NCERT Book Class 6 Science Mindful Eating A Path to a Healthy Body PDF Download

Chapter 3: Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

Who is healthy? Who is healthy? Who is healthy? One who eats food that is wholesome, in moderate quantities, and appropriate for the season, time, and place.

Medu and Mishti read 'thought of the day' on the school noticeboard every day. Today's thought, 'annena jatani jivanti', makes them curious. Mishti tells Medu that it is a Sanskrit saying which means 'food gives life to living beings.'

Let us try to understand the significance of this saying.

3.1 What Do We Eat?

Activity 3.1: Let us record

All of us eat food every day. Food is an essential component of our daily life. List the food items you have consumed over the week in Table 3.1.

What observations can you make about your food from the data collected in Table 3.1? Do you eat the same kind of food in every meal or do your choices vary? Compare your list with those prepared by your friends. Find similarities and differences in the food consumed by you and your friends. What did you find? Record your findings in your notebook. You may have noticed that there is a variety in the food eaten by you and your friends.

Do you think that such diversity in food exists in all states of our country?

3.1.1 Food in different regions

Activity 3.2: Let us explore

• Find out the types of food traditionally consumed and the crops grown in various states of India. You may refer to books in your library, search the internet, and interact with your friends, family and neighbours to collect information.

Why do we see diversity in traditional food consumed in various states of our country?

Analyse the data collected by you in Table 3.2. Are there food items that are common across states? Make a list of those food items. You may find that some food items are common in many states while some are eaten only in a particular state.

What relation do you find between the traditional food items and the locally grown crops? You must have observed that the traditional food of any state is usually based on the crops grown in that state. India is an agricultural country with diverse soil and climate types. Various crops are grown in its different regions depending on the soil types and climatic conditions.

Teacher's Note

When you compare food across states, look for the link to local crops. Rice grows well in wet regions, so states with rice crops eat rice-based food like idli and dosa. Wheat grows in Punjab, so you find roti and parathas there. Understanding this connection helps you see why food varies by region.

In various regions of India, the choice of food may vary according to the cultivation of food crops in that particular region, taste preferences, culture, and traditions.

• In Table 3.2, add more states and fill the collected data. A few examples are already given.

Teacher's Note

Notice that the examples show three very different regions: Punjab in the north grows wheat, Karnataka in the south grows rice, and Manipur in the northeast has bamboo and rice. Their foods are completely different because of what grows there. When you do this activity, pick states from different parts of India to see the full range of food diversity.

Key Points

• Food is essential for life and varies greatly between different regions of India based on what crops are grown locally.
• The traditional food of any state is usually connected to the crops that grow well in that state's soil and climate.
• Diversity in food choices also comes from taste preferences, culture, and local traditions in addition to available crops.
• By comparing food across states, you can see strong links between local agriculture and what people eat every day.

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