Page 27 - Health & Physical edu- 8

should be washed before chopping into pieces. Soda must not be added in the
food because it destroys the nutrients. Ghee should not be over-heated. The green
vegetables should not be cut into smaller pieces.

Demerits of Processed Food

There is increasing use of processed or junk food items in and around our schools.
Such items include noodles, potato chips, biscuits, sweets, dried meat or fruit dishes,
dalmoth or bhujiya, etc. Our health deteriorates if we consume such items in excess.

In order to protect such items, the manufacturers use various types of chemicals. In
a long run, food items gradually lose nutrients. This ultimately worsens our health
instead of supplying necessary nutrients to our body. Though they taste good and
sweet, the necessary vitamins, proteins or nutrients in such items may be destroyed.
Use of new types of colours and uncleanliness in the industries causes direct harm

in human health. The disadvantages of processed food can be listed as below.

a. Such food items cannot supply all necessary nutrients to our body.

b. Inedible items such as colours, yeast, tasting powder, etc. are mixed in the

processed foods that are harmful to human health.

c. The readymade food items may not have expiry date on their cover so they
may be harmful after a long time.

d. Due to the consumption of such food items, we may suffer from the diseases

such as high blood pressure, jaundice, diarrhea, etc.

e. This may badly affect physical and mental development of children and also
weaken their memory power.

f. Such readymade food items may be of low quality.

Activity

Classify the food items that are found around your locality into three categories
as those that assist growth, those that provide energy and those that protect
the body.

Health & Physical Education, Class-8 23