NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 - Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

The third chapter, Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body, discusses the significance of food in our lives and explains how paying attention to what we eat, how much we eat and when we eat can lead to better health. The chapter discusses the variety of food habits across India and encourages students to reflect on their own diet. The chapter emphasizes consuming wholesome food in moderate quantities, suitable for the season, time and place. It introduces two curious students, Medu and Mishti, who start understanding the role of food in sustaining life.

The chapter encourages students to record and analyze their own weekly food intake and compare it with their peers. The chapter introduces the five major nutrients, explains what each one does and shows students how to test for the presence of starch, fat and protein in food using simple experiments. NCERT Solutions for Class 6 for this chapter are a reliable resource for understanding what the CBSE Board marking scheme expects in written answers and for preparing confidently for school tests.

Download NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 PDF

Download the NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 - Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body PDF for free and study anytime, anywhere. The PDF contains accurate answers to all NCERT exercise questions based on the latest CBSE 2026-27 syllabus, making it useful for homework, revision, and exam preparation.

Class 6 Science Chapter 3 NCERT Exercise Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 given below cover all the questions in this chapter. These solutions are prepared according to the latest CBSE Board Class 6 syllabus and are designed to help students understand the concepts clearly and write accurate and well-structured answers. By practicing these solutions regularly, students can improve their understanding of the chapter and prepare confidently for school tests and exams.

Q1. Pick the odd one out and give reasons.

(i) Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Chana

Answer:
The odd one is Chana because Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are millets (nutri-cereals), whereas Chana is a pulse rich in protein.

(ii) Kidney beans, Green gram, Soya bean, Rice

Answer:
The odd one is Rice because Kidney beans, Green gram and Soya bean are protein-rich pulses, whereas Rice is mainly a source of carbohydrates.

Q2. Discuss traditional versus modern culinary practices in India.

Answer:

Traditional and modern cooking practices differ in many ways.

Traditional Culinary Practices

Food was prepared using fresh and locally available ingredients.

Cooking was done on chulhas or wood-fired stoves.

Grinding and pounding were done using stone grinders and mortar-pestle.

Homemade foods were preferred over packaged foods.

Modern Culinary Practices

LPG gas stoves, induction cooktops and microwave ovens are commonly used.

Electric mixers, grinders and food processors save time.

Packaged and processed foods are easily available.

Different regional and international cuisines are now popular.

Both traditional and modern methods have their own advantages. However, eating fresh and nutritious homemade food is always a healthier choice.

Q3. 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.

Answer:

Ravi may ask questions such as:

How can healthy food help prevent diseases?

Which foods help improve our immunity and overall health?

Can a balanced diet reduce the need for medicines?

Why do doctors recommend nutritious food during illness?

Q4. Not all delicious foods are necessarily healthy, while not all nutritious foods are always enjoyable. Share your thoughts along with a few examples.

Answer:

Many tasty foods like pizzas, burgers, chips and soft drinks are enjoyable but contain large amounts of fat, sugar and salt. Eating them regularly may harm our health.

On the other hand, foods such as fruits, vegetables, sprouts, pulses and millets are rich in nutrients and help keep us healthy, even though some people may not find them as tasty.

Therefore, we should choose foods that are both nutritious and enjoyable whenever possible.

Q5. 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.

Answer:

Medu should include:

Green leafy vegetables

Fresh fruits

Whole grains

Pulses

Plenty of water

These foods provide dietary fibre (roughage), which improves digestion and helps prevent constipation. He should reduce eating biscuits, noodles and white bread because they contain very little fibre and fewer nutrients.

Q6. Reshma had trouble seeing things in dim light. The doctor tested her eyesight and prescribed a particular vitamin supplement.

(i) Which deficiency disease is she suffering from?

Answer:
She is suffering from Night Blindness.

(ii) Which food component may be lacking in her diet?

Answer:
Her diet may be lacking Vitamin A.

(iii) Suggest some food items that she should include in her diet to overcome this problem (any four).

Answer:

Carrot

Spinach

Mango

Papaya

Milk

Egg

Green leafy vegetables

(Any four)

Q7. You are provided the following:

Canned fruit juice

Fresh fruit juice

Fresh fruit

Which one would you prefer and why?

Answer:

I would prefer fresh fruit because it contains natural nutrients, dietary fibre, and no added preservatives or sugar. It is healthier than both fresh fruit juice and canned fruit juice because chewing whole fruits also helps digestion and retains more fibre.

Q8. Gourav got a fracture in his leg. His doctor aligned the bones and put on a plaster. The doctor also gave him calcium tablets.

(i) Why did the doctor give calcium tablets to Gourav?

Answer:

Calcium helps strengthen bones and supports the healing of broken bones.

(ii) On the second visit, why did the doctor give Vitamin D syrup along with calcium tablets?

Answer:

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium properly, making bone healing faster and more effective.

(iii) What question arises in your mind about the choices made by the doctor in giving the medicines?

Answer:

One possible question is:

Why is Vitamin D necessary along with calcium for strong bones?

Q9. 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?

Answer:

Iodine solution gives a blue-black colour only in the presence of starch. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and does not contain starch. Therefore, no colour change occurs.

Q10. 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.

Answer:

Raman's statement is correct.

