EVS / Science

Food We Eat

Class 3

🎯 Learning Objectives

I can name the different sources of food (plants and animals).
I can describe the main nutrients and why our body needs them.
I can explain what a balanced diet is.
I can list different methods of cooking food.
I can tell why food preservation is important.
I can describe good food habits for staying healthy.

📖 Let Us Begin!

What did you eat for breakfast today? Maybe roti with dal, idli with chutney, or bread with butter?

Food gives us energy to play, study, and grow. Just like a car needs petrol to run, our body needs food to work properly. Different foods give us different things — some make us strong, some give us energy, and some protect us from diseases.

Let us learn about the food we eat and how to eat healthy!

Where Does Our Food Come From?

We get food from two main sources:

1. Plants (Plant-based food)

Part of Plant	Food We Get	Examples
Roots	Vegetables	Carrot, Radish, Beetroot, Potato (tuber)
Stems	Vegetables, Sugar	Sugarcane, Potato, Ginger
Leaves	Leafy vegetables	Spinach (palak), Fenugreek (methi), Cabbage
Flowers	Vegetables	Cauliflower, Broccoli, Banana flower
Fruits	Fruits	Mango, Apple, Banana, Orange, Guava
Seeds	Grains, Pulses, Spices	Rice, Wheat, Dal, Mustard, Cumin

2. Animals (Animal-based food)

Animal	Food We Get
Cow / Buffalo	Milk, Butter, Ghee, Curd, Paneer, Cheese
Hen	Eggs, Chicken
Goat	Milk, Meat
Fish	Fish (rich in protein)
Honeybee	Honey

Food from plants and food from animals — Indian foods

Nutrients in Our Food

Food contains special substances called nutrients that help our body in different ways:

Nutrient	What It Does	Foods Rich in It
Carbohydrates	Give us energy to play and work	Rice, Roti, Bread, Potato, Sugar
Proteins	Help us grow and repair body	Dal, Milk, Eggs, Paneer, Fish, Soybean
Fats	Give us extra energy and keep us warm	Ghee, Butter, Oil, Nuts, Cheese
Vitamins	Protect us from diseases	Fruits, Vegetables, Milk, Eggs
Minerals	Make bones and teeth strong	Milk (calcium), Spinach (iron), Banana (potassium)
Water	Keeps body hydrated and cool	Water, Juices, Fruits, Soups
Fibre (Roughage)	Helps in digestion	Whole grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Salad

Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is a meal that contains all the nutrients in the right amounts. It keeps us healthy and strong.

Example

A Balanced Indian Meal

Lunch: Rice/Roti (carbohydrates) + Dal (protein) + Sabzi/Vegetables (vitamins, minerals) + Curd (protein, calcium) + Salad (fibre) + A fruit (vitamins)

This meal has all the nutrients our body needs!

Eating only one type of food is not healthy. If you eat only rice, you get energy but not enough protein to grow. That's why we need a mix of different foods!

Junk Food vs Healthy Food:

Junk Food (Eat Less)	Healthy Food (Eat More)
Chips, Samosa, Pizza, Burger	Fruits, Vegetables, Dal, Roti
Cold drinks, Packaged juice	Milk, Lassi, Fresh juice, Water
Chocolates, Toffees, Cake	Dry fruits, Jaggery (gur), Honey
Too much oil, salt, sugar	Home-cooked food with less oil

Methods of Cooking

We cook food to make it tasty, soft, and safe to eat (cooking kills germs). Different methods of cooking:

Method	How It Works	Examples
Boiling	Cooking in hot water	Rice, Eggs, Dal, Potatoes
Frying	Cooking in hot oil	Puri, Pakora, Samosa
Roasting	Cooking over direct fire/heat	Corn (bhutta), Papad, Peanuts
Baking	Cooking in an oven	Bread, Cake, Biscuits
Steaming	Cooking with steam (no oil)	Idli, Dhokla, Momos
Grinding	Making paste or powder	Chutney, Masala, Atta (flour)

Food Preservation

Food can go bad (spoil) if not stored properly. Preservation means keeping food fresh for longer:

