Mindful Eating A Path to a Healthy Body
Eating well is the foundation of good health. This Class 6 Curiosity chapter looks at the components of our food — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and roughage — explains what each does, and shows why a balanced diet keeps the body healthy and prevents deficiency diseases.
Learning objectives
- Name the components of food and their functions.
- Identify sources of each nutrient.
- Explain what a balanced diet is.
- Link missing nutrients to deficiency diseases.
Key concepts
Components of food
Our food is made of nutrients: carbohydrates and fats give energy, proteins help the body grow and repair, and vitamins and minerals keep the body working well and fighting disease. Foods usually contain a mix of these in different amounts.
Energy-giving, body-building and protective foods
Nutrients can be grouped by their role. Carbohydrates (rice, bread, potato) and fats (oil, butter, nuts) are energy-giving foods. Proteins (pulses, milk, eggs, fish) are body-building foods. Vitamins and minerals (fruits and vegetables) are protective foods that keep us healthy.
Roughage and water
Two parts of our diet give no nutrients but are still essential. Roughage, or dietary fibre, comes from fruits, vegetables and whole grains and helps the body get rid of waste. Water helps digest food, carry nutrients and remove wastes, and makes up much of our body.
Balanced diet and deficiency diseases
A balanced diet contains all the nutrients, roughage and water in the right amounts. If a nutrient is missing for a long time, a deficiency disease can result — too little vitamin C causes scurvy, too little vitamin D or calcium weakens bones, and too little iron causes anaemia. Mindful, balanced eating prevents these.
Key definitions
- Nutrient
- A component of food that the body needs, such as a carbohydrate or protein.
- Balanced diet
- A diet with all nutrients, roughage and water in the right amounts.
- Roughage
- Dietary fibre that helps the body remove waste; gives no nutrients.
- Deficiency disease
- An illness caused by the lack of a particular nutrient.
Solved examples
Q1. Which nutrient mainly helps the body grow and repair?
Solution: Protein.
Q2. Name an energy-giving food.
Solution: Rice (a carbohydrate) — or oil and nuts (fats).
Q3. Which disease is caused by lack of iron?
Solution: Anaemia.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Thinking roughage and water are nutrients (they are not, but are essential).
- Believing only proteins matter for health.
- Assuming eating a lot of one food makes a balanced diet.
- Confusing carbohydrates (energy) with proteins (growth/repair).
Mindful Eating A Path to a Healthy Body — MCQ Quiz
10 questions with instant feedback. Use number keys 1–4 to answer.
Which nutrient mainly gives the body energy?
Practice questions
Short answer
What does a balanced diet contain?
All nutrients, roughage and water in the right amounts.
Why is water important in our diet?
It helps digest food, carry nutrients and remove wastes.
Which nutrient helps fight disease and keeps the body working well?
Vitamins and minerals (protective nutrients).
Long answer
Describe the main components of food and the role of each.
Food contains several nutrients with different jobs. Carbohydrates and fats are energy-giving, supplying the fuel for our activities; carbohydrates come from foods like rice and bread, and fats from oil, butter and nuts. Proteins are body-building, needed for growth and repair, and come from pulses, milk, eggs and fish. Vitamins and minerals are protective, keeping the body healthy and able to fight illness, and come mainly from fruits and vegetables. In addition, roughage helps remove waste and water aids digestion and transport — neither is a nutrient, but both are essential.
What is a deficiency disease? Give examples and explain how to prevent them.
A deficiency disease is an illness caused by the long-term lack of a particular nutrient in the diet. For instance, too little vitamin C causes scurvy (bleeding gums and weakness), too little iron causes anaemia (tiredness and pale skin), and too little vitamin D or calcium weakens the bones. These diseases can be prevented by eating a balanced diet that includes all the nutrients in the right amounts — for example, citrus fruits for vitamin C and green leafy vegetables for iron — so that no nutrient is regularly missing.
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking)
A child eats only rice every day. Which nutrients might be missing, and what could result?
Proteins, vitamins and minerals would be lacking, which could slow growth and lead to deficiency diseases such as anaemia.
Why is it said that 'no single food can be a complete meal'?
Because most foods are rich in only some nutrients, so a mix of foods is needed to get all nutrients in the right amounts — a balanced diet.
Quick revision
Revision notes
- Carbohydrates & fats = energy; proteins = growth/repair; vitamins & minerals = protection.
- Roughage and water give no nutrients but are essential.
- Balanced diet = all nutrients, roughage and water in right amounts.
- Deficiency diseases: scurvy (vit C), anaemia (iron), weak bones (vit D/calcium).
Key takeaways
- Different nutrients do different jobs.
- A balanced diet keeps the body healthy.
- Missing nutrients cause deficiency diseases.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nutrient?
A component of food the body needs, such as a carbohydrate, protein or vitamin.
What is a balanced diet?
A diet containing all nutrients, roughage and water in the right amounts.
What causes deficiency diseases?
The long-term lack of a particular nutrient in the diet.