Chapter 6 of 24
Chapter 6: Foods We Eat
Diversity of Indian Cuisines: Regional Staples (Rice, Wheat, Tapioca, Mustard Oil), Age-based Diets | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Staple foods depend on geography and climate: Rice in Kerala, West Bengal; Wheat and Bajra in Punjab, Rajasthan.
- Dietary needs change with age: Soft liquids (milk, dal water) for infants; light, soft food for the elderly; energetic meals for growing children.
- Unique regional delicacies: Tapioca and fish in Kerala, Sarson ka Saag and Makki ki Roti in Punjab, Momos in Sikkim.
- Family food sharing: Eating meals together and showing empathy when food is scarce.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (17 Questions)
100% Complete Ingestion
Q1
Age-Specific Diets
Why can a 6-month-old baby and a 75-year-old grandmother not eat the same crispy fried corn cob (bhutta) as a 10-year-old child?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
• 6-Month-Old Baby: Has no teeth and an underdeveloped digestive system, surviving primarily on mother's milk and liquid porridge.
• 75-Year-Old Grandmother: Often has missing or weak teeth and slower digestion, needing soft foods like dal-khichdi, mashed rotis, and stewed vegetables rather than hard corn.
• 10-Year-Old Child: Has strong, healthy teeth and high energy needs, easily chewing and digesting crunchy roasted corn.
• 75-Year-Old Grandmother: Often has missing or weak teeth and slower digestion, needing soft foods like dal-khichdi, mashed rotis, and stewed vegetables rather than hard corn.
• 10-Year-Old Child: Has strong, healthy teeth and high energy needs, easily chewing and digesting crunchy roasted corn.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Contrast of infant dental and digestive stage
1 Mark
Contrast of elderly dental and metabolic needs
1 Mark
Growing child's chewing capacity
1 Mark
Q2
Regional Cuisines
Why do people living in Kerala eat a lot of rice and coconut, while people in Rajasthan eat bajra and lentils?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Dietary habits depend on local agricultural harvests and climate:
• Kerala: High coastal rainfall and fertile soils allow abundant paddy and coconut cultivation; hence, coconut curries and rice are staple foods.
• Rajasthan: A dry, arid desert climate with scarce rainfall allows drought-resistant millets like Bajra (pearl millet) and hardy pulses to thrive; hence, Bajre ki Roti and Dal-Baati are staples.
• Kerala: High coastal rainfall and fertile soils allow abundant paddy and coconut cultivation; hence, coconut curries and rice are staple foods.
• Rajasthan: A dry, arid desert climate with scarce rainfall allows drought-resistant millets like Bajra (pearl millet) and hardy pulses to thrive; hence, Bajre ki Roti and Dal-Baati are staples.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Connection between climate/soil and crop growth in Kerala
1.5 Marks
Connection between desert climate and drought-resistant crops in Rajasthan
1.5 Marks
Q3
Food Empathy
What should you do if you notice that a classmate has not brought a lunch box to school?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
We should gently and politely invite our classmate to sit with us and share our meal, making sure they feel respected and cared for without feeling embarrassed.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Sharing food with dignity and empathy
2 Marks
Q4
Nutrition Across Ages • Foods We Eat
In Vipul's family, why could his Dadi (grandmother) not eat hard bhutta (roasted corn cob)? What food was prepared for her instead?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Diet & Age:
• Dadi is very old and has lost most of her natural teeth, so she cannot chew hard, chewy roasted corn.
• For Dadi, her mother prepared soft dal with crushed chapatis soaked in it (dal-baati or dal-roti) with a little sugar, making it soft and easy to digest.
• Dadi is very old and has lost most of her natural teeth, so she cannot chew hard, chewy roasted corn.
• For Dadi, her mother prepared soft dal with crushed chapatis soaked in it (dal-baati or dal-roti) with a little sugar, making it soft and easy to digest.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Absence of teeth/weak gums explained
1.5 M
Soft soaked chapati in dal identified
1.5 M
Q5
Diet Comparison • Baby vs Adult vs Elderly
Complete the table showing what different people can and cannot easily eat:
• 4-month-old Baby
• Young Sports Student
• Old Grandfather
[3 Marks]
• 4-month-old Baby
• Young Sports Student
• Old Grandfather
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Diet by Age Group:
| Person | What they CAN eat | What they CANNOT eat |
|---|---|---|
| 4-month-old Baby | Mother's milk (liquid food) | Chapatis, nuts, fruits, solid rice |
| Young Student | All hard and soft foods (corn, nuts, chapatis) | Can eat almost anything edible |
| Old Grandfather | Soft khichdi, soaked rotis, boiled vegetables | Hard nuts, hard bhutta, raw sugarcane |
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct diet entries for baby, student, and grandfather
3.0 M
Q6
Regional Foods • Geographical Differences
Why do people in coastal Kerala eat tapioca and coconut curry, while people in Punjab eat wheat and mustard greens?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Geographical Food Habits:
• People eat what grows most abundantly and easily in their local climate and soil. Kerala's humid tropical coast is ideal for coconut trees and tapioca, while Punjab's fertile alluvial plains produce rich harvests of wheat and mustard.
