fruit juice, and a fresh fruit. Which would you prefer and why?
Answer: Fresh fruit is the best choice because it contains more fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Packaged or canned juices may contain preservatives and added sugar.
8. Gourav got a fracture. Doctor gave calcium tablets first and then Vitamin D syrup.
(i) Why calcium tablets?
Answer: Calcium helps in healing bones and making them strong.
(ii) Why Vitamin D syrup?
Answer: Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium properly.
(iii) What question arises in your mind?
Answer: Why was Vitamin D not given in the first visit? Or Can calcium work without Vitamin D?
9. Sugar gives no blue-black colour with iodine. Why?
Answer: Sugar is a carbohydrate but not starch. Only starch reacts with iodine to give blue-black colour.
10. What do you think of the statement: “All starches are carbohydrates but not all carbohydrates are starches”? Describe an activity to test it.
Answer:
The statement is correct. Carbohydrates include sugars, starch, and fibres. Iodine reacts only with starch.
Activity:
Take sugar solution and potato paste. Add iodine solution to both. Potatoes turn blue-black (starch present), sugar does not (no starch). This proves the statement.
11. Iodine stained the teacher’s saree blue-black but not Mishti’s socks. Why?
Answer: The saree has starch (maybe cotton starched during ironing), so it turned blue-black. Socks did not contain starch.
12. Why are millets a healthy choice? Can eating only millets fulfil all nutritional needs?
Answer:
Millets are rich in fibre, vitamins, iron, calcium, and minerals. They are nutritious and easy to digest.
However, eating only millets is not enough. The body needs all nutrients (proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals), so a balanced diet is necessary.
13. You are given a solution. How will you check if it is iodine solution?
Answer: Add a drop of the solution to starch (potato or flour paste). If it turns blue-black, the solution is iodine.
In-Text Questions (with Answers)
1. What observations can you make about the food you eat in a week?
Answer: The food I eat in a week shows variety. Some meals are repeated, but many items differ day-to-day. My food includes cereals, vegetables, fruits, pulses, and snacks. I do not eat the same food in every meal.
2. Why do we see diversity in food consumed in various states of India?
Answer: Food diversity exists because each state has different soil, climate, crops, culture, traditions, and taste preferences. Locally grown crops strongly influence traditional foods.
3. What relation do you find between traditional food items and locally grown crops?
Answer: Traditional foods are usually prepared from crops grown in that region. For example, wheat is widely eaten in Punjab, while rice is commonly eaten in southern and eastern states.
4. How have cooking practices changed over time?
Answer: Cooking has shifted from traditional tools like chulha and sil-batta to modern tools like gas stoves, mixers, and induction stoves. These changes occurred due to technological advancement, better transportation, and the need for convenience.
5. Why does a marathon runner drink glucose water?
Answer: Glucose provides instant energy, helping the runner regain strength during and after the race.
6. Why are laddoos eaten more in winter?
Answer: Laddoos contain ghee, edible gum, flour, nuts, and seeds. These ingredients provide high energy and warmth during winter.
7. Which food items are good sources of carbohydrates?
Answer: Wheat, rice, maize, potatoes, sweet potatoes, banana, mango, and sugar are good sources of carbohydrates.
8. Which foods are energy-giving foods?
Answer: Carbohydrates and fats are energy-giving foods.
9. Why must we include vegetables and fruits in our diet?
Answer: They provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, and protect the body from diseases.
10. What cures scurvy? (From Case 1)
Answer: Vitamin C cures scurvy. Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges are rich in Vitamin C.
11. What cures goitre? (From Case 2)
Answer: Iodine cures goitre. Consuming iodised salt prevents this deficiency disease.
12. What are nutrients?
Answer: Nutrients are food components that provide energy, support growth, repair the body, protect against diseases, and maintain body functions.
13. What is roughage?
Answer: Roughage is dietary fibre found in plant foods. It helps in digestion and smooth passage of stool.
14. Why is water important?
Answer: Water helps absorb nutrients, remove waste through urine and sweat, regulate temperature, and support body functions.
15. How do we test for starch in food?
Answer: By adding iodine solution. If the food turns blue-black, starch is present.
16. How do we test for fats?
Answer: Rub food on paper. If it leaves a translucent oily patch, fat is present.
17. How do we test for proteins?
Answer: Add copper sulphate and caustic soda to food paste. A violet colour shows the presence of protein.
Additional Expected Questions (Based on Activities and Concepts)
1. Define food miles.
Answer: Food miles refer to the total distance food travels from the place where it is produced to the consumer’s plate.
2. Why should we reduce food miles?
Answer: Reducing food miles saves fuel, reduces pollution, supports local farmers, and provides fresher food.
3. What is a balanced diet?
Answer: A balanced diet contains all essential nutrients, water, and roughage in the right amounts needed by the body.
4. Why are junk foods harmful?
Answer: Junk foods contain high sugar and fats but low vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fibre. They cause obesity and poor health.
5. Give two examples each of:
(i) Energy-giving foods
Answer: Rice, ghee.
(ii) Body-building foods
Answer: Eggs, pulses.
(iii) Protective foods
Answer: Fruits, green leafy vegetables.
Activity-Based Questions (with Answers)
1. What did you learn by testing foods for starch, proteins, and fats?
Answer:
Foods may contain more than one nutrient. For example, peanuts contain both proteins and fats. Different tests help identify the presence of nutrients.
2. Why do cooked vegetables sometimes lose colour and crispness?
Answer:
Because heat destroys some nutrients like Vitamin C and softens plant tissues.
3. Why is washing cut fruits not advisable?
Answer:
Because vitamins may dissolve in water and get lost.
HOTS Questions (Higher Order Thinking Skills)
1. Why do people living in cold regions eat more fatty foods?
Answer: Fat provides stored energy and keeps the body warm.
2. Why should children drink milk regularly?
Answer: Milk provides calcium and protein needed for growth and strong bones.
3. Why is eating local food better for the environment?
Answer: It reduces transportation, saves energy, lowers pollution, and supports local farmers.
Extra Short Questions
1. Name two nutrients required in small amounts.
Answer: Vitamins and minerals.
2. What is scurvy?
Answer: A disease caused by deficiency of Vitamin C.
3. Name a natural way our body gets Vitamin D.
Answer: Sunlight.