Balanced Diet
Class 6 Science · Chapter 3: Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body · NCERT Curiosity section 3.4
Learn
A balanced diet has all the nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals) in the right amounts, plus fibre and water. No single food has everything, so we need a variety.
A simple Indian thali can be balanced: roti or rice (energy), dal or curd (protein), a vegetable and a salad (vitamins, minerals, fibre), a little ghee (fat), and a fruit. How much we need depends on our age and how active we are.
Junk food like chips, sugary drinks and fried snacks has a lot of fat, sugar or salt and little fibre or vitamins. Eating it often can lead to weight gain and other health problems. Mindful eating means choosing what we eat with care, eating slowly, and not wasting food.
Explore: build a balanced plate.
- Choose up to 4 foods so the plate has all four groups.
- Harder: only 3 foods allowed!
Remember
- A balanced diet has all nutrients in the right amounts, plus fibre and water.
- Eat a variety of foods and limit junk food.
Quick check
Which meal is the most balanced?
- Roti, dal, mixed vegetable and curd
- Chips and a cold drink
- Only rice
- Three sweets
Answer
Roti, dal, mixed vegetable and curd. It has carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, some fat and fibre.
Think about it
A cricket player and a person who sits at a desk all day both eat a balanced diet. Should they eat the same amount? Why?
One answer
No. The player is much more active and uses more energy, so needs more energy-giving food (and protein for muscles). A balanced diet depends on age and activity.
Practice
Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.