Method	How It Works	Examples
Refrigeration	Keeping food cold slows germs	Milk, Vegetables, Fruits
Drying	Removing water stops germs	Mango papad, Dry fruits, Chips
Pickling	Adding salt/oil/vinegar	Mango pickle, Lemon pickle
Adding sugar	Sugar preserves food	Jam, Jelly, Murabba
Canning	Sealing food in airtight containers	Canned fruits, Juices

Good Food Habits

🍽️ Eat at regular times — breakfast, lunch, and dinner
🧼 Always wash hands before eating
🥗 Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day
💧 Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily
🚫 Avoid too much junk food, cold drinks, and sweets
🍱 Eat home-cooked food — it is healthier
🐌 Chew food slowly and properly
🧹 Keep food covered to protect from flies and dust
🚶 Do not eat while walking or watching TV

📝 Key Words

Word	Meaning
Nutrients	Substances in food that help our body grow and stay healthy
Carbohydrates	Nutrients that give us energy (rice, roti, bread)
Proteins	Nutrients that help us grow (dal, milk, eggs)
Vitamins	Nutrients that protect us from diseases (fruits, vegetables)
Balanced diet	A meal with all nutrients in right amounts
Junk food	Unhealthy food with too much oil, salt, or sugar
Preservation	Keeping food fresh for a longer time
Fibre	Roughage that helps in digestion

⭐ Key Points to Remember

Food comes from plants (fruits, vegetables, grains) and animals (milk, eggs, fish).
Nutrients: Carbohydrates (energy), Proteins (growth), Fats (warmth), Vitamins (protection), Minerals (strong bones), Water, Fibre.
A balanced diet has all nutrients in the right amounts.
Cooking methods: Boiling, Frying, Roasting, Baking, Steaming.
Preservation: Refrigeration, Drying, Pickling, Adding sugar, Canning.
Good habits: Eat at regular times, wash hands, eat fruits/vegetables, avoid junk food.

Finished learning? Now test what you know!

🎯 Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

Answer these 8 questions about food. Read each one carefully and pick the best answer!

Score: 0 / 8

1. Which nutrient gives us energy?

Carbohydrates, found in rice, roti, and potatoes, give us energy.

2. Which nutrient helps our body grow and repair itself?

Proteins, found in dal, milk, eggs, and paneer, help our body grow and build muscles.

3. A meal that has all the nutrients in the right amounts is called a...

A balanced diet has all nutrients in the right amounts to keep us healthy.

4. Which of these foods comes from an animal?

Milk, eggs, and fish come from animals. Rice, mango, and wheat come from plants.

5. Which nutrient helps make our bones and teeth strong?

Minerals like calcium make our bones and teeth strong.

6. Name any ONE way we can preserve food to make it last longer.

Food can be preserved by refrigeration, drying, pickling, adding sugar, or canning.

7. Which is a good eating habit?

Washing hands before eating, eating at regular times, and eating fruits and vegetables are good habits.

8. Which of these is a way of cooking food?

Boiling, frying, roasting, baking, and steaming are ways of cooking food.

✏️ Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks

1. Food gives us to play and work.

2. We get milk from and .

3. give us energy (rice, roti, bread).

4. help us grow and repair our body (dal, eggs).

5. A meal with all nutrients in right amounts is called a .

6. Idli and dhokla are cooked by .

7. Keeping food in a fridge is called .

8. We should drink glasses of water daily.

9. Spinach and methi are vegetables.

10. in food helps in digestion (roughage).

B. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which nutrient gives us energy?

