NCERT Solutions for Class 4 EVS Chapter 05 Food for Health

Question. Can you think of at least five ingredients or food items that match each of the tastes listed below? Write them down in the spaces provided.
Answer: The table below shows food items grouped by their taste characteristics. Each column lists ingredients and foods that belong to that particular taste category:

Exam Tip: When listing ingredients for each taste, pick items you eat every day - this makes the answer stronger and easier to remember. Always include at least five items per category as the question asks.

Question. Discuss in small groups and identify the food items having at least three different tastes.
Answer: Many common foods we eat have a mix of tastes, not just one. Here are some examples:

Sambhar - This dish tastes sour from the tamarind, salty from the salt added, and spicy from the chillies mixed in.

Bhel pun - This snack is sweet from the jaggery, sour from the tamarind, and salty from the namak para inside it.

Chutney - Depending on how it is made, it can taste sour from ingredients like lemon, salty from the salt, and spicy from green chillies.

Pickle - This has a sour taste from vinegar, a salty taste from the salt used in pickling, and sometimes a bitter taste from the spices.

Fruit salad with chaat masala - The fruit gives it a sweet taste, while chaat masala adds both a sour and spicy kick to the dish.
In simple words: Many of the foods we enjoy have more than one taste mixed together. Sambhar, pickles, and chutneys are good examples - they are salty, sour, and spicy all at once.

Exam Tip: Name real dishes that you know about and eat at home - this shows you understand how tastes combine in actual food, not just theory.

Question. Find out more about a millet-based food prepared at your home.
Answer: In our home, we make ragi dosa using ragi flour, which is a type of millet. We serve it with chutney or sambhar. Ragi is packed with nutrients and helps keep our bodies strong and healthy.
In simple words: Ragi dosa is a breakfast food made from ragi, a grain that is very good for you. We eat it with chutney.

Exam Tip: Choose a millet dish that your own family actually prepares - personal examples show better understanding than made-up ones.

Question. Why do we need to eat different kinds of food items?
Answer: Eating a variety of foods is important because each type of food gives your body different nutrients. These nutrients help you grow taller and stronger. They also give you energy to play, study, and do work. Eating many different foods keeps your body healthy and strong. It also protects you from falling sick with different diseases.
In simple words: Different foods give different things to your body. You need all kinds so you grow big and stay well.

Exam Tip: Always mention that different foods provide different nutrients - this is the key reason why variety matters, not just eating more food.

Question. What happens if we eat food from a single group of foods everyday?
Answer: If you eat only one kind of food group every day, your body does not get all the nutrients it needs. This makes you weak and unhealthy. You also become more likely to catch diseases and fall sick easily. Your body cannot work properly without all the different nutrients that come from eating many kinds of foods.
In simple words: Eating the same food every day makes you weak and sick. Your body needs different foods to stay strong.

Exam Tip: Explain what happens to the body when it lacks certain nutrients - weakness and poor health are the key impacts to mention.

Question 1. Can you name a few more junk food items?
Answer: Junk foods that are not good for your health include French fries, doughnuts, cookies, cakes, pastries, samosas, and ice cream. These are all foods that people like to eat but should not have often.
In simple words: Junk foods are things like chips, cakes, and fried food that taste good but are not healthy.

Exam Tip: Give real examples of junk foods that are sold in shops and eaten by kids - avoid made-up names.

Question 2. Why do you think we should avoid eating junk food?
Answer: Junk food is bad for your health and should be avoided. These foods have too much oil, too much salt, and too much sugar in them. When you eat them often, they make you sick and cause your body to gain extra weight. Eating junk food regularly can lead to health problems like tooth decay and a weak body.
In simple words: Junk food has lots of oil, salt, and sugar that hurt your body. Eating it too much makes you sick and fat.

Exam Tip: Mention specific harmful ingredients - oil, salt, and sugar - rather than just saying "it is not healthy."

Question 3. List the junk food items that you will avoid.
Answer: I will try to stay away from eating junk foods like pizza, burgers, chips, soft drinks, and chocolates. These foods may taste good, but they can make me fat and unhealthy if I eat them too much.
In simple words: I will not eat pizza, burgers, chips, and sugary drinks because they are bad for me.

