---
title: "NCERT Solutions Class 6 Science Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body"
url: https://www.swavid.com/science/class/6/chapter/mindful-eating-a-path-to-a-healthy-body/ncert-solutions
dateModified: 2026-10-07T15:58:33+00:00
---

# NCERT Solutions Class 6 Science Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

This chapter's questions cover students' understanding of regional food habits, culinary changes, food components, nutrients, deficiency diseases, balanced diets, and food testing methods. They encourage critical thinking about nutrition, food miles, and healthy eating practices.

Free PDF (7 pages): https://www.swavid.com/api/seo/pdf/ncert/science/class-6/swavid-ncert-solutions-class-6-science-chapter-3-mindful-eating-a-path-to-a-healthy-body-e2c1784132.pdf

## Let us enhance our learning

### Question 1

*3 marks · Short answer*

Pick the odd one out and give reasons:
 (i) Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Chana
 (ii) Kidney beans, Green gram, Soya bean, Rice

**Part (i)**

1. Jowar, Bajra, and Ragi are millets, which are nutritious cereal grains.
2. Chana is a pulse rich in proteins.
3. Hence, Chana is the odd one out.

Answer (i): Chana, because it is a pulse while the others are millets.

**Part (ii)**

1. Kidney beans, Green gram, and Soya bean are pulses rich in proteins.
2. Rice is a cereal grain rich in carbohydrates.
3. Hence, Rice is the odd one out.

Answer (ii): Rice, because it is a cereal rich in carbohydrates while the others are pulses.

**Answer:** Chana is the odd one in (i) as it is a pulse, whereas the rest are millets. Rice is the odd one in (ii) as it is a carbohydrate-rich cereal, whereas the rest are protein-rich pulses.

> Common mistake: Confusing millets with pulses.

### Question 2

*3 marks · Short answer*

Discuss traditional versus modern culinary practices in India.

**Solution**

1. Traditional culinary practices involved cooking on a chulha using firewood and manual grinding using a sil-batta.
2. Modern culinary practices use gas stoves or induction cooktops and electrical appliances like electrical grinders for ease and speed.
3. These changes over time are driven by technological development, improved transportation, and better communication.

**Answer:** Traditional practices used chulhas and sil-battas, whereas modern practices use gas stoves and electrical appliances due to technological development.

> Common mistake: Forgetting to mention the reasons behind the change in practices.

### Question 3

*3 marks · Short answer*

A teacher says that good food may act as medicine. Ravi is curious about this statement and has some questions for his teacher. List at least two questions that he can ask.

**Solution**

1. How can specific food components prevent or cure deficiency diseases like scurvy or goitre?
2. Which foods act as protective nutrients to keep our body free from various diseases?
3. Can a proper balanced diet replace medicines in maintaining health and curing illness?

**Answer:** Ravi can ask questions about how specific nutrients prevent diseases and how a balanced diet maintains good health like medicine.

> Common mistake: Asking general questions about taste instead of connecting food components to health and disease prevention.

### Question 4

*3 marks · Short answer*

Not all delicious foods are necessarily healthy, while not all nutritious foods are always enjoyable. Share your thoughts along with a few examples.

**Solution**

1. Many delicious foods like potato wafers, candy bars, and carbonated drinks are high in fat and sugar but low in essential nutrients, making them unhealthy junk foods.
2. On the other hand, highly nutritious foods like green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and millets provide essential nutrients and roughage but may not always taste as enjoyable to everyone.
3. Therefore, we should choose a balanced diet containing wholesome food rather than relying purely on taste.

**Answer:** Delicious junk foods like potato wafers lack essential nutrients, while nutritious foods like green leafy vegetables are essential for health despite taste preferences.

> Common mistake: Assuming all tasty foods are healthy.

### Question 5

*3 marks · Short answer*

Medu does not eat vegetables but enjoys biscuits, noodles and white bread. He often has stomach ache and constipation. What changes should he make in his diet to get rid of these problems? Explain your answer.

**Solution**

1. Medu's diet lacks dietary fibres, also known as roughage, because he avoids vegetables and eats refined items like white bread and noodles.
2. Roughage does not provide nutrients but is an essential component that helps the body get rid of undigested food and ensures smooth passage of stools.
3. He should include green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, and pulses in his diet to get rid of constipation and stomach ache.

