Food: Where It Comes From and What It Contains: Class 6 Study Guide
Food gives us energy, helps us grow and keeps us healthy. A balanced diet has all the nutrients in the right amounts.
Our food comes from plants (cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruit) and animals (milk, eggs, meat, fish). It contains nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. We also need water and roughage (fibre) to digest food and stay healthy.
A balanced diet has all of these in the right amounts for our age and activity.
Nutrients and their jobs
| Nutrient | Job | Some sources |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | Give energy | Rice, wheat, potatoes, sugar |
| Proteins | Help growth and repair | Dal, milk, eggs, fish |
| Fats | Store energy and keep us warm | Ghee, oil, nuts |
| Vitamins | Protect and help the body work | Fruit and vegetables |
| Minerals | Build bones; carry oxygen | Milk, greens, salt |
| Roughage | Helps digestion | Whole grains, vegetables |
Deficiency diseases
Not getting enough of a nutrient causes a deficiency disease. Too little vitamin A causes night blindness, vitamin C causes scurvy, vitamin D causes rickets, iron causes anaemia and iodine causes goitre. Eating a variety of foods prevents these.
Cereals, pulses, vegetables, milk.
Vitamins and fibre.
Several glasses a day.
Eat in moderation.
Simple food tests
A drop of iodine solution turns blue-black in the presence of starch. Rubbing food on paper leaves a translucent spot if it contains fat. These tests are done with a teacher's help, since chemicals need care.
Worked examples and common mistakes
Example: Which nutrient helps repair the body? Protein. Example: Lack of iodine causes goitre. Common mistakes: thinking that only expensive food is healthy, and thinking that fats and sugar are never needed. We need them in small amounts.
Check your understanding: model answers
1. Carbohydrates. 2. Scurvy. 3. Put a drop of iodine solution on it: blue-black means starch is present.
✨ Key Takeaways
- A balanced diet has carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and roughage.
- Deficiency means too little of a nutrient.
- Iodine turns blue-black with starch.
- Eat a variety of foods.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- Which nutrient gives quick energy?
- Which disease is caused by a lack of vitamin C?
- How can you test food for starch?
Print a science observation log →