Nutrition & Food Science
पोषण एवं खाद्य विज्ञान
Nutrition — requirements and quality
Protein quality — the body needs nine essential amino acids from food.
| Food | Rich in | Short of |
|---|---|---|
| cereals | methionine | lysine |
| pulses | lysine | methionine |
Eaten together — dal–chawal, khichdi, sattu with roti — they complement each other and give protein of far higher quality than either alone.
Body weight — BMI = weight in kg ÷ (height in m)²; WHO takes 18.5–24.9 as normal, and for Asians the risk rises from 23.
The trap: cereals lack lysine and pulses lack methionine — each supplies what the other is short of.
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Nutrition through the life cycle, and malnutrition
| Stage | What matters most |
|---|---|
| pregnancy | extra energy and protein in the later months; iron and folic acid tablets to prevent anaemia and defects of the baby's neural tube |
| lactation | the highest extra need of all, in the first six months |
| infancy | colostrum, the first thick milk, rich in antibodies; exclusive breastfeeding for six months; complementary foods from six months while breastfeeding continues |
| adolescence | the growth spurt; iron needs rise, especially for girls |
| old age | less energy, but the same protein and more calcium and fibre |
Measuring undernutrition in children
| Term | Measure | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| stunting | low height for age | long-term, chronic undernutrition |
| wasting | low weight for height | recent, acute undernutrition |
| underweight | low weight for age | a mix of both |
Deficiencies — iron (anaemia: haemoglobin under 12 g/dL in women), vitamin A (Bitot's spots, xerophthalmia, night blindness), iodine (goitre, and learning loss in children).
Bihar — the NFHS-5 survey (2019–21) found 42.9% of the state's children under five stunted, against 35.5% for India.
The trap: stunting is low height for age — chronic; wasting is low weight for height — acute.
पोषण एवं खाद्य विज्ञान
Food science — cooking, enhancing, keeping food safe
Cooking methods
| Method | Examples | Nutrient effect |
|---|---|---|
| moist heat | boiling, steaming, pressure cooking | water-soluble vitamins leach into the water — use it, do not throw it away |
| dry heat | roasting, baking, grilling | some loss of heat-sensitive vitamins |
| frying | shallow, deep | adds fat; repeated reheating of oil forms harmful compounds |
Raising the nutritive value
Keeping food — preservation works by removing water (drying), by cold or heat, or with salt, sugar, oil and vinegar that stop microbes growing.
Food safety — the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, set up FSSAI (2008); packets carry a green mark for vegetarian and a brown one for non-vegetarian food; adulteration — water in milk, papaya seeds in black pepper, chalk in flour — is an offence.
The trap: sprouting is what raises vitamin C — prolonged boiling and throwing away the water destroy it.
पोषण एवं खाद्य विज्ञान
Nutrition programmes in India — and Bihar
| Programme | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) | 1975 | through the anganwadi: supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-ups, referral, pre-school education, and nutrition and health education for mothers — six services |
| PM POSHAN (the midday meal) | national from 1995, renamed 2021 | a cooked meal for children in government schools |
| POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) | 2018 | targets stunting, undernutrition, anaemia and low birth weight |
| Anaemia Mukt Bharat | 2018 | iron-folic acid supplements, deworming, testing |
| Mission Indradhanush | 2014 | full immunisation for children and pregnant women |
| National Food Security Act | 2013 | subsidised grain; meals and maternity benefit for women and children |
September is observed as Poshan Maah, the national nutrition month.
Bihar — with stunting and anaemia well above the national average, anganwadis in the state distribute take-home rations to pregnant and nursing mothers and young children, and the midday meal reaches its government schools.
The trap: ICDS (1975) works through the anganwadi and serves children under six and mothers — the midday meal serves children in school.
पोषण एवं खाद्य विज्ञान
Points to Remember