Biology · General Awareness

Nutrition and Food Sources

2,818 Questions

Nutrition and Food Sources questions test your knowledge of vitamins, dietary minerals, carbohydrates, and specialized dietary principles. This topic is commonly asked in railway, SSC, and UPSC exams. Review these questions to master the biological and health aspects of human nutrition.

Vitamins and mineralsDietary fiber sourcesMacronutrient functionsNaturopathic diet principlesOmega-3 fatty acids

Nutrition and Food Sources Questions

Multiple choice

Find the appropriate word and fill blank (iv).

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.

Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate that is incompletely absorbed in humans and some animals. Like all carbohydrates, when _____(i)______,it produces energy. However, it does not contribute much energy due to limitations on its _____(ii)_____ and digestion. Fibre provides bulk to intestinal contents and stimulates the ______(iii)______ muscular contractions of the intestines. For these reasons, fibre is important for digestive health. It helps ______(iv)_____ constipation and diarrhoea and is said to reduce colon cancer.

  1. elevate

  2. alleviate

  3. condense

  4. enliven
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

alleviate is to reduce the level of suffering.

Multiple choice

Which word in the passage means the same as 'adequate'?

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development. Eating a balanced diet means choosing a wide variety of foods and drinks from all the food groups. It also means eating certain things in moderation, namely saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, refined sugar, salt and alcohol. The goal is to take in nutrients you need for health at the recommended levels. Your balanced diet must be planned at your own calorie level, and portion size is key. You want to get the most nutrients for the calories by choosing food with a high-nutrient density. Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, and whole grains and beans. Low-nutrient dense foods have few vitamins but lots of calories, such as candy bars, soda, donuts and onion rings. Nutrition guidelines recommend eating a wide variety of foods. But, there's a school of thought that eating variety of foods leads to overeating. There is the tendency to stay hungry longer and eat more food when flavors are diverse and keep changing because we fill up on fewer calories when flavor variety is controlled. We have seen this principle in action when we come home with a load of groceries and want to sample the wide variety of tasty foods.

  1. Over-eating

  2. Refined

  3. Substantial

  4. Recommended
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Means sufficient or adequate. Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals'. This is the most suitable option according to the passage. Hence this is the correct option.

Multiple choice

What does the phrase 'a school of thought' mean?

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development. Eating a balanced diet means choosing a wide variety of foods and drinks from all the food groups. It also means eating certain things in moderation, namely saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, refined sugar, salt and alcohol. The goal is to take in nutrients you need for health at the recommended levels. Your balanced diet must be planned at your own calorie level, and portion size is key. You want to get the most nutrients for the calories by choosing food with a high-nutrient density. Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, and whole grains and beans. Low-nutrient dense foods have few vitamins but lots of calories, such as candy bars, soda, donuts and onion rings. Nutrition guidelines recommend eating a wide variety of foods. But, there's a school of thought that eating variety of foods leads to overeating. There is the tendency to stay hungry longer and eat more food when flavors are diverse and keep changing because we fill up on fewer calories when flavor variety is controlled. We have seen this principle in action when we come home with a load of groceries and want to sample the wide variety of tasty foods.

  1. It means a school which is started by great thinkers and philosophers.

  2. It means a school where it is taught how to think and meditate.

  3. It means a school where thoughts are put into practice.

  4. It means a particular idea or set of ideas held by a specific group.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

But, there's a school of thought that 'eating variety of foods leads to overeating'. Here it means there is another belief or opinion. Hence, according to the passage this is the correct option.

Multiple choice

A balanced diet means

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development. Eating a balanced diet means choosing a wide variety of foods and drinks from all the food groups. It also means eating certain things in moderation, namely saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, refined sugar, salt and alcohol. The goal is to take in nutrients you need for health at the recommended levels. Your balanced diet must be planned at your own calorie level, and portion size is key. You want to get the most nutrients for the calories by choosing food with a high-nutrient density. Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, and whole grains and beans. Low-nutrient dense foods have few vitamins but lots of calories, such as candy bars, soda, donuts and onion rings. Nutrition guidelines recommend eating a wide variety of foods. But, there's a school of thought that eating variety of foods leads to overeating. There is the tendency to stay hungry longer and eat more food when flavors are diverse and keep changing because we fill up on fewer calories when flavor variety is controlled. We have seen this principle in action when we come home with a load of groceries and want to sample the wide variety of tasty foods.

  1. a diet consisting of the right kind and quantity of food for carrying out growth, development and body functions.

  2. a diet consisting of a particular range of food stuffs which provide energy for body to carryout its functions.

