Class 5 EVS · Chapter 3

3. The Mystery of Food

Answers to all Write, Discuss, Find out, Activity and Let us reflect questions. NCERT Our Wondrous World, Class 5 EVS (CBSE) · Unit 2: Health and Well-being.

Think

Have you ever had an upset stomach? What could have caused it? What could happen if spoiled food is eaten? What did you do to get well?

An upset stomach can be caused by stale or spoiled food, dirty water or eating too much.

Spoiled food can cause stomach ache, vomiting and loose motions (food poisoning).

I drank boiled water and ORS. I ate light food like curd rice and took rest. The doctor gave me medicine.

Write

Why do you think food gets spoiled?

Food gets spoiled because tiny microbes grow on it. They need moisture, air and warmth to grow. They change the taste, smell and colour of the food.

What other things are dried so that they remain unspoilt throughout the year?

Papads, pulses, grains, raw mango slices, fish, potato chips, kokum, ginger, turmeric and coriander seeds.

Activity 1

What items can be made from mangoes to enjoy them for longer durations?

Mango pickle, aam papad, amchur (dry mango powder), murabba, mango jam and mango squash.

Activity 2

3What changes did you observe in the tomato slices kept in sunlight?

The slices lost water. They became dry, shrunk and wrinkled. Their colour became darker.

Can you think of a way to preserve items like tomato?

Tomatoes can be dried in the Sun. They can also be made into ketchup, sauce or puree, or kept in a fridge.

Discuss

What would happen to this pickle if no oil had been added?

Air would reach the pickle. Microbes would grow on it, and it would get mould and spoil quickly.

Why does butter need refrigeration and ghee does not?

Butter has water in it, so microbes can grow. It needs to be kept cold in a fridge.

Ghee is made by heating butter. The water evaporates. Without moisture, microbes cannot grow, so ghee stays good for long.

Activity 3

Find out about food preservation practices in your family. Write at least one such practice.

My grandmother keeps dry neem leaves in containers of rice and wheat. This keeps insects away.

She also mixes salt and turmeric with raw mango pieces and dries them in the Sun.

How are Idlis made?

Can you find out how idlis are made? What makes the idli batter fluffy?

Rice and urad dal are soaked and ground into a batter. The batter is kept overnight.

Microbes from the air grow in the batter. They make it rise and become fluffy. Then the batter is steamed in idli moulds.

Think

Did you ever have an upset stomach, vomiting or indigestion? Write about the home remedy given to you.

When I had indigestion, my mother gave me buttermilk with roasted jeera (cumin) powder. I also ate light curd rice.

Activity 4

Write one thing that you learnt from your shopping trip as Finding #9.

Finding #9: Fresh vegetables are firm and bright in colour. They have no spots, holes or bad smell.

Write

Name three seasonal fruits or vegetables of your region.

Mango and watermelon in summer, and oranges or guava in winter.

Activity 5

Which teeth did you use to cut and chew? Name them.

Incisors — to cut and bite food.
Canines — to tear food.
Premolars — to crush food.
Molars — to grind and chew food.

Write

How can you avoid choking?

Take small bites.
Chew food properly before swallowing.
Eat slowly, sitting down.
Do not talk or laugh with food in the mouth.

Let us reflect

1Why do some food items last for weeks and others spoil in just a few days?

Dry foods and foods kept with salt, sugar or oil last for weeks. Microbes cannot grow in them.

Foods with a lot of moisture, like cooked food, milk and bread, spoil quickly.

2You are going on a field trip for two days. List five food items you will carry. How will you keep them from getting spoiled?

I will carry theplas, laddoos, roasted chana, biscuits and apples.

I will pack them in clean, airtight boxes. I will keep them in a cool and dry place.

3What if food cannot be preserved? Imagine a world without food preservation.

Food would spoil quickly and a lot would be wasted.
We could not eat fruits and vegetables after their season.
There would be no pickles, papads or jams.
Carrying food on long journeys would be hard.
People may go hungry during droughts.

4Match the item (A) with the method of preservation used to make the final product (B).

Item (A)	Method of Preservation	Product (B)
Roti	Dehydration	Khakhra
Papad	Dried in sun	Dried papads
Mango	Drying in sun (with sugar)	Aam papad
Lemon	Pickling (salt, spices and oil)	Lemon pickle
Butter	Heating	Ghee
Juice	Canning (airtight packing)	Canned juice
Chillies	Drying in sun	Chilli powder
Fish	Salting and drying	Dried fish

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