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What is a balanced diet?

Class 6 ScienceNCERT chapter: Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Bodyइसे हिंदी में पढ़ें

Exam-ready answer

A balanced diet is a diet that contains all the nutrients, namely carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, in the right amounts, along with enough dietary fibre and water. It meets the needs of the body for energy, growth and protection from diseases. The right amounts depend on a person's age, gender and level of physical activity.

Explanation

The food we eat contains components called nutrients. Carbohydrates, found in rice, wheat and millets, and fats, found in oil, ghee and nuts, mainly give energy. Proteins, from pulses, milk, eggs and paneer, help the body grow and repair itself. Vitamins and minerals, from fruits, vegetables and milk, protect the body from diseases. Dietary fibre and water do not give nutrients but are still essential.

No single food has all the nutrients in the right amounts. Rice is rich in carbohydrates but low in proteins, and dal supplies proteins. A plate with roti or rice, dal, a green vegetable, curd and a fruit together covers most needs. Dietary fibre, or roughage, from whole grains, vegetables and fruits helps food move through the gut and prevents constipation, while water carries nutrients and removes wastes.

Needs differ from person to person. A growing child needs plenty of protein, and a farmer doing heavy physical work needs more energy-giving food than a person working at a desk. Eating too much fried and processed food with too few vegetables upsets this balance. Mindful eating means choosing a variety of seasonal and local foods, including millets, and eating the right quantity.

Points to remember

  1. Balanced diet: contains all nutrients in the right amounts, plus dietary fibre and water.
  2. Carbohydrates and fats are energy-giving; proteins are body-building; vitamins and minerals are protective.
  3. Dietary fibre (roughage) helps digestion and prevents constipation.
  4. Water helps carry nutrients and remove wastes from the body.
  5. Needs depend on age, gender and physical activity; a variety of foods is needed.

Exam tip

Write the definition first, then a three-column table of nutrient, its function and food sources. Do not forget to mention dietary fibre and water, which students often leave out.

Questions students also ask

How can we test food for starch?
Put a small piece of food, such as a slice of potato, on a plate and add two or three drops of dilute iodine solution. If the colour changes to blue-black, the food contains starch. Rice, potato and wheat flour give this result.
Why is junk food not part of a balanced diet?
Junk food such as chips, fried snacks and sugary drinks is high in fat, salt or sugar but low in proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eating it often fills the stomach without giving the nutrients the body needs and can lead to excess weight.
Is a balanced diet the same for everyone?
No. All people need the same nutrients, but in different amounts. A growing child, a pregnant woman, an athlete and an elderly person each need different quantities depending on their age, gender, health and how much physical work they do.

Chapter labels help you find the topic in your textbook. Check your own edition: chapter names and order can change. These are Know.it explanations, not official NCERT solutions.