Solutions to NCERT Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

Hello and welcome students! Please find top-quality solutions to all ‘Let us enhance our learning’ questions for Chapter 3 below. We have also included additional questions (along with solutions) for you to practise! The formats we have included are very short answer type, short-answer type, long-answer type, match and pair and fill in the blanks, keeping in mind students’ and NCERT’s new requirements. We advise you to read the book while studying the solutions and do your best to understand the material as well, instead of just memorising. Good luck!

Solutions to ‘Let us enhance our learning’ (Page No 56) of NCERT Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

1. Pick the odd one out and give reasons:

(i) Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Chana

(ii) Kidney beans, Green gram, Soya bean, Rice

Answers:

(i) Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Chana

Chana is the odd one out. Jowar, Bajra, Ragi are all types of millets (or cereal crops) whereas Chana is a legume and not a cereal.

(ii) Kidney beans, Green gram, Soya bean, Rice

Rice is the odd one out. Kidney beans, Green gram, Soya bean are all legumes whereas rice is a cereal grain.

2. Discuss traditional versus modern culinary practices in India.
Answer:

Traditional Culinary Practices	Modern Culinary Practices
(i) Earlier, cooking was done using a chulha, a clay or mud stove using wood, cow dung, or coal as fuel.	(i) In modern times, we cook using a modern gas stove. We use LPG as cooking fuel.
(ii) A traditional grinding stone, the sil-batta, was used for grinding spices, herbs, and grains manually.	(ii) Nowadays we use an electric grinder. This saves time and effort.
(iii) Healthier home-cooked food was consumed due to non-availability of junk food produced by large brands.	(iii) Less home-cooked food is consumed due to availability of large variety of junk food and restaurants.
(iv) Earlier, mostly locally grown food was consumed.	(iv) Technological advancement and enhanced transportation networks have facilitated the easy availability of fresh ingredients and ready-to-use products from far away.

3. A teacher says that good food may act as medicine. Ravi is curious about this statement and has some questions for his teacher. List at least two questions that he can ask.
Answer:

Some questions Ravi can ask are:

• What types of food act as medicines?
• How much of these foods should be consumed on a daily basis?
• What kinds of diseases do they cure?
• Should I eat these foods for the short-term or long-term?
• What is the right way to prepare these foods so that their medicinal qualities are not lost?
• What happens inside the body when you eat these foods?

4. Not all delicious foods are necessarily healthy, while not all nutritious foods are always enjoyable. Share your thoughts along with a few examples.
Answer:

Delicious but Unhealthy Foods:

• Fried foods like chips, pakoras and aloobhujia taste good, but are unhealthy due to large quantities of fats.
• Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) are high in saturated fats, and sodium due to the use of cream, butter, and ghee.
• Icecream tastes delicious but have high sugar and fat content.

Nutritious Foods which may not be Enjoyable

• Bitter gourd (karela) tastes bitter but is rich in vitamins C and K, as well as antioxidants and fibre.
• Boiled vegetables such as boiled carrots, potatoes etc may not be preferred by some but are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.
• Brown bread, although rich in fibre, is drier and might not be preferred over white bread which is made of flour and is softer. 

5. Medu does not eat vegetables but enjoys biscuits, noodles and white bread. He often has stomach ache and constipation. What changes should he make in his diet to get rid of these problems? Explain your answer.
Answer:
Medu’s current diet, which includes biscuits, noodles, and white bread, lacks essential nutrients and dietary fiber, leading to stomach aches and constipation. The following changes should be made to his diet:

Prevention of Constipation:

To prevent constipation, Medu should increase fibre intake. White bread should be replaced with whole wheat or multigrain bread. Whole grain pasta and brown rice should be consumed instead of refined noodles and white rice. Whole grains are high in dietary fibre which promotes bowel movements. Fruits and vegetables should also be consumed as they are rich in dietary fibre.

Medu should drink 8 – 10 glasses of water everyday. Water aids in digestion and prevents constipation.

Cure for Stomach Ache:

Medu should reduce consumption of processed foods like biscuits and noodles and follow the diet regimen given above instead.

6. Reshma had trouble seeing things in dim light. The doctor tested her eyesight and prescribed a particular vitamin supplement. He also advised her to include a few food items in her diet.

(i) Which deficiency disease is she suffering from?

(ii) Which food component may be lacking in her diet?

(iii) Suggest some food items that she should include in her diet to overcome this problem (any four).

Answer:

(i) Reshma is suffering from night blindness.

(ii) Vitamin A is lacking in her diet.

(iii) Foods like papaya, carrot, mango and milk are four foods rich in Vitamin A to be included in her diet.

7. You are provided the following:

(i) Canned fruit juice

(ii) Fresh fruit juice

(iii) Fresh fruit

Which one would you prefer and why?

Answer:

I would prefer fresh fruit.

