1. Food: Where Does It Come From?
Introduction: Have you ever wondered what you ate today and if it's the same as what your friend ate? We all eat different kinds of food at different times. This variety is what makes food interesting! Food provides us with energy to work, play, and grow.
Food Variety
There is a lot of variety in the food we eat. For example, rice, dal, vegetables, fish, and fruits. These food items are made of different materials.
Ingredients: The materials needed to prepare a food item are called ingredients. For example, to make boiled rice, we need just two materials or ingredients: raw rice and water.
ACTIVITY 1: Food Variety
Observation: Ask your friends what they ate during the day. You will find a lot of variety, like idli, fish curry, chapati, or rice.
Food Materials and Sources
Where do these ingredients come from? There are two main sources of food:
- Plants: Sources of food ingredients like grains, cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Examples: Paddy (rice), wheat.
- Animals: Sources of food ingredients like milk, eggs, and meat. Examples: Cows, goats, buffaloes (milk); hens (eggs).
ACTIVITY 3: Ingredients and Sources
Conclusion: We find that plants are the sources of ingredients like grains, cereals, vegetables and fruits. Animals provide us with milk, meat products and eggs.
Plant Parts and Animal Products as Food
Edible Parts: The parts of a plant that can be eaten are called edible parts. We eat leafy vegetables, fruits, stems, roots, and sometimes even flowers.
- Roots: Carrot, Radish.
- Stems: Potato, Ginger.
- Leaves: Spinach, Cabbage.
- Flowers: Pumpkin flowers (dipped in rice paste and fried).
- Seeds: Mustard seeds (give oil and used as spice).
ACTIVITY 4: Plant Parts
Identify: Brinjal curry uses Brinjal (Fruit), Chilli (Fruit), Oil (Seed). Different parts of different plants are used as food.
ACTIVITY 5: Sprouting
Method: Take some dry seeds of moong or chana. Soak them in water overnight. Drain the water and wrap them in a wet cloth. Following day, a small white structure grows out of the seeds. This is called a sprout.
SOLVED IN-TEXT QUESTION: Paheli
Q: Paheli wants to know if any of our food comes from sources other than plants and animals.
Ans: Yes, there are sources like salt (from sea water) and water, which are neither plants nor animals. Mushrooms (fungi) are also consumed.
What Do Animals Eat?
Animals are grouped based on what they eat:
- Herbivores: Animals which eat only plants or plant products. Examples: Cow, Deer, Goat.
- Carnivores: Animals which eat other animals. Examples: Lion, Tiger, Lizard.
- Omnivores: Animals which eat both plants and animals. Examples: Dog, Crow, Human beings, Bear.
SOLVED IN-TEXT QUESTION: Paheli
Q: Paheli wants to know where you would place human beings, while filling Table 1.6 (Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore).
Ans: Human beings are placed in Omnivores because they eat both plant products (vegetables, grains) and animal products (meat, eggs).
Chapter Summary
- There is a lot of variation in the food eaten in different regions of India.
- The main sources of our food are plants and animals.
- Animals which eat only plants are called herbivores.
- Animals which eat only animals are called carnivores.
- Animals which eat both plants as well as other animals are called omnivores.
Exercise Q1
Q: Do you find that all living beings need the same kind of food?
Exercise Q2
Q: Name five plants and their parts that we eat.
- Apple tree: Fruit
- Wheat plant: Seed
- Potato plant: Stem
- Beetroot plant: Root
- Spinach: Leaves
Exercise Q3: Match the items
- Milk, Curd, Paneer, Ghee -> Are all animal products
- Spinach, Cauliflower, carrot -> Are vegetables
- Lions and tigers -> Eat other animals
- Herbivores -> Eat plants and plant products
Exercise Q4: Fill in the blanks
- Tiger is a carnivore because it eats only meat.
- Deer eats only plant products and so is called herbivore.
- Parrot eats only plant products.
- The milk that we drink, which comes from cows, buffaloes and goats is an animal product.
- We get sugar from sugarcane.
Key Facts and Definitions
The substance eaten by humans and other animals to get energy for various activities like walking, running, and body growth. It helps in the repair of damaged body parts and protects the body from diseases.
The materials that are needed to prepare a particular food item or dish. For example, wheat flour and water are ingredients for Chapati.
The parts of a plant which can be eaten are called edible parts. We eat roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of various plants. Some plants have multiple edible parts (e.g., Mustard - seeds and leaves).
Nectar: A sweet juice produced by flowers.
Honey: Bees collect nectar from flowers, transform it into honey, and store it in their hives as a food reserve for the entire year.
The process of germination of seeds to produce a small white outgrowth (the tiny root) is called sprouting. Sprouted seeds (like Moong and Chana) are very healthy as they are rich in vitamins and proteins.
- Herbivores: Animals which eat only plants or plant parts. (e.g., Cow, Deer, Goat).
- Carnivores: Animals which eat flesh of other animals. (e.g., Lion, Tiger, Leopard).
- Omnivores: Animals which eat both plants and animals. (e.g., Human, Dog, Cat).