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Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Nutrition and Dietetics study materials
Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Nutrition and Dietetics study resources

Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Nutrition and Dietetics practice questions

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Question 1Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

In the Tamil Nadu HSE Nutrition and Dietetics syllabus, which statement best describes the scope of the subject as a field of study?

  1. It studies only the chemical structures of vitamins and their laboratory synthesis
  2. It studies only the legal labelling requirements of packaged foods
  3. It studies only the commercial preparation of hotel menus and food costing
  4. It studies how nutrients in food are digested, absorbed and used, and how diet is planned to maintain health and treat disease Correct answer.

Explanation

Nutrition and Dietetics is a combined discipline: nutrition deals with nutrients, their digestion, absorption and utilisation, while dietetics applies this knowledge to plan diets for health and disease. The other choices describe narrow fragments such as food chemistry, catering or food law, not the whole field.

Question 2Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

A student wants to become a hospital dietitian. Which academic pathway is the standard route recognised for this career in India?

  1. A certificate course in first aid and nursing assistance
  2. A diploma in hotel housekeeping followed by a catering certificate
  3. A bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics or a related science, followed by a dietetics internship or postgraduate study Correct answer.
  4. A bachelor's degree in civil engineering followed by a food safety workshop

Explanation

Dietetics practice requires a science-based degree in nutrition, food science or a related subject, followed by supervised clinical training such as an internship and often a postgraduate degree. This prepares the candidate for registration and for planning therapeutic diets in hospitals.

Question 3Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which of the following best distinguishes 'nutrition' from 'dietetics'?

  1. Nutrition deals only with animal feed, while dietetics deals only with human food
  2. Nutrition is studied only after dietetics has been practised for several years
  3. Nutrition is a purely commercial activity, while dietetics is a purely laboratory science
  4. Nutrition deals with the science of nutrients and their effects on the body, while dietetics applies this science to planning and supervising diets Correct answer.

Explanation

Nutrition is the scientific study of nutrients, their functions and their effect on health. Dietetics is the applied profession that uses this knowledge to plan, prepare and supervise diets for individuals and groups, including therapeutic diets.

Question 4Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

In the study of nutrition, the term 'nutrient' refers to:

  1. A flavouring agent added to improve the taste of cooked food
  2. Any edible substance that a person enjoys eating
  3. A pesticide residue left on vegetables after harvesting
  4. A chemical substance in food that the body uses for energy, growth, repair or regulation of body processes Correct answer.

Explanation

A nutrient is a substance obtained from food that the body needs for energy, growth, maintenance and regulation of physiological processes. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water are the recognised nutrient classes.

Question 5Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

A community nutrition programme asks a dietitian to plan low-cost meals using locally available cereals and pulses. This work best illustrates which area of the field?

  1. Clinical dietetics in an intensive care unit
  2. Public health nutrition and community diet planning Correct answer.
  3. Food product development in a commercial laboratory
  4. Sports nutrition for elite athletes

Explanation

Planning affordable meals from local foods for a community is the essence of public health and community nutrition, which aims to prevent malnutrition across populations. Clinical, industrial and sports nutrition each serve different, more specialised groups.

Question 6Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which of the following is an example of a career in the food service sector that draws directly on nutrition and dietetics training?

  1. Repairing refrigerators in a food processing plant
  2. Auditing the accounts of a grocery chain
  3. Designing and supervising therapeutic and normal diets in a hospital food service department Correct answer.
  4. Teaching mathematics in a secondary school

Explanation

Hospital food service is a recognised career area for nutrition and dietetics students because it requires planning menus, supervising preparation and ensuring therapeutic diets meet medical needs. The other options are trades or unrelated professions that do not use nutrition training.

Question 7Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

A dietitian is asked to assess whether a new school lunch scheme improves children's nutritional status. Which approach shows the best use of nutrition and dietetics knowledge?

