What did you eat for breakfast today? Was it a paratha with curd, idli with sambar, or poha with peanuts? The food we eat gives our body the energy to run, play, study, and grow. But not all foods do the same job.
Just like a car needs the right fuel to run, our body needs the right kind of food. The useful substances in food that help our body are called nutrients. Let us learn about the different nutrients and how to eat well!
Our food contains six important nutrients. Each one has a special job:
| Nutrient | What It Does | Foods Rich in This Nutrient |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | Give us energy to work, play, and study. They are our body's main fuel. | Rice, roti (wheat), potatoes, sugar, bread, corn |
| Proteins | Help our body grow and repair itself. They build muscles, skin, and hair. | Dal, paneer, milk, eggs, fish, soybean, rajma |
| Fats | Give us extra energy and keep our body warm. They are stored for later use. | Ghee, butter, oil, nuts, cheese, coconut |
| Vitamins | Protect us from diseases and keep our eyes, skin, and bones healthy. | Fruits (orange, mango, amla), green vegetables, carrots, milk |
| Minerals | Make our bones and teeth strong. Help our blood and nerves work properly. | Milk (calcium), spinach (iron), banana (potassium), salt (iodine) |
| Water | Helps digest food, removes waste, and keeps our body cool. | Drinking water, fruits like watermelon, cucumber, buttermilk |
A balanced diet is a meal that contains the right amount of all six nutrients. Eating only one type of food is not enough. We need a mix of different foods every day.
A typical balanced Indian meal might include: roti or rice (carbohydrates), dal or rajma (proteins), a little ghee or oil (fats), a vegetable sabzi and salad (vitamins and minerals), and a glass of water or buttermilk.
Eating a balanced diet helps us stay healthy, grow tall, and fight diseases.
| Healthy Food | Junk Food |
|---|---|
| Contains many nutrients | Contains mostly fat, sugar, and salt |
| Gives lasting energy | Gives quick energy but makes us tired soon |
| Examples: fruits, vegetables, dal, roti, milk, eggs | Examples: chips, samosa (fried), cold drinks, candy, pizza, burgers |
| Keeps us healthy and strong | Can cause obesity, tooth decay, and weakness |
It is fine to eat junk food once in a while, but our daily meals should be healthy and balanced.
Food can go bad if we do not store it properly. Germs grow on food and spoil it. Food preservation means keeping food safe and fresh for a longer time. Here are some common methods:
| Method | How It Works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigeration | Keeping food cold slows down the growth of germs | Milk, vegetables, and cooked food in the fridge |
| Drying | Removing water from food so germs cannot grow | Dried mango (aampapad), dried fish, raisins |
| Pickling | Adding salt, oil, or vinegar to preserve food | Mango pickle (aam ka achaar), lemon pickle |
| Boiling | Heating food to kill germs | Boiling milk before storing it |
| Adding sugar | Sugar stops germs from growing | Jams, murabba (sweet preserve), jellies |
| Freezing | Very cold temperatures stop germs completely | Frozen peas, ice cream, frozen chapati dough |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nutrients | Useful substances in food that our body needs to stay healthy |
| Carbohydrates | Nutrients that give us energy; found in rice, roti, and potatoes |
| Proteins | Nutrients that help our body grow and repair; found in dal, milk, and eggs |
| Balanced diet | A meal that has the right amount of all nutrients |
| Junk food | Food that tastes good but has very few nutrients and too much fat or sugar |
| Preservation | Methods used to keep food fresh for a longer time |
Finished learning? Now test what you know!