HOW TO TEACH FOOD FOR HEALTH LESSON TWAU

Class 4 EVS – Chapter 5: Food for Health

Complete Teaching Guide · Pages 71–84 · 6–7 periods of 35–40 minutes each

📘 About this guide: This page covers every point from Chapter 5 – Food for Health (Class 4 Our Wondrous World), including stories, tables, "Do you know?" boxes, discussions, activities, and the food word-search. Use it as a ready-to-teach resource for the classroom, or share it with parents for home learning.

🌱 What Children Should Learn

By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:

• Explain why we need different kinds of food.
• Identify the three food groups: Energy-giving, Body-building, Protective.
• Understand the six tastes – Shad Rasa.
• Give examples of foods having different tastes.
• Understand the importance of millets.
• Explain why junk food should not be eaten regularly or in large quantities.
• Understand the idea of a balanced food plate.
• Explain why water is important for health.
• Identify different methods of cooking.
• Know that some foods can be eaten without cooking.
• Understand what a chef is.
• Know about a solar cooker.
• Read important information on packaged-food labels.
• Understand why food should not be wasted.
• Appreciate different regional foods and thalis.
• Participate in the food diary, food collage and food festival activities.

The broader unit also connects healthy living with exercise, rest, mindful eating, and gratitude — although this chapter focuses mainly on food and health.

Period 1 Food Festival & Six Tastes

Pages 71–74

1. Begin with the picture

Before opening the chapter, show students the food festival picture on page 71.

Ask: "What do you see in this picture?"

Let children identify: food stalls, children, parents, different foods, people tasting food.

Ask: "If our school organised a food festival, what food would YOU bring?"

Let 8–10 children answer. Then introduce:

"Today we are going to learn why different foods are important for our health."

The textbook begins with a school food festival where students and parents bring different food items.

2. Food diversity

On page 72, the book gives many examples:

Fruits · Vegetables · Sprouts · Dhokla · Litti-chowkha · Dal-baati-churma · Bajre-ki-khichdi · Chhena-poda · Kadhi-pakoda · Ker-sangri · Siddu · Roasted corn · Spicy chutney · Dosa · Vada · Jowar upma · Ragi laddu

"India is a country with many regions and many food traditions. Different places have different special foods."

Ask:

• Which of these foods have you eaten?
• Which food is eaten in your home?
• Which food have you never tried?
• Why do different regions have different foods?

3. Mystery Masala

Read the "Mystery Masala" story dramatically. Mukesh and his friends visit a stall where a food has several different tastes.

Ask: "Can one food have more than one taste?"

Then reveal the answer: Ugadi Pachadi has six taste elements.

The Six Tastes — Shad Rasa

Taste	Hindi word given in book
Sweet	Meetha
Sour	Khatta
Salty	Namkeen
Pungent	Teekha
Bitter	Karva
Astringent	Kasaila

These six tastes are blended in the right measure in Ugadi Pachadi. The textbook identifies it as a traditional food of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.

Explain "astringent" in Class 4 language:

"Astringent is a taste that can make our mouth feel dry or tight. For example, raw mango is given in the textbook."

4. Taste Activity (Page 74)

The textbook asks children to give at least five ingredients or food items for each taste. It gives:

• Sweet → Jaggery
• Sour → Tamarind
• Salty → Salt
• Pungent → Green chilli
• Bitter → Neem
• Astringent → Raw mango

Classroom activity

Make six columns on the board. Ask students to suggest foods. For example:

Sweet	Sour	Salty	Pungent	Bitter	Astringent
Jaggery	Tamarind	Salt	Green chilli	Neem	Raw mango

Important: Make children give the answers rather than simply dictating them.

Group Activity

Divide class into six groups. Give each group one taste. Their job:

"Find as many foods as possible having your assigned taste."

Then each group presents its list. The textbook also asks students to identify food items having at least three different tastes.

Ask: "Can you think of one food that has three or more tastes?"

This makes the concept much more memorable.

5. Super Food – Millets

Now teach "A Stall of Super Food." Surbhi sees millet foods and remembers that her grandmother ate:

• Jowar roti in winters
• Bajra roti in winters
• Jau roti during summers

The chapter tells students that millets are rich sources of nutrients and gives jowar upma as an example of millet-based food.