Exam Tip: Make a personal commitment in your answer - this shows you understand why it matters and are willing to make healthy choices.

Question. Activity 1 - Make a Food Diary: Create a food diary of your daily routine for a week. Write down what you eat in a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An example is given. Expand the table for a week. Encircle the food items that are healthy and put an 'X' mark for items which are not healthy. Identify the food groups missing in your daily routine. Discuss with your parents how these items can be included in the daily routine.
Answer: Make a table in your notebook with seven rows - one for each day of the week. For each day, write down the three meals you ate - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Next, look at each food item you wrote. Circle the ones that are healthy foods. Put an 'X' mark on foods that are not healthy. After you finish marking, look at all the food you ate for the week. Find out which food groups are missing - such as vegetables, fruits, or milk. Talk to your parents about how to add these missing groups to your meals each day.
In simple words: Write what you eat each day for one week. Mark healthy foods with a circle and bad foods with an X. Then talk to your parents about adding foods you are missing.

Exam Tip: Be honest when writing down what you ate - even if you had junk food - so you can see your real eating habits and make improvements.

Question. Find out a 'food thali' from your region, and list its food items.
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: A food thali shows all the different food groups on one plate - research what your own region serves as a traditional thali.

Question. Identify different methods used to cook the food items given in the list below. One example is given for you. You can take help from your family members and add more items to the list.
Answer: Different cooking methods are used to prepare different foods. Here is a table showing which foods are cooked using each method:

Exam Tip: Ask your family members which method they use to cook different foods at home - this helps you learn from real cooking, not just from the book.

Question 1. Do you help in cooking at home?
Answer: Yes, I help in cooking at home in different ways. I help by setting the table before we eat. I also wash the vegetables to clean them. I stir the food in the cooking pot to mix it well.
In simple words: Yes, I help at home. I set the table, wash vegetables, and stir the food.

Exam Tip: Give specific examples of cooking tasks you actually do - this shows participation and understanding of kitchen work.

Question 2. Do you think all family members should know how to cook? Why?
Answer: Yes, I believe that all family members should learn how to cook. When everyone can cook, it helps a lot when one person is away or busy doing other things. It also makes cooking easier because everyone can share the work. Learning to cook is also a useful skill that every person needs in their life.
In simple words: Everyone should learn to cook. It helps when someone is not home, and it makes work easier for all.

Exam Tip: Explain the practical benefits of cooking skills - both for the family now and for personal independence later.

Question 1. Hands-on activity - Food collage. Materials: Old magazines, newspapers, scissors, glue, and a blank sheet of paper. Cut out pictures of food items and create a collage with three sections: energy-giving foods, body-building foods, and protective foods.
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: Make sure each section of your collage shows at least 4-5 different food items that truly belong to that group.

Question 2. Check the label (a) At home, pick up any one packaged food item from your kitchen. Check the label and note down the expiry date, and also two main ingredients. (b) Why is it important to check labels before buying or eating packaged food items?
Answer: (a) Do it yourself. (b) Checking labels on packaged food is very important. The label tells you when the food will go bad and when you should not eat it any more. The label also shows you what is inside the food - the ingredients. By reading the label, you can make sure the food is safe and healthy before you buy it or eat it. You can also find out if the food has things in it that might not be good for you.
In simple words: Labels show when food goes bad and what is inside it. You should always read labels to make sure food is safe and good for you.

Exam Tip: Mention both the expiry date AND the ingredients when explaining why labels matter - both pieces of information are important for food safety.

Question 3. Organise a food festival - students may bring home-made food and organise a food festival at school. Parents may be encouraged to participate in the food festival.
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: Work with your school and classmates to plan this event - decide which foods to bring, when to hold it, and how to invite parents.

Question 4. Find and circle the words related to food in the grid below. One example is given below.
Answer: Do it yourself.

Exam Tip: Search the word grid carefully by looking in all directions - left to right, up and down, and diagonally - to find all the hidden food words.