Reasons:

• Fresh fruits contain a lot of fibre which promotes bowel movement.
• While making fresh fruit juice some vitamins and minerals might be lost.
• Canned fruit juices contain added sugars and preservatives, which might be unhealthy.

8. Gourav got a fracture in his leg. His doctor aligned the bones and put on a plaster. The doctor also gave him calcium tablets. On the second visit, the doctor gave him Vitamin D syrup along with calcium tablets. Refer to Fig. 3.5 and answer the following questions:

(i) Why did the doctor give calcium tablets to Gourav?

(ii) On the second visit, why did the doctor give Vitamin D syrup along with calcium tablets?

(iii) What question arises in your mind about the choices made by the doctor in giving the medicines?

Answer:

(i) The doctor gave calcium tablets to Gourav because it is essential for bone repair and strength.

(ii) The doctor gave Vitamin D syrup along with the calcium tablets because as we can see in Fig. 3.5, Vitamin D plays a vital role in calcium absorption.

(iii) The question that arises in my mind about the choices made by the doctor in giving the medicines is, “Why was Vitamin D syrup not given along with the calcium tablets from the beginning?”

This is an apt question because since Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, it might seem logical to provide both medicines together right from the beginning. This question could provide insights into the doctor’s treatment method for this particular case.

9. Sugar is an example of carbohydrates. Sugar is tested with iodine solution but it does not change to blue-black colour. What can be a possible reason?
Answer:
The reason is that sugar is a simple carbohydrate. Only complex carbohydrates such as starch change the colour of iodine solution to blue-black.

10. What do you think of Raman’s statement, “All starches are carbohydrates but not all carbohydrates are starches.’’ Describe the design of an activity to test your answer.
Answer:
Raman’s statement means that while starches are a type of carbohydrate, there are other types of carbohydrates which are not starches.

We design the following activity to test the answer:

Aim: To test whether there are other types of carbohydrates which are not starches.

Materials Required: Potato slice, sugar, iodine solution, dropper.

Procedure:

(i) Using the dropper add a few drops of iodine solution to the potato slice. Observe what happens.

(ii) Next, using the dropper add a few drops of iodine solution to the sugar. Observe what happens.

Observations:

You will observe that the iodine turns blue-black on contact with the potato slice, whereas the colour of iodine does change on contact with the sugar.

Conclusions:

We conclude that:

• Iodine turns blue-black on contact with the potato slice because of the presence of starch in it.
• However, the colour of iodine does not change on contact with the sugar, indicating that it does not contain starch.
• Both the potato slice and sugar are carbohydrates. The activity proves that potato is a type of starch whereas sugar is not a starch.

11. While using iodine in the laboratory, a few drops of iodine fell on Mishti’s socks and a few fell on her teacher’s saree. The drops of iodine on the saree turned blue-black while the colour on the socks did not change. What can be a possible reason?
Answer:
Iodine turns blue-black on contact with starch. The reason the iodine on teacher’s saree turned blue-black is because starch was present in the saree. The saree was possibly made of cotton or silk and was treated with starch to give the fabric the required stiffness and polish. The fabric in Mishti’s socks did not contain starch, hence the colour of iodine on the socks did not change.

12. Why are millets considered a healthy choice of food? Can eating just millets suffice for the nutritional requirements of the body? Discuss.
Answer:
Although millets are good sources of vitamins, minerals like iron and calcium, and dietary fibres, they are not sufficient for a balanced diet. They do not contain sufficient protein and certain kinds of vitamins and minerals which are essential for a balanced diet. Therefore, eating just millets does not suffice for the nutritional requirements of the body.

13. You are given a sample of a solution. How would you check the possibility of it being an iodine solution?
Answer:
You can take a slice of a raw food substance which contains starch, like a raw potato. Then you can adda few drops of the unknown solution to it. If the solution turns blue-black on contact with the starchy food item, then it confirms that solution is an iodine solution.

Solutions to In Text Questions of NCERT Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

1. (Page 47) What are the food sources that provide water to our body? List a few of them.
Answer:
Vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, cauliflowers, spinach provide water to the body. Fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit, oranges, apples, pineapple also provide water to the body.

2. (Page 55) How would eating local food help reduce food miles?
Answer:
Eating local food would help reduce food miles by reducing the number of storehouses necessary to keep the food fresh and the overall transportation distance for food would be shortened.

Extra Questions to Complement Solutions to NCERT Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

Very Short Answer Type Questions:

1. What does food contain that are essential for our body?
Answer:
Food contains nutrients that are essential for our body.

2. How can you test whether food contains certain types of nutrients?
Answer:
You can test by using various kinds of solutions like iodine, copper sulphate and caustic soda.

3. Can certain foods contain more than one nutrient?
Answer:
Yes, certain foods can have several kinds of nutrients. For example, eggs contain protein, fat, and vitamins.