"Millets are grains that can be used to prepare many foods. They are nutritious and have been traditionally eaten in many Indian homes."

Ask:

• Have you eaten bajra?
• Have you eaten jowar?
• Has anyone eaten ragi?
• What millet food is prepared in your home?

📚 IMPORTANT: Shad Rasa

The "Do you know?" box says that the six tastes — sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent — are known as "shad rasa" in Ayurveda. It states that Ayurveda suggests eating balanced food containing shad rasa is good for health.

Shad = six
Rasa = tastes

Period 2 How Does Food Help Us?

Pages 75–77

Start with the question from the textbook:

Ask: "Why do we need to eat different kinds of food items?"

Don't answer immediately. Let children give their own ideas. Then explain:

"Our body needs different nutrients. No single food contains everything our body needs. Therefore, we need a variety of foods."

This is the central idea of the next section.

6. Three Food Groups

Draw this on the board:

FOOD | ┌─────────────┼─────────────┐ ↓ ↓ ↓ ENERGY BODY PROTECTION GIVING BUILDING FROM FOOD FOOD DISEASES

The textbook presents these three functions directly: food helps in body building, provides energy, and protects from diseases.

7. Energy-Giving Foods

"Our body needs energy to walk, run, study, play and do our daily activities."

The textbook gives these examples:

Rice · Potato · Wheat · Maize · Banana · Apple · Sweet potato · Honey · Millets · Butter · Ghee · Oil

These are described as foods rich in/providing energy.

Ask: "What happens if you don't eat enough food?"

Expected ideas: feel weak · feel tired · don't have enough energy.

8. Body-Building Foods

"Our body grows. We need food that helps us grow, build muscles and become strong."

Textbook examples:

Pulses · Legumes · Soybeans · Chickpeas · Peanuts · Tofu · Milk · Cheese · Beans · Almonds · Walnuts · Eggs · Meat · Fish

These are called body-building foods.

BODY-BUILDING = GROW + MUSCLES + STRONG

9. Protective Foods

"Some foods help our body fight against diseases."

Textbook examples:

Carrot · Orange · Lemon · Papaya · Spinach · Cabbage · Guava · Amla · Tomato

These are called protective foods.

PROTECTIVE = FRUITS + VEGETABLES → PROTECT FROM DISEASES

❓ Textbook Discussion Question

Discuss: "What will happen if we eat food from a single group of foods every day?"

Expected answer:

We would not get all the nutrients our body needs, because no single food group provides everything our body requires.

Period 3 Junk Food & Balanced Food

10. Say "No" to Junk Food

Ask: "Who likes chips?"

Almost every hand will go up! 😄

Ask: "Does liking something mean we should eat a lot of it?"

Explain the textbook's point: Foods are unhealthy when consumed regularly and in large quantities, especially foods containing high amounts of oil, salt, or sugar.

Examples given: Soft drinks · Chips · Bread pakoda · Burgers · Pizza · Over-processed packaged foods

The book says fresh home-cooked food is better than over-processed or packaged food.

VERY IMPORTANT distinction — Don't teach: "Never eat pizza."
Instead teach: "Foods high in oil, salt or sugar should not be consumed regularly and in large quantities."
That matches the textbook.

✍️ Textbook Questions

Children answer:

1. Name some more junk foods.
2. Why should we avoid eating junk food?
3. List the junk foods you will avoid.

11. Food Diary

This is a very important activity — don't skip it. The textbook asks children to maintain a food diary for one week. They record:

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Then:

• Circle healthy foods
• Put an X on unhealthy foods
• Identify missing food groups
• Discuss with parents how those foods can be included

Classroom explanation

"We are going to become food detectives for one week!" 😂

Give them a simple table:

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

12. Balanced Food Plate

This is one of the most important concepts of the chapter. The textbook says a balanced plate contains the three food groups in the right quantities.

According to the textbook:

MOST → Protective foods (Fruits and vegetables)
NEXT → Body-building foods
SOME → Energy-providing foods

This helps us stay healthy, active and happy.

🥦🥕🍎 PROTECTIVE FOODS MOST 🥛🥣🥜 BODY-BUILDING FOODS NEXT 🍚🥔 ENERGY-GIVING FOOD SOME

Ask: "Should our plate contain only rice?"