Activity:

Materials Required:

Iodine solution

Potato

Rice

Sugar

Bread

Honey

Procedure:

Take small samples of each food item.

Add two or three drops of iodine solution to each sample.

Observe the colour change.

Observation:

Potato, rice and bread turn blue-black because they contain starch.

Sugar and honey do not change colour.

Conclusion:

The activity shows that foods containing starch give a blue-black colour with iodine, while foods containing simple sugars do not. This proves that starch is one type of carbohydrate, but carbohydrates also include sugars that are not starch.

Q11. 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?

Answer:

The teacher's saree was likely starched, so iodine reacted with the starch and turned blue-black. Mishti's socks probably did not contain starch, so no colour change was observed.

Q12. Why are millets considered a healthy choice of food? Can eating just millets suffice for the nutritional requirements of the body? Discuss.

Answer:

Millets are called nutri-cereals because they contain carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. They are easy to grow and are good for both health and the environment.

However, eating only millets is not enough. Our body requires a balanced diet that also includes fruits, vegetables, pulses, milk, nuts and other nutritious foods.

Q13. You are given a sample of a solution. How would you check the possibility of it being an iodine solution?

Answer:

Take a small amount of starch or a piece of potato and add a few drops of the given solution.

If the starch turns blue-black, the solution is likely to be iodine solution. If there is no colour change, the solution is probably not iodine.

Chapter Overview

This chapter discusses the concept of mindful eating and explains that it means paying full attention to what we eat, how much we eat and when we eat. It encourages students to notice the taste, smell and texture of their food, eat slowly without distractions, listen to their body's hunger cues and appreciate where their food comes from. The chapter explains that food contains nutrients which provide energy, help the body grow, repair damaged tissues and protect us from diseases. It introduces the 5 major nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, along with roughage and water. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy, proteins help in growth and repair of the body, fats provide energy, vitamins and minerals protect the body and regulate its functions, while roughage helps remove undigested food from the body and prevents constipation.

Students are taught three simple food tests. Iodine solution is used to test for starch, a paper test is used to detect fats and copper sulphate with caustic soda is used to test for proteins. The chapter explains that a deficiency of one or more nutrients over a long period can lead to deficiency diseases. It covers important diseases such as night blindness, scurvy, rickets, anaemia and goitre, along with their causes and symptoms. Students also learn that a balanced diet provides all the essential nutrients in the right quantities.

The chapter introduces millets as nutri-cereals because they provide most of the nutrients required for the normal functioning of our bodies and can be grown in different climatic conditions. It also explains the concept of food miles, which is the distance travelled by food from the place where it is produced to the consumer. The chapter encourages students to eat locally grown food whenever possible, reduce food wastage and understand that healthy food choices are beneficial not only for our bodies but also for the environment and the planet.

Topics Covered in This Chapter

• What mindful eating means and why it matters for growing children.
• The five major nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, along with their sources and functions.
• The role of roughage and water in the diet.
• Food tests for starch, fat and protein.
• What a balanced diet is and how to assess your own diet against it.
• Deficiency diseases.
• Millets as nutri-cereals.
• The concept of food miles and the importance of eating locally grown food.

Benefits of NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3

• Prepared according to the latest CBSE and NCERT syllabus.
• Provides accurate and easy-to-understand answers.
• Explains important concepts using simple language.
• Helps students complete homework correctly.
• Improves conceptual understanding of nutrients, balanced diet and food tests.
• Makes revision easier before class tests and annual examinations.
• Encourages students to write well-structured answers in exams.
• Builds confidence by providing step-by-step solutions.
• Saves time during exam preparation.
• Suitable for self-study as well as classroom learning.
• Helps students answer competency-based and application-based questions confidently.

How to Prepare for This Chapter Using NCERT Solutions?

You must first read the NCERT textbook carefully. Start by learning the name of each nutrient, its main function and at least two food sources. If you are unsure about any concept, refer to the NCERT Solutions after reading the textbook to clear your doubts. For deficiency diseases, understand each disease along with its symptoms rather than just memorising the nutrient. Night blindness means a person cannot see properly at night and is caused by Vitamin A deficiency because of its role in vision. Scurvy causes bleeding gums and is caused by Vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits. Rickets cause soft and bent bones and is caused by Vitamin D deficiency.

For food test questions, understand the logic behind each test rather than memorising the steps blindly. Iodine turns starch blue black because of a reaction between iodine and the starch molecule. Fat leaves an oily patch on paper because it does not absorb into paper the way water does. Copper sulphate and caustic soda produce a violet colour in the presence of protein. These reasons make the steps easier to recall and write in the exam.

The millets and food miles sections are often asked as short-answer and application-based questions in school tests. You must learn the definition of millets as nutri cereals and understand the concept of food miles. After completing the chapter, practice the textbook questions on your own before checking the solutions. For Class 6 Chapter 3 MCQs, the most frequently asked questions are the function of each nutrient, their food sources, the name and cause of each deficiency disease, food test results and the definition of millets.

Conclusion

NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 3 - Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body help students understand the importance of healthy eating habits, balanced nutrition and responsible food choices. The chapter explains the functions of nutrients, deficiency diseases, food tests, millets and food miles in a simple and practical manner. By practising these NCERT solutions regularly, students can strengthen their concepts, improve answer-writing skills and prepare effectively for school examinations while developing healthy eating habits for life.