Food diversity, local crops and changing cooking
A meal in Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan looks very different because each place grows and eats its own crops.
India has great food diversity. What people eat depends on the local climate and crops: rice on the coast, wheat on the plains, millets in dry lands. Local and seasonal food is fresh and cheaper. Cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, roasting and frying have also changed over time.
In the figure: Different regions grow and cook different staple foods.
Rule 1: Local and seasonal food — Eat what grows near you in its season.
- Easy: It travels a short way, so it stays fresh.
- Medium: It costs less and supports local farmers.
- Exam-type: Millets like jowar and bajra grow with little water.
Rule 2: Ways of cooking — The method changes taste and nutrients.
- Easy: Boiling and steaming need little oil.
- Medium: Frying adds a lot of fat.
- Exam-type: Overcooking can destroy some vitamins.
Ask which staple and which crops grow in your own area.
Thinking only wheat and rice are healthy foods.
"Local, seasonal, lightly cooked."
Practice questions
- 1What is a good way to find out how food habits have changed?
- 2The traditional food of a state is usually based on —
- 3India grows many kinds of crops because it has —
- 4Earlier, most cooking was done on a —
- 5One reason cooking practices have changed over time is —
- 6About food items across states, the chapter says that —
- 7Food choices in different regions of India may vary according to —
- 8A region where rice is widely grown has many rice-based dishes. This shows that —
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Interview elderly people
- 2the crops grown in that state
- 3diverse soil and climate types
- 4chulha
- 5technological development
- 6some are common in many states and some are eaten in only a few
- 7local crops, taste, culture and traditions
- 8traditional food depends on locally grown crops
Nutrients and their sources
A roti gives energy to play, dal helps muscles grow and a guava keeps us from falling sick: each food does a different job.
Food contains nutrients: carbohydrates and fats give energy, proteins help growth and repair, and vitamins and minerals protect the body. Fibre (roughage) helps digestion and water carries things in the body. A lack of a nutrient causes a deficiency disease.
In the figure: Each nutrient has a job and a food source.
Rule 1: Energy and growth — Match the nutrient to the job.
- Easy: Carbohydrates: rice, wheat, potato, sugar.
- Medium: Proteins: pulses, milk, eggs, fish, soya.
- Exam-type: Fats: oil, ghee, butter, nuts.
Rule 2: Protection and deficiency — Few nutrients, but needed every day.
- Easy: Vitamin C from citrus fruits prevents scurvy.
- Medium: Calcium and vitamin D keep bones strong; lack causes rickets.
- Exam-type: Iron in leafy vegetables prevents anaemia.
Eat from every nutrient group in a day.
Thinking that more protein alone makes a healthy diet.
"Energy: carbs, fats. Growth: protein. Protection: vitamins, minerals."
Practice questions
- 1Which nutrients mainly give us energy?
- 2Which food is a good source of protein?
- 3Which pair are called energy-giving foods?
- 4Who need proteins in larger quantities to build muscles?
- 5Which list has only animal sources of protein?
- 6Rice, wheat and potato are rich in —
- 7Vitamins and minerals are called —
- 8Iodised salt is common salt mixed with —
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Carbohydrates and fats
- 2Pulses
- 3Carbohydrates and fats
- 4Sportspersons
- 5Milk, paneer, egg, fish
- 6carbohydrates
- 7protective nutrients
- 8required amounts of iodine salts
Testing food for starch, fat and protein
A drop of tincture iodine on a cut potato turns dark, but on a cut apple it stays brown.
Simple tests show the nutrients in food. Starch turns iodine solution blue-black. Fat leaves a translucent, oily spot on paper. Protein gives a violet colour with copper sulphate and caustic soda, done only with a teacher. Always test one food at a time.
In the figure: Starch: blue-black; fat: oily spot; protein: violet.
Rule 1: Starch and fat tests — Look for a clear colour or spot.
- Easy: Iodine on bread or potato: blue-black means starch.
- Medium: Rub food on paper: a spot that lets light through means fat.
- Exam-type: Water alone dries from paper; fat does not.
Rule 2: Doing tests safely — Chemicals are not food.
- Easy: Never taste the tested food or the chemicals.
- Medium: Use drops, not spoonfuls.
- Exam-type: Wash hands after the test.
