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

Food Across India

• People across India eat diverse types of food based on locally grown crops, culture, taste, and traditions.
• For example, Punjab grows wheat and maize → makki di roti and sarson da saag; Karnataka grows rice and ragi → idli, dosa, ragi mudde.
• Culinary practices (cooking methods) have changed over time — from chulha to gas stove, from sil-batta to electric grinder — due to technology, transport, and communication improvements.

Major Nutrients

Food components that provide energy, support growth, repair and protect our body are called nutrients. The major nutrients are:

Nutrient	Main Function	Key Sources
Carbohydrates	Primary energy source	Wheat, rice, potato, banana, sugar
Fats	Stored energy source	Ghee, oils, nuts, seeds, butter
Proteins	Growth and repair of body	Pulses, milk, eggs, fish, meat
Vitamins	Protect body from diseases	Fruits, vegetables, milk
Minerals	Maintain body functions	Milk (calcium), iodised salt (iodine), leafy vegetables (iron)

• Carbohydrates and fats = energy-giving foods
• Proteins = body-building foods
• Vitamins and minerals = protective nutrients
• Food also contains dietary fibres and water, which are essential but not nutrients.

Vitamins and Their Deficiency Diseases

Vitamin/Mineral	Function	Sources	Deficiency Disease	Symptoms
Vitamin A	Keeps eyes and skin healthy	Papaya, carrot, mango, milk	—	Night blindness, loss of vision
Vitamin B₁	Keeps heart healthy	Legumes, nuts, whole grains	Beriberi	Swelling, tingling in hands/feet
Vitamin C	Helps body fight diseases	Amla, guava, lemon, orange	Scurvy	Bleeding gums, slow healing
Vitamin D	Helps absorb calcium	Sunlight, milk, fish, eggs	Rickets	Soft and bent bones
Calcium	Keeps bones and teeth healthy	Milk, curd, paneer	Bone/tooth decay	Weak bones, tooth decay
Iodine	Supports physical and mental activities	Iodised salt, seaweed	Goitre	Swelling at front of neck
Iron	Important component of blood	Green leafy vegetables, beetroot, pomegranate	Anaemia	Weakness, shortness of breath

• Deficiency diseases are caused by the lack of one or more nutrients over a long time.
• Vitamin D can be produced by the body upon exposure to sunlight.
• Some vitamins (like Vitamin C) are lost during cooking — eating raw fruits and vegetables helps.

Dietary Fibres (Roughage)

• Dietary fibres do not provide nutrients but are essential for healthy digestion.
• They help the body get rid of undigested food and ensure smooth passage of stools.
• Good sources: green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, wholegrains, pulses, and nuts.

Water

• Water helps the body absorb nutrients from food.
• It removes waste from the body through sweat and urine.
• We must drink sufficient water daily to stay healthy.

Simple Tests to Detect Nutrients

1. Test for Starch

• Add 2-3 drops of iodine solution to a food item.
• Blue-black colour = starch is present.
• Example: Potato turns blue-black → contains starch.

2. Test for Fat

• Press the food item onto paper, then let it dry.
• An oily/greasy patch that lets light through = fat is present.
• Example: Butter and peanuts leave an oily patch.

3. Test for Protein

• Add copper sulfate and caustic soda solutions to a food sample in water.
• Violet colour = protein is present.
• Example: Peanuts turn violet → contain protein.

Note: Peanuts show the presence of both fat and protein, showing that a single food can contain multiple nutrients.

Balanced Diet

• A balanced diet contains all essential nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals), roughage, and water in the right amounts.
• Nutritional requirements vary by age, gender, physical activity, and health status — a growing child and an elderly person need different amounts.

Junk Food

• Junk foods have high calories (due to high sugar and fat) but very low proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre.
• Examples: potato wafers, candy bars, carbonated drinks.
• Frequent consumption leads to obesity and several health problems.
• Comparison: 100g potato wafers = 536 kcal, 35g fat; 100g roasted chana = 355 kcal, 6.26g fat, 18.64g protein — roasted chana is much healthier!

Fortification

• Fortification = adding extra nutrients to food during processing to improve nutritional quality.
• Examples: iodised salt, some baby foods.

What are Millets?

• Millets (jowar, bajra, ragi, sanwa) are small-sized, highly nutritious grains that are native crops of India.
• They are good sources of vitamins, minerals (iron and calcium), and dietary fibres.
• They can be grown in different and tough climatic conditions easily.
• Because of their high nutritional value, millets are also called nutri-cereals.
• They contribute significantly to a balanced diet and have regained popularity due to their numerous health benefits.

What are Food Miles?

• Food miles = the total distance a food item travels from the place of production to the consumer.
• The journey of wheat from farm to chapati on our plate involves: growing → threshing & winnowing → storage → grinding & packing → transport to shop → cooking and eating.

Why Reduce Food Miles?

• Reduces cost and pollution from transport.
• Supports local farmers.
• Keeps food fresh and healthy.
• Eating locally grown, plant-based food is good for our body AND the environment.

Avoid Food Wastage

• Take only as much food as you can eat.
• Respect the time and effort of farmers and workers in bringing food to your plate.