(a) Proteins(b) Carbohydrates(c) Vitamins(d) Minerals

2. Which food is rich in protein?

(a) Rice(b) Sugar(c) Dal(d) Butter

3. Which is a method of cooking?

(a) Sleeping(b) Steaming(c) Reading(d) Running

4. Which is junk food?

(a) Fruits(b) Dal(c) Chips(d) Milk

5. We get honey from:

(a) Cow(b) Hen(c) Honeybee(d) Fish

C. Short Answer Questions

1. Name three foods we get from plants and three from animals.

2. What is a balanced diet? Why is it important?

3. Name three methods of cooking with one example each.

4. Why should we avoid junk food?

5. Write three good food habits.

D. True or False

1. Proteins give us energy.

2. Milk is rich in calcium.

3. Junk food is good for health.

4. We should wash hands before eating.

5. Rice is a food we get from animals.

E. Match the Following

Column A	Column B
1. Carbohydrates	a. Helps us grow
2. Proteins	b. Protects from diseases
3. Vitamins	c. Gives energy
4. Fats	d. Helps digestion
5. Fibre	e. Keeps us warm

🎨 Fun Activities

Activity 1: My Food Diary

Write what you ate yesterday. Identify which nutrient each food gives:

Meal	Food I Ate	Main Nutrient
Breakfast
Lunch
Snack
Dinner

Activity 2: Draw a balanced meal plate with all food groups.

Want to review the lesson again?

EVS / Science

Food We Eat

Class 3 | CBSE / NCERT / ICSE

Name: Class: Date:

Sources of Food

From Plants: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains (rice, wheat), Pulses (dal), Spices, Oil, Sugar.

From Animals: Milk, Eggs, Fish, Honey, Meat, Butter, Ghee, Curd.

Plant Part	Food	Examples
Roots	Vegetables	Carrot, Radish, Beetroot
Leaves	Leafy vegetables	Spinach, Methi, Cabbage
Fruits	Fruits	Mango, Apple, Banana
Seeds	Grains, Pulses	Rice, Wheat, Dal

Nutrients in Food

Nutrient	Function	Foods
Carbohydrates	Give energy	Rice, Roti, Bread, Potato
Proteins	Help grow	Dal, Milk, Eggs, Paneer
Fats	Extra energy, warmth	Ghee, Butter, Oil, Nuts
Vitamins	Protect from diseases	Fruits, Vegetables
Minerals	Strong bones/teeth	Milk, Spinach, Banana
Water	Keeps body hydrated	Water, Juices, Fruits
Fibre	Helps digestion	Whole grains, Salad

Balanced Diet

A balanced diet = meal with ALL nutrients in right amounts.

Example: Roti (carbs) + Dal (protein) + Sabzi (vitamins) + Curd (calcium) + Fruit (vitamins) + Salad (fibre)

Cooking Methods

Method	How	Examples
Boiling	In hot water	Rice, Eggs, Dal
Frying	In hot oil	Puri, Pakora
Roasting	Over fire	Corn, Papad
Baking	In oven	Bread, Cake
Steaming	With steam	Idli, Dhokla

Food Preservation

Method	Examples
Refrigeration	Milk, Vegetables
Drying	Mango papad, Dry fruits
Pickling	Mango pickle, Lemon pickle
Adding sugar	Jam, Murabba

Good Food Habits

Eat at regular times
Wash hands before eating
Eat fruits and vegetables daily
Drink 6-8 glasses of water
Avoid junk food
Chew food slowly

⭐ Key Points

Food from plants (fruits, vegetables, grains) and animals (milk, eggs, fish).
Nutrients: Carbs (energy), Proteins (growth), Fats (warmth), Vitamins (protection), Minerals (bones), Water, Fibre.
Balanced diet = all nutrients in right amounts.
Cooking: Boiling, Frying, Roasting, Baking, Steaming.
Preservation: Refrigeration, Drying, Pickling, Sugar.
Good habits: regular meals, wash hands, eat healthy, avoid junk.

Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks

1. Food gives us to play and work.

2. We get milk from and .

3. give us energy (rice, roti).

4. help us grow (dal, eggs).

5. A meal with all nutrients is called a .

6. Idli is cooked by .

7. Keeping food in fridge is .

8. We should drink glasses of water daily.

9. Spinach and methi are vegetables.

10. helps in digestion.

B. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which gives energy?

(a) Proteins(b) Carbohydrates(c) Vitamins(d) Minerals

2. Which is rich in protein?

(a) Rice(b) Sugar(c) Dal(d) Butter

3. Which is a cooking method?