**Answer:** Medu should include roughage-rich foods like green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains in his diet to prevent constipation.

> Common mistake: Stating that roughage provides energy instead of aiding digestion and bowel movement.

### Question 6

*3 marks · Short answer*

Reshma had trouble seeing things in dim light. The doctor tested her eyesight and prescribed a particular vitamin supplement. He also advised her to include a few food items in her diet.
 (i) Which deficiency disease is she suffering from? 
 (ii) Which food component may be lacking in her diet?
(iii) Suggest some food items that she should include in her diet to overcome this problem (any four).

**Part (i)**

1. Trouble seeing things in dim light is a symptom of poor vision or night blindness.

Answer (i): Loss of vision or night blindness.

**Part (ii)**

1. Loss of vision is caused by the deficiency of Vitamin A in the diet.

Answer (ii): Vitamin A.

**Part (iii)**

1. Rich sources of Vitamin A include papaya, carrot, mango, and milk.

Answer (iii): Papaya, carrot, mango, and milk.

**Answer:** Reshma is suffering from night blindness due to a lack of Vitamin A, and she should eat papayas, carrots, mangoes, and milk.

> Common mistake: Confusing night blindness symptoms with other vitamin deficiency disorders.

### Question 7

*3 marks · Short answer*

You are provided the following:
 (i) Canned fruit juice
 (ii) Fresh fruit juice 
(iii) Fresh fruit
Which one would you prefer and why?

**Solution**

1. Fresh fruit is preferred over canned fruit juice and fresh fruit juice.
2. Fresh fruits are rich in dietary fibres or roughage, which help the body get rid of undigested food and ensure smooth passage of stools.
3. Juices and canned items may lose important fibres and nutrients during processing or lack adequate roughage.

**Answer:** Fresh fruit should be preferred because it provides essential dietary fibres (roughage) along with vitamins and minerals, which help in proper digestion.

> Common mistake: Thinking that fruit juice is equally healthy without considering the loss of dietary fibres.

### Question 8

*3 marks · Short answer*

Gourav got a fracture in his leg. His doctor aligned the bones and put on a plaster. The doctor also gave him calcium tablets. On the second visit, the doctor gave him Vitamin D syrup along with calcium tablets. Refer to Fig. 3.5 and answer the following questions:
 (i) Why did the doctor give calcium tablets to Gourav?
 (ii) On the second visit, why did the doctor give Vitamin D syrup along with calcium tablets?
(iii) What question arises in your mind about the choices made by the doctor in giving the medicines?

**Part (i)**

1. Calcium is a mineral that keeps bones and teeth healthy.
2. The doctor gave calcium tablets to provide the essential mineral required for repairing and strengthening the fractured bone.

Answer (i): Calcium tablets were given because calcium is essential for keeping bones healthy and repairing the fracture.

**Part (ii)**

1. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium for bone and teeth health.
2. Vitamin D syrup was given along with calcium to help Gourav's body absorb the calcium properly for bone healing.

Answer (ii): Vitamin D syrup was given because it helps the body absorb calcium effectively for bone health.

**Part (iii)**

1. A question that arises is why Vitamin D was prescribed on the second visit rather than the first one.
2. Another question is whether getting natural sunlight for Vitamin D would have served the same purpose as the syrup.

Answer (iii): Why was Vitamin D not prescribed during the first visit along with the calcium tablets?

**Answer:** Calcium tablets and Vitamin D help in bone health and healing of fractures.

> Common mistake: Confusing the functions of calcium and Vitamin D in bone health.

### Question 9

*3 marks · Short answer*

Sugar is an example of carbohydrates. Sugar is tested with iodine solution but it does not change to blue-black colour. What can be a possible reason?

**Solution**

1. Iodine solution is used specifically to test for the presence of starch, which turns blue-black upon reaction.
2. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, but it is a simple sugar and not starch.
3. Since sugar does not contain starch, it does not give a blue-black colour with iodine solution.

**Answer:** Sugar does not turn blue-black with iodine because iodine specifically detects starch, and sugar is a simple carbohydrate, not starch.

> Common mistake: Assuming all carbohydrates give a blue-black colour with iodine solution.