• People eat what grows most abundantly and easily in their local climate and soil. Kerala's humid tropical coast is ideal for coconut trees and tapioca, while Punjab's fertile alluvial plains produce rich harvests of wheat and mustard.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Climate and soil availability as key food determinant
1.5 M
Specific Kerala vs Punjab crop linkages explained
1.5 M
Q7
Food Etiquette • Hunger vs Boredom
How do you know that you are genuinely hungry? Describe the feeling.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Physical Hunger:
• When genuinely hungry, our stomach feels empty and makes rumbling sounds, our body energy drops, and any simple healthy food (like plain roti and dal) looks delicious and satisfying.
• When genuinely hungry, our stomach feels empty and makes rumbling sounds, our body energy drops, and any simple healthy food (like plain roti and dal) looks delicious and satisfying.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Physical hunger sensations accurately described
2.0 M
Q8
Observation Time • Animals and Habits
In Chapter 6 ('Foods We Eat'), what animals did the characters observe, and how do they move from place to place?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Observations:
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Birds, mammals, reptiles, insects movement
3 M
Q9
Find Out & Write • Animal Habitats
Name two animals that live:
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
[2 Marks]
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Habitats:
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct examples for all 4 habitats
2 M
Q10
Discuss & Share • Our Senses
How do our five sense organs help us understand and navigate our daily environment?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Five Senses:
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 5 sense organs explained with functions
3 M
Q11
Water Cycle & Weather • Rain and Clouds
Where does rainwater come from, and why do plants and trees look fresher and greener after a rain shower?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Rain and Plant Health:
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Water cycle / cloud formation
1.5 M
Why plants look greener after rain
1.5 M
Q12
Food Diversity • Regional Diets
Why do people living in Kerala eat more rice, fish, and coconut, while people in Punjab eat more wheat chapatis, mustard greens, and lassi?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Regional Food Factors:
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Climate and agriculture connection
1.5 M
Kerala and Punjab examples explained
1.5 M
Q13
Cooking Methods • Kitchen Science
Match each food item to its primary method of cooking:
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
[3 Marks]
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Matching:
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Idli-Steaming, Puri-Frying, Roti-Roasting
3 M
Q14
Shelter & Houses • Diversity in Homes
Why are houses in heavy-rainfall regions like Assam built on bamboo stilts with sloping roofs?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Stilt Houses:
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Reason for bamboo stilts (floods)
1.5 M
Reason for sloping roof (rain runoff)
1.5 M
Q15
Community Helpers • Occupations
Identify the worker who:
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
[2 Marks]
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Community Helpers:
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Cobbler, Postman, Potter, Doctor
2 M
Q16
Web of Life • Food Chain
What is the 'Web of Life'? Draw a simple food chain showing how grass, deer, and lion are connected.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Web of Life & Food Chain:
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Definition of Web of Life
1.5 M
Grass → Deer → Lion chain explained
1.5 M
Q17
Review Questions • True or False
Write True or False:
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
[3 Marks]
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
True, True, False with reasoning
3 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Nutritional Diversity: Millets as Climate-Resilient Superfoods
Under the National Millet Mission, schools are introducing traditional millets (Ragi, Jowar, Bajra) into the weekly school menu alongside wheat and rice.
Analytical Task: Why are millets nutritionally superior to polished white rice, and why are they environmentally friendly crops to grow?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
Nutritional Advantages: Millets are rich in calcium, iron, and dietary fiber with a low glycemic index, preventing childhood anemia, bone weakness, and blood sugar spikes.
Environmental Benefits: Unlike water-guzzling crops like paddy (which require thousands of liters of flooded water per kilogram), millets are hardy, drought-tolerant grains that grow in dry, low-fertility soils with minimal rainwater and zero chemical fertilizers.
Environmental Benefits: Unlike water-guzzling crops like paddy (which require thousands of liters of flooded water per kilogram), millets are hardy, drought-tolerant grains that grow in dry, low-fertility soils with minimal rainwater and zero chemical fertilizers.
Rubric: Nutritional superiority (calcium/iron/fiber) and climate resilience (low water/drought resistance) (4 Marks).