Food that has
nutrients is called nutritious food. Nutritious food is good for us.
Nutritious food helps us stay
healthy. It nourishes our body and mind. It’s important that we get all the
nutrients in the correct amount. That’s why we should eat a balanced diet.
A balanced diet contains a lot of fruits and
vegetables. A balanced diet includes food from all the three groups; energy-giving, body-building and protective foods. It contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals in the right amount.
Water is also an important part of our diet. Water helps us to digest our food. We should try and drink at least 6-8 glass of water every day.
Importance of food
The food that we eat contains nutrients. Nutrients are substance which our body needs to live and grow.
Our body works all the time, so it needs energy. We get this energy from foods like rice, potatoes, sugar and bread. These foods contain an important nutrient called carbohydrate.
Food like butter, ghee, nuts and oil also give our body energy. They contain a nutrient called fat.
Foods which contain carbohydrates or fats and so give our body energy are called energy- giving foods.
We get energy to work and play from carbohydrates and fats.
Some foods like fish, milk, eggs, and pulses help our body to grow and stay healthy; they contain a nutrient called protein. Proteins also help to repair our body. When we are hurt, cut or bruise ourselves or if we have an accident, proteins help those injuries to heal. These foods are known as body-building foods.
Some foods protect our body from diseases and keep us healthy. Foods like green leafy vegetables, fruit and milk are protective foods. These foods contain vitamins and minerals that protect our body.
Food helps our body to grow and gives us energy to work and play. Food also helps us to fight diseases. The food we eat comes from different sources.
We get vegetables and fruits from plants. Hens give us eggs. Cows, buffaloes and goats give us milk.
Food comes from two main source- plants and animals.
Plants give us many kinds of food. The fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, and pulses that we eat, and the spices that we use in cooking come from plants.
We eat many different parts of plants and we eat fruit of some plants.
We eat the root of some plants. We eat the stem of some plants. We eat the leaves of some plants. We eat the seeds of some plants. We eat the flowers of some plants.
We get pulses like arhar, masoor and moong from plants. We get sugar from the sugarcane and sugar beet plants.
Chilly powder, cinnamon, clove, and saffron are some spices that we get from plants. We use spice to add flavor to food.
Most oils are made from parts of plants like palm oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil and mustard oil; these oils are used for cooking and other purposes.
Plants also give us nuts like walnut, cashew and almonds.