### Question 10

*3 marks · Short answer*

What do you think of Raman’s statement, “All starches are carbohydrates but not all carbohydrates are starches.” Describe the design of an activity to test your answer.

**Solution**

1. Raman's statement is correct because starch is a specific, complex type of carbohydrate found in plant foods like potato and rice.
2. Other carbohydrates include simple sugars and dietary fibres like cellulose, which do not give the starch test.
3. Activity design: Take food items containing starch (like boiled rice) and foods containing other carbohydrates (like sugar solution), test both with diluted iodine solution, and observe that only starch turns blue-black.

**Answer:** All starches are carbohydrates, but other carbohydrates like sugar do not show the starch test, which can be proved by testing both with iodine solution.

> Common mistake: Failing to explain how to test the statement using an activity.

### Question 11

*3 marks · Short answer*

While using iodine in the laboratory, a few drops of iodine fell on Mishti’s socks and a few fell on her teacher’s saree. The drops of iodine on the saree turned blue-black while the colour on the socks did not change. What can be a possible reason?

**Solution**

1. Iodine solution turns blue-black in the presence of starch.
2. The teacher's saree likely contains starch applied during washing or finishing, whereas Mishti's socks do not contain starch.
3. Therefore, the iodine reacted with the starch on the saree to turn blue-black, while no such reaction occurred on the socks.

**Answer:** The saree turned blue-black because it contained starch (often used in ironing clothes), whereas the socks did not contain starch.

> Common mistake: Assuming iodine stains all fabrics blue-black regardless of starch content.

### Question 12

*3 marks · Short answer*

Why are millets considered a healthy choice of food? Can eating just millets suffice for the nutritional requirements of the body? Discuss.

**Solution**

1. Millets are considered a healthy choice because they are good sources of vitamins, minerals like iron and calcium, and dietary fibres.
2. No, eating just millets cannot suffice for all the nutritional requirements of the body.
3. A balanced diet requires all major nutrients including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in the right quantities, along with roughage and water, which cannot be obtained from millets alone.

**Answer:** Millets are healthy due to rich nutrients and fibres, but eating only millets cannot provide a balanced diet as other nutrients like proteins and certain vitamins would be missing.

> Common mistake: Thinking that a single nutritious food item can replace a complete balanced diet.

### Question 13

*3 marks · Short answer*

You are given a sample of a solution. How would you check the possibility of it being an iodine solution?

**Solution**

1. Take a small amount of a food item known to contain starch, such as a small piece of potato or a drop of starch solution.
2. Add a few drops of the given test solution to the starch sample.
3. Observe if the sample turns blue-black in colour; a change to blue-black confirms that the given solution is an iodine solution.

**Answer:** To check if a sample is an iodine solution, add a few drops of it to a starch source like potato; if the colour turns blue-black, it is an iodine solution.

> Common mistake: Forgetting that iodine needs a starch sample to show its characteristic colour change.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many questions are there in the NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body?

There are 13 questions in the Let us enhance our learning section of this chapter. SwaVid provides complete step-by-step solutions for all of them on this page.

### Which topics are covered in the questions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3?

The questions cover concepts like delicious foods versus nutritious foods, food as medicine, food choices, dietary fibres, and millets. Other topics include the starch test, material composition, and odd-one-out exercises based on food components.

### What is the hardest question type in this chapter and how should I approach it?

The application-based questions on testing for starch and analyzing food components are often considered the hardest. You should approach them by clearly recalling the experimental procedure and material composition before writing the answer.

### How can I write answers to score full marks in Class 6 Science Chapter 3 examinations?

To score full marks, structure your answers with precise scientific terms related to balanced diets and roughage. You can refer to SwaVid's free PDF solutions on this page to learn the ideal way to present your answers.

### Is the free PDF for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 Mindful Eating available for download?

Yes, SwaVid offers a free PDF containing detailed solutions for this chapter. You can access and download it directly from this page to aid your preparation for the 2026-27 session.

## Related pages

- [Class 6 Science chapters](https://www.swavid.com/science/class/6)

Solutions written by SwaVid, a personal AI tutor for Class 6 to 10 Maths and Science. Practise this chapter free: https://www.swavid.com/start/student