Record the colour change in a table for each food.
Eating the food after testing it with iodine.
"Iodine blue: starch; oily spot: fat; violet: protein."
Practice questions
- 1Which tool is used to put 2–3 drops of iodine solution on a food item?
- 2Which food is most likely to turn blue-black with iodine?
- 3Why should the chemicals used in the protein test be handled with care?
- 4Which solution is used with caustic soda for testing protein?
- 5Which food shows blue-black with iodine but no oil patch?
- 6Iodine solution is used to test for —
- 7A blue-black colour on adding iodine shows the presence of —
- 8If a food item contains a little water, before testing for fat you should —
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1A dropper
- 2Boiled rice
- 3They are harmful
- 4Copper sulfate solution
- 5Boiled rice
- 6starch
- 7starch
- 8allow the paper to dry
Testing food for starch, fat and protein
In the app you can move this figure with your finger.
Open in the appBalanced diet and junk food
A plate with roti, dal, vegetables, curd and a fruit gives everything; a plate of only chips gives plenty of oil but little else.
A balanced diet has all nutrients in the right amounts for age, work and health. It includes cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits and milk, with little oil and sugar. Junk food such as chips and sweet drinks is high in fat, sugar and salt but low in nutrients, so eat it rarely.
In the figure: A balanced plate: more cereals, vegetables and fruit; little oil and sugar.
Rule 1: What makes a diet balanced — Variety is the key.
- Easy: Needs change: growing children and workers need more.
- Medium: Eat food of many colours and kinds.
- Exam-type: Drink enough water every day.
Rule 2: Junk food — It tastes good but gives little nutrition.
- Easy: Too much causes weight gain and tooth decay.
- Medium: It fills the stomach so real food is skipped.
- Exam-type: Healthy snacks: fruit, roasted chana, sprouts.
Check your plate: does it have cereals, pulses, vegetables and fruit?
Thinking a balanced diet means eating a lot of everything.
"Variety, right amount, junk rarely."
Practice questions
- 1Between potato wafers and roasted chana, which is generally the healthier snack?
- 2A diet with all essential nutrients, roughage and water in the right amounts is called a —
- 3Which of these is an example of junk food?
- 4Eating junk food frequently may make a person —
- 5Dr Poshita said that 'Health is the ultimate —'
- 6How could you choose between two packet foods?
- 7Nutrient needs of a person may vary with —
- 8Junk foods are generally —
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Roasted chana
- 2balanced diet
- 3Potato wafers
- 4obese
- 5wealth
- 6Read the nutritional information on the packs
- 7age, gender and physical activity
- 8high in sugar and fat and low in vitamins and fibre
Food labels, fortification and good eating habits
Before buying a biscuit packet, a careful shopper turns it over to read the list of ingredients and the date.
A food label lists ingredients (largest amount first), nutrition values, the best before date and the veg or non-veg mark. In fortification, missing nutrients are added to common foods, as in iodised salt and fortified rice. Good habits: wash hands, eat slowly, avoid wasting food.
In the figure: A label tells what is inside, how much, and until when it is good.
Rule 1: Reading labels — Check these before eating.
- Easy: The ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount.
- Medium: Do not eat after the best before date.
- Exam-type: Look for sugar, salt and fat per 100 g.
Rule 2: Fortification and habits — Prevention is better than cure.
- Easy: Iodised salt prevents goitre.
- Medium: Vitamins A and D are added to some oil and milk.
- Exam-type: Chew well, eat with family, and waste nothing.
Make a habit of reading the date and the ingredients every time you buy.
Thinking fortified food needs no other healthy food.
"Read the label, eat well, waste none."
Practice questions
- 1Which is an example of a fortified food?
- 2What information must packaged food items give on their cover?
- 3Which label information helps in comparing two packets?
- 4FSSAI is —
- 5Fortification of food means —
- 6Millets are —
- 7According to the saying, who is healthy?
- 8Agariyas are a community known for —
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Iodised salt
- 2The nutrients in the food
- 3Amounts of each nutrient
- 4a government agency that regulates food quality in India
- 5adding extra nutrients during processing
- 6small grains used in the Indian diet for centuries
- 7One who eats wholesome food, in moderate quantity, suited to season, time and place
- 8salt farming in the Little Rann of Kutch