Students: No!

Ask: "Only fruits?"

No!

Ask: "Only milk?"

No!

"We need variety and the right quantities."

Period 4 Thali & Water

13. Regional Food Thali

Page 80 says that every region in India has a special thali, containing different types of foods with different tastes and health benefits.

Ask: "What foods are included in the thali eaten in your region?"

Activity

Ask children to find out their regional food thali and list its food items. You can make groups according to different regions and let them present their thalis.

Teaching point: Food diversity is also cultural diversity.

14. Water for Health

Don't rush through this section.

Ask: "Is water a food?"

Explain that the textbook describes water as an important part of our diet.

Water helps:

1. Digest food
2. Keep skin and body healthy
3. Remove waste from the body through urine, sweat, faeces

The textbook also points out that water-rich fruits such as watermelon and cucumber can help maintain water in our body. Drinking sufficient water should be part of healthy habits.

Blackboard summary:

WATER → Digestion · Healthy skin/body · Removal of waste · Healthy habit

Ask:

• "What happens when we sweat?"
• "Why do we feel thirsty?"
• "Name two water-rich foods."

Period 5 Methods of Cooking

15. Different Methods of Cooking

Ask:

• "How is rice cooked?"
• "How is an idli prepared?"
• "How is a samosa prepared?"

Now introduce cooking methods:

1. Steaming
2. Boiling
3. Roasting
4. Grilling
5. Frying
6. Baking

The page illustrates these methods visually, so use the pictures while teaching.

Cooking examples

The activity gives foods including: idli · kheer · dosa · samosa · rice · peda · sambhar · gulab jamun · papad. Students have to identify the cooking method. The example given is:

Steaming → Idiyappam

Classroom game

Call out a food. Students shout the cooking method.

Teacher: Idli!
Children: Steaming!

Teacher: Rice!
Children: Boiling!

Continue with familiar examples.

16. Food that needs no cooking

Page 82 explains that some foods can be eaten without cooking, such as:

• Fruit chaat
• Vegetable salads

Ask: "Can you name five foods that we can eat without cooking?"

17. Who is a Chef?

The "Do you know?" box says:

A chef is a professional cook skilled in all aspects of food preparation.

It also explains that "Chef" is a French term meaning a director or head of the kitchen.

Ask: "Is every person who cooks at home called a chef?"

Explain:

"A person can cook at home without being a professional chef. A chef is a professional cook."

18. Solar Cooker

This is another "Do you know?" box that should definitely be taught.

The textbook says food can be cooked in a solar cooker using sunlight, instead of fire from a gas stove or heat produced by electricity. It also says that it does not pollute the environment by producing smoke or ash.

Ask:

• "What is the source of energy in a solar cooker?" → Sunlight.
• "Does it need gas?" → No.
• "Does it produce smoke or ash?" → No.

Period 6 Activities & Application

19. Food Collage

Page 83 asks students to use: old magazines · newspapers · scissors · glue · blank paper.

They cut food pictures and make three sections:

• Energy-giving
• Body-building
• Protective

Classroom idea

Make three large chart-paper sections. Children paste pictures into the correct category. Then ask:

• "Why did you put milk here?"
• "Why did you put spinach there?"

This checks understanding rather than just decoration.

20. Check the Label

This activity is extremely useful in real life.

The textbook asks children to:

1. Pick one packaged food item at home.
2. Check its label.
3. Note the expiry date.
4. Note two main ingredients.
5. Explain why checking labels is important before buying/eating packaged food.

"A packet tells us important information about the food inside it. Before eating packaged food, we should check the label, especially the expiry/best-before information given on the packet."

The book's example label shows:

Item	Details
Product	Honey
Net weight	400 gram
Packed on	08.03.2025
Best before	07.03.2026

21. Organise a Food Festival

The chapter ends with another practical activity. Students may bring home-made food and organise a food festival at school. Parents may also participate.

If you conduct it, create stalls such as:

• Regional Foods
• Millets
• Healthy Fruits
• Vegetables
• Traditional Foods
• Six Tastes
• Balanced Plate

You can make children explain their food rather than simply eating it.