4. What are dietary fibres also called?
Answer:
Dietary fibres are also called roughage.

5. What happens due to deficiency of nutrients?
Answer:
Deficiency of nutrients for a long time cause diseases and disorders in our body – they are called deficiency of diseases.

6. Deficiency of which vitamin causes scurvy?
Answer:
Deficiency of Vitamin C causes scurvy.

7. Name two nutrients that provide energy?
Answer:
Two nutrients that provide energy are carbohydrates and fats.

8. Name two sources of carbohydrates.
Answer:
Two sources of carbohydrates are rice and potatoes.

9. Name two sources of protein.
Answer:
Two sources of protein are kidney beans (plant-based) and chicken (animal-based).

10. Name two sources of fat.
Answer:
Two sources of fat are sunflower oil (plant-based) and butter (animal-based).

11. What are two most important carbohydrates found in our food?
Answer:
The two most important carbohydrates found in our food aresugar and starch.

12. What do fruits contain in addition to nutrients?
Answer:
Fruits contain water in addition to nutrients.

13. What deficiency diseases does iron cause?
Answer:
Iron causes the deficiency diseaseanaemia.

Short Answer Type Questions:

1. What is the function of vitamins? What does Vitamin D do?
Answer:
Vitamins help to protect our body from diseases. They keep our eyes, bones, teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin D protects against diseases such as rickets. They make your bones strong.

2. What is a balanced diet?
Answer:
In order to stay healthy, our diet should have all the nutrients that our body needs in the right quantities. We need all the nutrients in the exact right amounts – not too much and not too little. The diet also needs to include the right amount of roughage and water. This is known as a balanced diet.

3. What happens if you eat too much fatty foods?
Answer:
If you eat too many fat-rich foods while neglecting other aspects of a balanced diet, you may end up suffering from a condition called obesity. So, you must eat a balanced diet to stay healthy.

4. Why is cooking food necessary? When can it be harmful?
Answer:
Cooking food makes food tasty and easier for the body the digest. However, cooking can also result in the loss of nutrients. For example, proteins and minerals can be removed by use of excess water. Also, Vitamin C gets easily destroyed by use of heat of during cooking. So, cooking food in the right way is of utmost importance.

5. How do you test whether starch is present in food?
Answer:
To test whether starch is present in the body you must take a small quantity of the food or the raw ingredient and put 2-3 drops of dilute iodine solution on it. Then observe what happens. If the colour turns blue-black, that means there is starch present in the food item.

8. What disease does deficiency of iodine cause and what are the symptoms?
Answer:
Deficiency of iodine causes goitre. The symptoms are as follows:

(i) Glands in the neck become swollen.

(ii) Children may have mental disability.

9. What are the benefits of water?
Answer:
The following are the benefits of water:

(i) Water helps the body absorb nutrients from food.

(ii) It helps to eliminate wastes and toxins from our body through urine and sweat.

Therefore, in order to maintain a balanced diet, it is essential to drink sufficient amount of water.

Long Answer Type Questions:

1. What happens if a person is deficient in proteins?

Answer:

Deficiency of proteins has the following effects:

(i) A person might have stunted growth

(ii) Swelling of face might occur

(iii) Discolouration of hair

(iv) Skin disease

(v) Diarrhoea

2. Name the vitamin/mineral deficiencies associated with the following diseases:

(a) Bleeding gums
(b) Loss of vision
(c) Bones become soft and bent
(d) Swollen glands in the neck

Answer:

(a)Vitamin C
(b) Vitamin A
(c) Vitamin D
(d) Iodine

Fill in the blanks:

wash, energy giving foods, skins, fats, deficiency

(a) If you eat too much of one nutrient and neglect another it will lead to ___________.

(b) Foods which contain fats and carbohydrates are called ___________.

(c) The ___________ of many vegetables and fruits contain vitamins and minerals.

(d) If you repeatedly ___________ certain kinds of food vitamins and minerals might get removed.

(e) ___________ give us much more energy than carbohydrates.

Answers:

(a) If you eat too much of one nutrient and neglect another it will lead to deficiency.

(b) Foods which contain fats and carbohydrates are called energy giving foods.

(c) The skins of many vegetables and fruits contain vitamins and minerals.

(d) If you repeatedly wash certain kinds of food vitamins and minerals might get removed.

(e) Fats give us much more energy than carbohydrates.

Match and pair:

Column A	Column B
Balanced diet	Bone and tooth decay
Calcium	Small amount of caustic soda dissolved in water
Coconut oil. Soyabean oil, sunflower oil	Sources of phosphorus
Milk, bananas	Good health
Dilute solution	Contain fat from plant sources

Answer:

Column A	Column B
Balanced diet	Good health
Calcium	Bone and tooth decay
Coconut oil. Soyabean oil, sunflower oil	Contain fat from plant sources
Milk, bananas	Sources of phosphorus
Dilute solution	Small amount of caustic soda dissolved in water

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