NIOS Class 10 Home Science Activity 3.1Solutions – Food Groups

This activity helps students understand the concept of food groups and a balanced diet by analysing the meals consumed by their family in one day. Students list the food items they eat at different times of the day and classify them into the five food groups. This helps identify whether the family’s diet is balanced.

Chapter -3- Food Groups Activity Solutions

Activity 3.1- Analysis of the Previous Day’s Diet

Aim

To analyse the food eaten by family members in one day and classify it into five food groups to determine whether the meals are balanced.

Material Required

    1.  Notebook or worksheet

    2. Pen or pencil

   Procedure

   We first ask our family members about the food items they ate on the previous day. After collecting the information, we write the food items according to the time of meals, such as early morning breakfast,  lunch, evening snacks and dinner.

   Next, we identify the food group of each food item and classify them into the appropriate categories. Then we record the information in a table under the headings” Food items”, “Food Groups” and “Remarks”. After completing the table, we check whether foods from all five food groups are included in the meals. Finally, we analyse the result to determine whether our family’s diet was balanced or not.

    Five Food Groups

   1. Cereals and grains

   2. Pulses and legumes

   3. Milk, eggs and meat products

   4. Fruits and vegetables

   5. Fats and sugar

   Observation table

Time	Food items	Food groups	Remarks
Early morning	Milk	Milk and milk products	Good source of protein and calcium
Breakfast	Poha, peanuts	Cereals and pulses	Provides energy and protein
Mid-morning	Banana	fruits	Rich in fibres and vitamins
Lunch	Chapati, dal, vegetable curry, curd	Cereals and pulses, vegetables, milk products	Balanced meal
Evening	Tea and biscuits	Fat, sugar and cereals	Energy giving snack
dinner	Rice, rajma, salad	Cereals and pulses, vegetables,	Nutritious meal
Post dinner	Milk	Milk products	Helps digestion and adds protein

Explanation 

We observe that the meals include food from different food groups such as cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables and milk products. Each food group provides different nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. When food from most or all groups is included in daily meals, the diet becomes balanced and nutritious.

Conclusion

We can conclude that a balanced diet includes foot items from all five groups. This activity also helps us understand whether our family is eating a healthy and balanced diet. If some food groups are missing, we should include them in our daily meals.

Frequently Asked Questions

    1. What is a balanced diet?

Answer: A balanced diet is a meal that contains food from all five groups and provides all essential nutrients required by the body.

    2. Why is it important to include all food groups in a meal?

Answer: Different food groups provide different nutrients, so including all of them helps maintain good health.

    3. Which food group provides energy to the body?

Answer: Cereals, grains, fats and sugar mainly provide energy.

    4. Why should fruits and vegetables be eaten daily?

Answer: They provide vitamins, minerals and fibre which protect the body from diseases.

    5. How can we improve an unbalanced diet?

Answer: We can improve it by adding missing food groups such as fruits, vegetables, pulses or milk to our meals.