22. Find and Circle

The final activity is the word-search grid. Students have to find and circle words related to food. The page provides the grid with one example already circled.

Don't simply give them the answers. Turn it into a 5-minute challenge: "Who can find all the food-related words?"

🧠 Final Blackboard Summary

FOOD FOR HEALTH │ ┌───────────────┼────────────────┐ ↓ ↓ ↓ ENERGY-GIVING BODY-BUILDING PROTECTIVE FOOD FOOD FOOD Rice, wheat Pulses, milk Fruits, potato, etc. eggs, nuts vegetables BALANCED FOOD │ Variety + right quantities SIX TASTES SHAD RASA Sweet • Sour • Salty • Pungent • Bitter • Astringent WATER Digestion + removing waste COOKING METHODS Boiling • Steaming • Roasting Grilling • Frying • Baking REMEMBER Eat healthy • Check labels Avoid excessive junk food Do not waste food

📝 Chapter-End Assessment

A. Fill in the blanks

1. The six tastes are known as __________ in Ayurveda.
2. Rice and wheat are mainly __________ foods.
3. Pulses and milk are __________ foods.
4. Fruits and vegetables are called __________ foods.
5. A professional cook is called a __________.
6. A solar cooker uses __________.
7. __________ and cucumber are examples of water-rich foods.

B. Match

A	B
Rice	Energy-giving
Pulses	Body-building
Carrot	Protective
Solar cooker	Sunlight
Chef	Professional cook

C. Short answers

1. Why do we need different kinds of food?
2. What are the three food groups?
3. What are the six tastes?
4. What is Shad Rasa?
5. Why should we avoid eating junk food regularly and in large quantities?
6. What is a balanced food plate?
7. Why is water important for our body?
8. Name six methods of cooking.
9. What is a chef?
10. What is a solar cooker?
11. Why should we check food labels?
12. Name two foods that can be eaten without cooking.

D. Think and answer

Question: "Suppose Rohan eats only chips, pizza and soft drinks every day. Is his diet balanced? Why?"

Expected understanding: No. These foods should not be consumed regularly and in large quantities. We need a variety of foods from the three food groups.

🎯 Quick Oral Quiz

Use this at the end of the final period.

Teacher: What gives us energy?

Students: Energy-giving foods!

Teacher: What helps us grow strong?

Students: Body-building foods!

Teacher: What helps protect us from diseases?

Students: Protective foods!

Teacher: Six tastes?

Students: Shad Rasa!

Teacher: Name them!

Students: Sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent!

Teacher: What should we drink sufficiently?

Students: Water!

Teacher: Six cooking methods?

Students: Boiling, steaming, roasting, grilling, frying and baking!

Teacher: What uses sunlight to cook?

Students: Solar cooker!

Teacher: Should we waste food?

Students: NO!

📅 Suggested 7-Period Teaching Schedule

Period	Topic	Main Activity
1	Food Festival + Food Diversity	Picture discussion + Mystery Masala
2	Six Tastes + Shad Rasa + Millets	Taste chart + group activity
3	How Food Helps Us	Three food groups + examples
4	Junk Food + Food Diary	Discussion + start food diary
5	Balanced Plate + Thali + Water	Balanced plate drawing
6	Cooking Methods	Cooking-method game + solar cooker
7	Activities + Revision	Food collage + label checking + quiz

The teacher guidance at the beginning of the unit itself recommends using charts, flashcards, videos, a food mela, mindful-eating activities, food diaries, balanced-meal plates, and interaction with a nutritionist or farmer where possible.

⭐ One Important Teaching Strategy

For Class 4, don't teach this chapter as a list of definitions.

Use this sequence for almost every concept:

SEE → ASK → DISCUSS → EXPLAIN → DO → RECALL

For example:

Show carrot → Ask "Why do we eat it?" → discuss → explain protective food → children classify foods → quick recall.

That way, children won't just memorise "carrot is a protective food" — they'll actually understand why food is important.

And importantly, the textbook itself is designed around this kind of participation: food festival, discussion, food diary, food collage, label checking, finding regional thalis, and organising a food festival.

✅ If you teach it in the sequence above, all the textual concepts, examples, "Do You Know?" boxes, discussions, writing tasks, activities and the final word-search are covered.