Question
Name the main components of food and classify them based on their functions in the body.
(NCERT Class 6, Chapter 2 — Food: Where Does It Come From? / What is Food Made Of?)
Solution — Step by Step
Food is made of five main components: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Water and dietary fibre (roughage) are also part of food, even though they are not “nutrients” in the strict sense.
Carbohydrates and fats are the energy-giving nutrients. Carbohydrates give quick energy (rice, wheat, potato, sugar), while fats give more energy per gram and are stored as a reserve. Think of carbs as your phone’s battery and fats as the power bank.
Proteins are the body-building nutrients. They repair worn-out cells and help us grow. Good sources: dal, eggs, fish, milk, soybean. This is why growing children and athletes need more protein.
Vitamins and minerals are the protective nutrients. They do not give energy directly, but they keep the body’s systems running — fighting disease, strengthening bones, helping blood clot, and more. Deficiency of these causes specific diseases (more on this in Class 7).
Water makes up about 70% of our body and is involved in every chemical reaction. Roughage (dietary fibre from vegetables, fruits, whole grains) helps in smooth movement of food through the intestine and prevents constipation. Neither gives energy, but both are essential.
| Nutrient | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | Energy-giving | Rice, wheat, potato, sugar |
| Fats | Energy-giving (reserve) | Butter, oil, nuts |
| Proteins | Body-building | Dal, egg, milk, fish |
| Vitamins | Protective | Fruits, vegetables |
| Minerals | Protective | Milk (Ca), spinach (Fe) |
| Water | Regulates body processes | All food, drinking water |
| Roughage | Aids digestion | Whole grains, vegetables |
Why This Works
Our body needs different things for different jobs, just like a machine needs fuel, spare parts, and lubricant — not just one thing. Carbohydrates and fats supply the fuel (ATP, if you study Class 10 later). Proteins supply the spare parts for cell repair and growth.
Vitamins and minerals act like the mechanics — tiny in quantity, but without them the whole system breaks down. A child who eats only rice and no dal, eggs, or vegetables will have energy but will fall sick often because the protective nutrients are missing.
This is also why a balanced diet — one that includes all these components in the right amounts — is stressed so much in CBSE exams. No single food gives you everything. That is the whole point of the chapter.
Alternative Method
Instead of memorising all seven components, use the 3+2+2 trick:
- 3 macronutrients (needed in large amounts): Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats
- 2 micronutrients (needed in small amounts): Vitamins, Minerals
- 2 non-nutrients (needed but give no energy): Water, Roughage
This structure maps perfectly to the NCERT table and helps you answer both fill-in-the-blank and short-answer questions without missing any component.
For the CBSE Class 6 exam, always write “roughage” and “water” along with the five nutrients when asked about food components. Many students list only five and lose a mark. The NCERT answer explicitly includes all seven.
Common Mistake
Students often write that fats are bad or unhealthy. In the exam context, fats are an essential energy-giving nutrient — do NOT write that we should avoid them. The NCERT answer treats fats neutrally as a food component. Save the “excess fat is harmful” discussion for the diet/health chapter, not this one.
A second very common slip: writing “proteins give energy” because you know proteins have calories. For Class 6 NCERT purposes, proteins = body-building, not energy-giving. Stick to the classification the textbook uses — examiners mark strictly to it.