Page 229 - Health, Population and Environment Education 9

Intake of balanced diet of good quality also helps to protect us from different types of
diseases. Therefore, we should be conscious about the importance of taking quality food.
Some features of quality food are given below:
a. provides energy

b. regulates the body activities
c. develops the body proportionately
d. provides the nutrients regularly
e. prevents the body from diseases

f. regulates the psychological functions of an individual
g. functions like medicines
h. works for maintaining personality

The intake of food by the people should be done only as per the requirement of the body.
All people cannot eat the food of same quality. Some persons need more food while the
others need less. The quality and quantity of food required for the people are affected by
the following factors:

a. Age b. Sources of income
c. Sex d. Education and awareness
e. Weather f. Habit of eating food

g. Occupation h. Availability of food
i. Physical condition j. Size of family
k. Health condition l. Religion, tradition and culture
Our regular diet should contain the following 5 types of food.

a. Milk and any one of the milk product
b. Cereals like maize, rice, wheat, millet, barley, etc.
b. Pulses like beans, peas, soyabean and ground nuts, walnuts, etc. for vegetarians and
fish, meat or egg for non-vegetarians
c. Green leafy vegetables
d. Any one of these - apple, mango, pineapple, guava, etc.

Food of low quality

We need balanced and nutritious diet for healthy life. The food that we take should also
be of good quality. But if we don’t use the quality food properly, i.e. if it is over-cooked, or
adulterated or mixed with non-edible colour or mixed with low quality food materials,
the food loses its quality and becomes of low quality. Consumption of low quality food
doesn’t give required nutrients and at the same time, it may also be harmful to the body.

GREEN Environment Population and Health Education Book-9 229