Food We Eat — NCERT Solutions

Yes, I would definitely share my food with my friend if they do not bring lunch. Sharing food is an act of kindness and friendship. If my friend is hungry, it is my responsibility to help them. Eating together also makes the food taste better and strengthens our bond of friendship. As we learn in this chapter, food gives us energy — so I would not want my friend to feel weak or hungry during school hours.

We need different kinds of food because: (1) Different foods provide different nutrients to our body. For example, dal and milk give us proteins for growth, rice and roti give us carbohydrates for energy, and fruits and vegetables give us vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. (2) No single food item contains all the nutrients our body needs. (3) Eating a variety of foods ensures our body gets everything it needs to grow, stay strong, and fight diseases. (4) Different foods also give us different tastes — sweet, sour, spicy, salty — making our meals enjoyable. Therefore, eating different kinds of food helps us maintain a balanced diet and stay healthy.

We eat seasonal foods because: (1) Seasonal foods are fresh and naturally available during that time of the year, so they taste better. (2) They are more nutritious as they are grown naturally without too many chemicals. (3) Seasonal foods are suited to the weather — for example, in summer we eat cooling foods like mangoes, watermelon and cucumber, which help our body stay cool. In winter, we eat warm foods like soups, gajar ka halwa and til (sesame) which keep our body warm. (4) Seasonal foods are usually cheaper and easily available in the local market. (5) Eating seasonal food is good for our health and for the environment.

We can tell if a food is healthy or unhealthy by looking at the following points: Healthy food: (1) It is natural — fruits, vegetables, dal, milk, grains. (2) It gives our body energy, helps us grow, and keeps us fit. (3) It is not too oily, too sweet or too salty. (4) It is freshly prepared at home. (5) It makes us feel energetic after eating. Unhealthy food: (1) It is processed or packaged — like chips, biscuits, cold drinks. (2) It contains too much sugar, salt, oil or artificial colours. (3) It is fried or made with too much fat. (4) It makes us feel heavy or sluggish after eating. (5) Eating too much of it can cause health problems like obesity, tooth decay, etc. So, fresh, natural and home-cooked food is generally healthy, while packaged, fried and sugary food is generally unhealthy.

It is important to avoid wasting food because: (1) Many people in our country and the world do not have enough food to eat. Wasting food is unfair to them. (2) Growing food requires a lot of hard work by farmers, water, land and time. Wasting food means wasting all these resources. (3) Wasted food that goes to landfills produces harmful gases that pollute the environment. Ways to reduce food waste at home: (1) Take only as much food on your plate as you can eat. (2) Store leftover food properly and eat it the next day. (3) Plan meals so that only the required amount of food is cooked. (4) Use vegetable peels to make compost for plants. (5) Share extra food with neighbours, friends or those in need. (6) Avoid ordering or buying more food than needed.

This is a personal activity. A sample answer: Fruits eaten in our family: Mango, Banana, Apple, Guava, Orange, Papaya, Watermelon, Grapes. Vegetables eaten in our family: Potato, Tomato, Spinach (Palak), Cauliflower, Brinjal, Carrot, Peas, Onion, Cabbage, Bitter gourd (Karela). Note: Students should write the names of fruits and vegetables actually eaten in their own family.

This is a personal activity. A sample recipe for Aloo Paratha: Name of dish: Aloo Paratha. Ingredients needed: Wheat flour (atta), boiled potatoes, salt, red chilli powder, coriander leaves, ghee or butter. Steps to make it: (1) Knead the wheat flour into soft dough with water. (2) Mash the boiled potatoes and mix with salt, red chilli powder and coriander leaves to make the filling. (3) Take a small ball of dough, roll it flat, place the potato filling in the centre, and fold the dough around it. (4) Roll it again into a flat round shape. (5) Cook it on a hot tawa (griddle) with ghee or butter on both sides until golden brown. (6) Serve hot with curd or pickle. Note: Students should write the recipe of their own favourite dish.

A food item that includes both plant and animal based ingredients: Example 1: Kheer — It is made from milk (animal based ingredient, obtained from cows or buffaloes) and rice (plant based ingredient, a grain grown in fields), along with sugar (plant based, from sugarcane). Example 2: Egg Curry — It contains eggs (animal based) and tomatoes, onions, spices (all plant based). Example 3: Paneer Sabzi — It contains paneer (animal based, made from milk) and vegetables like peas or spinach (plant based). So, Kheer is a good example of a dish that uses both plant and animal based ingredients.

This is a drawing activity. Students should draw three thalis in their notebooks and label them as follows: Thali 1 — Morning (Breakfast): Draw and label items like — Paratha, Milk, Banana, Poha, or Idli-Sambar. Thali 2 — Afternoon (Lunch): Draw and label items like — Roti, Dal, Rice, Sabzi (vegetable), Salad, Curd. Thali 3 — Night (Dinner): Draw and label items like — Roti, Dal or Sabzi, Rice, a glass of milk. Note: Students should draw based on what they actually eat at home. The drawings should be neat and all items should be labelled clearly.

This is a hands-on group activity. Steps to prepare a simple Fruit Chaat: (1) Each student brings one fruit from home (e.g., banana, apple, guava, orange, grapes). (2) With the teacher's help, wash all the fruits thoroughly. (3) Peel and cut the fruits into small pieces. (4) Mix all the fruit pieces in a large bowl. (5) Add a pinch of chaat masala, black salt and a squeeze of lemon juice for taste. (6) Mix gently and serve in small cups or plates. (7) Share and enjoy the fruit chaat with friends. What we learn: This activity teaches us about sharing, teamwork, and the importance of eating fresh fruits. Eating together makes food more enjoyable and strengthens friendship.

If a guest suddenly visits our home, I would serve them the following food: (1) A cool drink like nimbu paani (lime water) or lassi to welcome them and make them feel refreshed. (2) Some snacks like biscuits, namkeen or fruits that are easily available at home. (3) If it is mealtime, I would serve a proper meal with roti, dal, rice, a vegetable dish and curd. Why I would serve this food: (1) In Indian culture, guests are treated with great respect. We say 'Atithi Devo Bhava' which means 'the guest is like God'. (2) Offering food and drink to a guest is a sign of warmth, love and hospitality. (3) I would choose food that is healthy, tasty and easy to prepare quickly. (4) I would make sure the food is fresh and served neatly to make the guest feel welcome and comfortable.