  1. Record the price of vegetables in the local market only
  2. Compare the children's height and weight records and dietary intake before and after the scheme Correct answer.
  3. Ask the cooks to describe their favourite recipes
  4. Count the number of plates purchased by the school canteen

Explanation

Anthropometric measurements such as height and weight, together with dietary intake data, are standard tools for assessing nutritional status and detecting change. Counting plates or recording prices gives economic or operational data but says nothing about the children's nutritional health.

Question 8Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which pair correctly matches a nutrient class with its main function in the body?

  1. Carbohydrates - the main source of dietary energy and dietary fibre Correct answer.
  2. Minerals - the main source of energy in the Indian diet
  3. Water - the main source of protein for muscle growth
  4. Proteins - the body's main store of energy in adipose tissue

Explanation

Carbohydrates are the body's principal energy source and also supply dietary fibre, which aids digestion. Proteins build and repair tissues, minerals are inorganic regulators, and water is a solvent and transport medium rather than an energy or protein source.

Question 9Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Why is the study of nutrition considered important for the control of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension?

  1. Because these diseases are caused only by genetic factors and cannot be influenced by diet
  2. Because these diseases can be cured completely by taking vitamin tablets alone
  3. Because these diseases spread from person to person through food
  4. Because diet is one of the major modifiable risk factors, and dietary modification is part of their prevention and management Correct answer.

Explanation

Diet, along with physical activity, is a major modifiable risk factor for diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, and medical nutrition therapy is a recognised part of their management. This is why nutrition education is central to prevention and control programmes.

Question 10Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which statement best describes the role of a dietitian in a hospital setting?

  1. Selling nutritional supplements to patients for profit
  2. Prescribing surgery for patients with digestive disorders
  3. Preparing all meals personally in the hospital kitchen
  4. Assessing patients' nutritional needs and planning, monitoring and advising on their diets Correct answer.

Explanation

A hospital dietitian assesses the patient's nutritional status, plans appropriate normal or therapeutic diets, monitors progress and counsels the patient and family. Prescribing surgery and personal cooking are other professionals' roles, and selling supplements for profit is unethical.

Question 11Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

A student reads that the 'Recommended Dietary Allowances' (RDA) are used in nutrition. What does the RDA represent?

  1. The minimum amount of a nutrient needed to prevent death in an emergency
  2. The amount of a nutrient present in one serving of a commercial food
  3. The average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all healthy people in a group Correct answer.
  4. The maximum amount of a nutrient that can be safely consumed by any person

Explanation

The RDA is the average daily intake level sufficient to meet the requirement of nearly all (about 97–98%) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. It is a planning and assessment reference, not a maximum limit or a per-serving figure.

Question 12Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which of these activities would most likely be performed by a nutritionist working in the food industry?

  1. Performing surgery on patients with obesity
  2. Diagnosing vitamin deficiency diseases in hospital patients
  3. Designing the electrical wiring of a food factory
  4. Analysing the nutrient content of a new biscuit formulation and checking its nutrition label Correct answer.

Explanation

Food industry nutritionists analyse nutrient composition, ensure nutrition labels comply with regulations and reformulate products for health claims. Diagnosing disease is a clinician's task, and surgery and electrical work are outside the field entirely.

Question 13Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which of the following statements about the relationship between food, nutrition and health is most accurate?

  1. Nutrition is unrelated to health; only medicines determine health status
  2. Health depends on a balanced diet that supplies all nutrients in adequate amounts along with other lifestyle factors Correct answer.
  3. Eating any amount of food guarantees good health because all foods contain every nutrient
  4. Health depends only on the quantity of food eaten, not on its quality

Explanation

Good health requires a balanced diet that provides energy and all essential nutrients in adequate amounts, supported by other factors such as physical activity and hygiene. Quantity alone is insufficient because the quality and variety of foods determine nutrient adequacy.

Question 14Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

A student is asked to identify the six major classes of nutrients. Which list is correct?

