Chapter 8: Food We Eat
Chapter at a Glance
We all like different foods. Some are sweet, some sour, some spicy and some bitter. Chhappan bhog is a special offering of 56 dishes that mixes the six tastes: sweet, spicy, astringent, sour, salty and bitter. We eat and drink to stay healthy, strong and full of energy.
Shirin, a fast runner in Class 3, often fell sick because she ate only rice and potatoes. A champion runner advised her to eat many kinds of vegetables, fruits, grains like rice, ragi, jowar, wheat and bajra, pulses and nuts, preferably cooked at home. Shirin followed this balanced diet, practised hard, became healthier and won a medal for her school.
Our food changes with the seasons. In summer we enjoy mangoes, melons, kulfi, tender coconut water, nimbu pani, buttermilk and aam panna, and we must drink more water because we sweat. In winter we eat warm soups and stews and enjoy apples. We eat different parts of plants (leaves, stems, roots, fruits and seeds), and we get milk, curd, ghee, paneer, honey, eggs and meat from animals. Salt and water come from neither plants nor animals. We should not waste food, and we should share it with friends.
Word Meanings
| Word | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Favourite | The one we like the most |
| Chhappan bhog | A special offering of 56 food items |
| Astringent | A dry taste that makes the mouth pucker, like raw amla |
| Balanced diet | Food that has all the things our body needs in the right amount |
| Champion | A person who wins a competition |
| Energetic | Full of energy |
| Seasonal food | Food that grows and is eaten in a particular season |
| Sweat | Water that comes out of the skin when we are hot |
| Aam panna | A cool summer drink made from raw mangoes |
| Buttermilk | A drink made from curd and water |
| Crop | Plants grown in fields for food |
| Pulses | Dals like moong, masoor and chana |
| Ingredient | One of the things used to make a dish |
| Recipe | Steps to make a dish |
Important Topics
1. Why We Eat
- Food gives us energy to work and play.
- It helps us grow and stay strong.
- It protects us from falling sick.
2. The Story of Shirin
- Shirin ate only rice and potatoes and often fell sick.
- A champion told her to eat vegetables, fruits, different grains, pulses and nuts, cooked at home.
- She followed the advice, practised more, and won a medal.
3. Seasonal Food
| Summer | Winter |
|---|---|
| Mango, watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber | Apple, orange, carrot, peas, spinach |
| Kulfi, ice cream | Soups, stews, hot drinks |
| Tender coconut water, nimbu pani, aam panna, buttermilk, sugarcane juice | Gajar ka halwa, til laddoo |
- In summer we sweat and lose water, so we must drink more.
4. Parts of Plants We Eat
| Part | Examples |
|---|---|
| Leaves | Spinach, fenugreek (methi), cabbage, mustard, coriander |
| Stems | Potato, bamboo shoot, ginger, onion |
| Roots | Carrot, radish, beetroot |
| Fruits | Guava, sapota, apple, mango |
| Seeds | Grains, pulses, dry fruits |
5. Food from Animals
- Milk, curd, ghee, cheese, paneer, honey, eggs and meat.
- Salt and water come from neither plants nor animals.
6. Good Food Habits
- Eat a variety of foods; prefer home-cooked food.
- Drink water often.
- Do not waste food; share it with others.
Question-Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
- What is chhappan bhog? A special offering of 56 dishes.
- How many tastes does chhappan bhog blend? Six.
- What did Shirin eat at first? Only rice and potatoes.
- Who advised Shirin? A champion runner.
- What did Shirin win? A medal in a running event.
- Name a summer drink. Aam panna (or nimbu pani).
- Why do we drink more water in summer? We lose water through sweat.
- Name a root we eat. Carrot.
- Name a stem we eat. Potato.
- Name two things that come neither from plants nor animals. Salt and water.
Short Answer Questions
Q1. Why did Shirin often fall sick?
She ate only rice and potatoes. Her body did not get all the nutrients it needed from other foods.
Q2. What did the champion advise Shirin to eat?
Different vegetables and fruits, many kinds of grains like rice, ragi, jowar, wheat and bajra, pulses and nuts, all cooked at home.
Q3. Why do we eat seasonal foods?
Seasonal foods are fresh and easily available. They suit the weather: cool foods keep us fresh in summer and warm foods keep us warm in winter.
Q4. Name some foods we get from animals.
Milk, curd, ghee, cheese, paneer, honey, eggs and meat.
Q5. Why is water important for our body?
Our body needs a lot of water to work properly. We cannot live without water, which is why we say ‘water is life’.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. What is a balanced diet? Why is it important?
A balanced diet has a variety of foods such as grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, milk and nuts in the right amounts. It gives us energy, helps us grow and keeps us from falling sick. Shirin became healthier and faster when she started eating a balanced diet.
Q2. Which parts of plants do we eat? Give examples.
We eat leaves like spinach and methi, stems like potato and ginger, roots like carrot and radish, fruits like mango and guava, and seeds like rice, wheat, pulses and nuts.
Textbook Exercise Answers
A1. Why do we need different kinds of food? No single food gives us everything. Different foods give energy, help growth and protect us from illness.
A2. Why do we eat seasonal foods? They are fresh, tasty, cheaper and suit the weather.
A3. How can you tell if a food is healthy or unhealthy? Healthy food is fresh and home-cooked, with fruits, vegetables, grains and pulses. Unhealthy food has too much oil, sugar or salt, like chips and cold drinks.
A4. How can we reduce food waste? Take only as much as we can eat, store leftovers properly, and share extra food with others.
B3. Food with both plant and animal ingredients: kheer (milk + rice + sugar), paneer paratha (paneer + wheat), lassi (curd + sugar).
C. Draw three plates (sample).
- Morning: poha, milk, banana.
- Afternoon: roti, dal, sabzi, curd.
- Night: rice, dal, vegetable, salad.
D. Eating together: Bring fruits, cut them with the teacher’s help, mix them into a fruit chaat and share.
E. Food for a surprise guest (sample): Tea or lassi with poha or upma, because they are quick, tasty and healthy.
Puzzle time: Salt and water are neither from plants nor animals.