  3. a diet consisting of a large amount of calories required to carry out the body functions.

  4. a diet consisting of vitamins and minerals which are necessary for the body.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development'.  According to the passage this is the correct option.

Multiple choice

How does eating a variety of foods lead to over-eating?

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development. Eating a balanced diet means choosing a wide variety of foods and drinks from all the food groups. It also means eating certain things in moderation, namely saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, refined sugar, salt and alcohol. The goal is to take in nutrients you need for health at the recommended levels. Your balanced diet must be planned at your own calorie level, and portion size is key. You want to get the most nutrients for the calories by choosing food with a high-nutrient density. Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, and whole grains and beans. Low-nutrient dense foods have few vitamins but lots of calories, such as candy bars, soda, donuts and onion rings. Nutrition guidelines recommend eating a wide variety of foods. But, there's a school of thought that eating variety of foods leads to overeating. There is the tendency to stay hungry longer and eat more food when flavors are diverse and keep changing because we fill up on fewer calories when flavor variety is controlled. We have seen this principle in action when we come home with a load of groceries and want to sample the wide variety of tasty foods.

  1. People cannot manage the portion size of food items which can result in over-eating.

  2. People tend to indulge in tasting more flavors which can result in over-eating.

  3. People tend to eat more of calorie laden food which results in over-eating.

  4. People tend to eat more food thinking that it would make their diet balanced and this results in over-eating.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'But, there's a school of thought that eating a variety of foods leads to overeating. There is the tendency to stay hungry longer and eat more food when flavors are diverse'. Thus according to the passage this is the correct option.

Multiple choice

Which two categories of food mentioned in the passage are opposite to each other in nutritional values?

A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development. Eating a balanced diet means choosing a wide variety of foods and drinks from all the food groups. It also means eating certain things in moderation, namely saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, refined sugar, salt and alcohol. The goal is to take in nutrients you need for health at the recommended levels. Your balanced diet must be planned at your own calorie level, and portion size is key. You want to get the most nutrients for the calories by choosing food with a high-nutrient density. Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, and whole grains and beans. Low-nutrient dense foods have few vitamins but lots of calories, such as candy bars, soda, donuts and onion rings. Nutrition guidelines recommend eating a wide variety of foods. But, there's a school of thought that eating variety of foods leads to overeating. There is the tendency to stay hungry longer and eat more food when flavors are diverse and keep changing because we fill up on fewer calories when flavor variety is controlled. We have seen this principle in action when we come home with a load of groceries and want to sample the wide variety of tasty foods.

  1. The two food categories are 'Nutrient-dense foods' and 'Low-nutrient dense foods'.

  2. The two food categories are 'A balanced diet and 'A unbalanced diet'.

  3. The two food categories are 'A high calorie food' and 'A low calorie food'.

  4. The two food categories are 'A high sugar food' and 'A sugar-free food'.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'Nutrient-dense foods provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, and whole grains and beans. Low-nutrient dense foods have few vitamins, but lots of calories, such as candy bars, soda, donuts and onion rings'. According to the passage these food categories are opposite to each other in nutritional values. Hence this is the correct option.

Multiple choice

To get sufficient carbohydrate, one should take

  1. meat

  2. rice

  3. carrots

  4. groundnut
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Rice is a cereal grain and one of the primary sources of carbohydrates globally. Meat is primarily protein, carrots provide vitamins and fiber, and groundnuts (peanuts) are mainly fats and proteins. For sufficient carbohydrates, grains like rice are the best choice.

Multiple choice

Best source of casein is

  1. milk

  2. meat

  3. egg

  4. rice
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Casein is the primary protein found in milk, constituting about 80% of milk's protein content. Meat is rich in myofibrillar proteins, egg contains albumin, and rice is primarily a carbohydrate source with minimal complete protein. Milk is the best source of casein.

Multiple choice

A balanced diet is

  1. nutritionally inadequate

  2. nutritionally adequate

  3. rich in proteins

  4. rich in fats so as to produce adequate energy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A balanced diet provides all essential nutrients in proper proportions. Option B correctly states this fundamental characteristic. A diet rich only in proteins (C) or fats (D) would be unbalanced, while inadequate (A) contradicts the definition of balanced.

Multiple choice

A person deficient in rhodopsin (visual pigment) should take

  1. tomatoes

  2. radish

  3. carrots

  4. guavas
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Rhodopsin (visual purple) requires vitamin A for synthesis. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness due to insufficient rhodopsin. Tomatoes, radish, and guavas don't provide significant vitamin A.