  1. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water Correct answer.
  2. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre
  3. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals
  4. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants

Explanation

The six recognised nutrient classes are carbohydrates, proteins, fats (lipids), vitamins, minerals and water. Dietary fibre is a component of carbohydrate-rich foods and phytochemicals and antioxidants are beneficial food components, but they are not counted as separate nutrient classes in the standard list.

Question 15Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which of the following is the best example of the application of nutrition knowledge in public policy?

  1. Fortifying salt with iodine to prevent goitre in the population Correct answer.
  2. Selling imported chocolates in a supermarket
  3. Increasing the shelf life of snacks by adding preservatives
  4. Reducing the price of soft drinks during a festival

Explanation

Iodine fortification of salt is a classic public health nutrition measure that uses knowledge of nutrient deficiency to prevent goitre across a population. The other options are commercial or food-technology decisions rather than nutrition-driven policy.

Question 16Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

A dietitian is planning a diet for a patient with chronic kidney disease. Which action best reflects the analytical skill required in dietetics?

  1. Following the standard normal diet chart without any modification
  2. Reviewing the patient's biochemical reports and adjusting protein, sodium and potassium levels accordingly Correct answer.
  3. Recommending the same diet used for a healthy athlete
  4. Advising the patient to eat whatever they prefer to avoid stress

Explanation

Therapeutic diet planning requires interpreting biochemical and clinical data and modifying specific nutrients such as protein, sodium and potassium to match the patient's condition. Using a standard or athlete's diet ignores the patient's medical needs.

Question 17Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which statement correctly explains why water is considered an essential nutrient even though it supplies no energy?

  1. Because it acts as a solvent, transports nutrients and regulates body temperature, and the body cannot store enough to meet its needs Correct answer.
  2. Because it provides calories during fasting
  3. Because it contains minerals that replace the need for a balanced diet
  4. Because it is an organic compound that builds muscle tissue

Explanation

Water is essential because it is the solvent for body fluids, transports nutrients and wastes, lubricates tissues and regulates temperature, and the body cannot store a sufficient reserve. It supplies no energy and is not a source of minerals or muscle-building material.

Question 18Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which of the following best describes 'malnutrition' as used in nutrition and dietetics?

  1. A condition resulting from an imbalance of nutrients, including both undernutrition and overnutrition Correct answer.
  2. A condition caused only by a lack of vitamins in the diet
  3. A condition caused only by eating too much food
  4. A condition that affects only elderly people

Explanation

Malnutrition is a broad term covering any imbalance in nutrient intake, including undernutrition (deficiency or stunting) and overnutrition (obesity and excess intake). It is not limited to excess food, vitamin deficiency or old age.

Question 19Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

A student claims that because a food is 'natural', it is automatically nutritious. Which response is most accurate from a nutrition perspective?

  1. Natural foods are always nutritionally superior to processed foods
  2. Natural foods always contain all six nutrient classes
  3. The term 'natural' describes the origin of a food, not its nutrient content, so nutrient composition must be checked separately Correct answer.
  4. Natural foods contain no calories and can be eaten freely

Explanation

The label 'natural' refers to how a food is produced or sourced and says nothing about its nutrient content or healthfulness. A food's nutritional value must be judged from its actual composition, such as energy, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Question 20Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics: concepts, scope, and careers

Which career option combines nutrition and dietetics knowledge with communication skills to educate the public about healthy eating?

  1. Food packaging machine operator
  2. Hospital pharmacy dispenser
  3. Food microbiology laboratory technician
  4. Nutrition education and health communication officer in a public health programme Correct answer.

Explanation

Nutrition education and health communication roles use nutrition knowledge together with communication skills to promote healthy eating in communities and schools. The other roles are technical or pharmaceutical jobs that do not centre on nutrition education.

Question 21Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

In the classification of foods by function, which pair of food groups is grouped together as energy-giving foods?

  1. Pulses and milk
  2. Cereals and roots Correct answer.
  3. Eggs and fish
  4. Green leafy vegetables and fruits

Explanation

Energy-giving foods are those rich in carbohydrate, chiefly cereals such as rice and wheat and starchy roots such as potato and tapioca. They supply the bulk of calories in a typical Tamil Nadu diet. Protein-rich foods form a separate body-building class.

Question 22Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which nutrient is described as the chief source of concentrated energy in the diet, supplying about 9 kcal per gram?

  1. Water
  2. Protein
  3. Dietary fibre
  4. Fat Correct answer.

Explanation

Fat yields roughly 9 kcal per gram, compared with about 4 kcal per gram for protein and carbohydrate, so it is the most concentrated energy source. This is why high-fat foods such as oil, ghee and nuts are energy dense.

Question 23Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

A student lists rice, wheat, ragi and maize. To which food group do all four belong?

  1. Pulses
  2. Cereals Correct answer.
  3. Nuts and oilseeds
  4. Millets only

Explanation

Rice, wheat, ragi and maize are all cereal grains, the staple carbohydrate foods of the cereal group. Ragi and maize are cereals too, even though ragi is commonly described as a millet. Pulses are the dried seeds of leguminous plants such as dhal.

Question 24Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which food group is the richest plant source of first-class protein and is commonly paired with cereals in South Indian meals?

  1. Fruits
  2. Pulses Correct answer.
  3. Fats and oils
  4. Roots and tubers

Explanation

Pulses such as red gram, Bengal gram and green gram contain a high proportion of protein and are used as dhal, sambar and sundal. Combining pulses with cereals improves the overall amino acid pattern of the meal.

Question 25Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which of the following is the best dietary source of calcium among the protective foods listed?

  1. Polished rice
  2. Milk and curd Correct answer.
  3. Refined sugar
  4. Cooking oil

Explanation

Milk and curd are protective foods and are the richest common sources of calcium, supplying it in a well-absorbed form along with protein and riboflavin. Small fish eaten with bones and ragi are other useful sources.

Question 26Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which nutrient is required by the body in the largest quantity and is therefore classified as a macronutrient?

  1. Carbohydrate Correct answer.
  2. Iron
  3. Vitamin C
  4. Iodine

Explanation

Carbohydrate is a macronutrient needed in gram quantities daily to meet energy needs. Iron, vitamin C and iodine are micronutrients required only in milligram or microgram amounts. The macronutrient list also includes protein, fat and water.

Question 27Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

In the five-food-group classification used in Indian nutrition teaching, which group includes green leafy vegetables such as spinach and drumstick leaves?

  1. Vegetables and fruits Correct answer.
  2. Pulses and legumes
  3. Cereals and millets
  4. Milk and milk products

Explanation

Green leafy vegetables are placed in the vegetables and fruits group, which is valued for carotene, vitamin C, minerals and fibre. Drumstick leaves and spinach are especially rich in carotene and iron. This group is part of the protective foods.

Question 28Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

A meal of rice with sambar provides complementary proteins. Which statement best explains this complementation?

  1. Sambar adds vitamin C which converts cereal starch into protein
  2. Rice and sambar together reduce the total protein requirement to zero
  3. Cereal and pulse proteins together supply amino acids that each lacks alone Correct answer.
  4. Rice supplies all essential amino acids while sambar supplies only fat

Explanation

Cereals are limited in lysine while pulses are limited in methionine, so combining them gives a better balance of essential amino acids. This mutual supplementation is why cereal-pulse combinations such as rice with sambar or idli are nutritionally sound.

Question 29Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

A family's diet is largely polished rice with very little dhal, vegetables or milk. Which deficiency is most likely to arise from such a diet?

  1. Scurvy from vitamin C lack
  2. Protein-energy malnutrition with B-vitamin deficiency Correct answer.
  3. Excess calcium leading to kidney stones
  4. Iodine deficiency goitre

Explanation

A diet dominated by refined cereal and lacking pulses, milk and vegetables is low in good-quality protein and B vitamins, predisposing to protein-energy malnutrition and beriberi-type thiamine deficiency. Scurvy and goitre have other specific causes. Polished rice loses much of its thiamine in milling.

Question 30Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which statement correctly distinguishes a food group from a nutrient?

  1. A food group is a chemical substance while a nutrient is a meal
  2. A food group is a collection of similar foods while a nutrient is a substance the body uses Correct answer.
  3. A food group and a nutrient mean exactly the same thing
  4. A food group supplies energy while a nutrient supplies only flavour

Explanation

Food groups are practical categories of foods with similar nutrient content, such as cereals or milk products. Nutrients are the specific chemical substances within foods, such as carbohydrate, protein, calcium or thiamine, that the body uses for growth and function.

Question 31Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which nutrient functions mainly as a regulator of body processes and as a solvent for nutrients and waste products?

  1. Carbohydrate
  2. Protein
  3. Fat
  4. Water Correct answer.

Explanation

Water acts as the medium in which nutrients are transported and metabolic reactions occur, and it helps regulate body temperature through sweating. It is classed as a macronutrient because the body needs it in large amounts.

Question 32Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

A person wants to increase dietary fibre without adding much energy. Which choice is most suitable?

  1. A glass of sugar syrup
  2. A piece of fried banana chips
  3. A bowl of green leafy vegetables Correct answer.
  4. A spoon of ghee

Explanation

Green leafy vegetables provide cellulose and other fibre with very few calories, so they raise fibre intake without adding much energy. Ghee, sugar syrup and fried chips are energy dense and low in fibre.

Question 33Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which of the following correctly matches a food with the nutrient for which it is a particularly rich source?

  1. Ragi with calcium Correct answer.
  2. Refined sugar with iron
  3. Cooking oil with protein
  4. Polished rice with vitamin C

Explanation

Ragi is notable among cereals for its relatively high calcium content, which makes it valuable in diets where milk is scarce. The other pairings are wrong because sugar, oil and polished rice are poor sources of the nutrients listed.

Question 34Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which pair of nutrients is chiefly responsible for building and repairing body tissues?

  1. Sugar and starch
  2. Water and fibre
  3. Carbohydrate and fat
  4. Protein and minerals Correct answer.

Explanation

Protein supplies amino acids for tissue growth and repair, while minerals such as calcium and phosphorus form the structural framework of bones and teeth. Carbohydrate and fat are mainly energy sources.

Question 35Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which protective food is the best choice to supply carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, in a low-cost South Indian diet?

  1. Drumstick leaves Correct answer.
  2. Coconut oil
  3. Tapioca
  4. White bread

Explanation

Drumstick leaves are a cheap, widely available green leafy vegetable very rich in carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. White bread, tapioca and coconut oil contribute little carotene.

Question 36Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which statement about the energy value of foods is correct?

  1. Water yields about 4 kcal per gram
  2. Protein and fat yield exactly the same energy per gram
  3. One gram of fat yields more than twice the energy of one gram of carbohydrate Correct answer.
  4. One gram of carbohydrate yields more energy than one gram of fat

Explanation

Fat yields about 9 kcal per gram while carbohydrate yields about 4 kcal per gram, so fat gives more than double the energy per gram. Protein also yields about 4 kcal per gram. Water yields no energy.

Question 37Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which food group should be restricted by a person advised to reduce saturated fat intake?

  1. Ghee, butter and coconut oil Correct answer.
  2. Fresh fruits
  3. Dhal and sprouted grams
  4. Green leafy vegetables

Explanation

Ghee, butter and coconut oil are fats rich in saturated fatty acids and are energy dense, so they are the group to limit when saturated fat must be cut. Vegetables, pulses and fruits are low in fat.

Question 38Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which nutrient is a micronutrient that is essential for oxygen transport in blood?

  1. Sodium
  2. Calcium
  3. Carbohydrate
  4. Iron Correct answer.

Explanation

Iron is a micronutrient needed in small amounts and is a component of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. Calcium, sodium and carbohydrate have other primary roles and carbohydrate is a macronutrient.

Question 39Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which statement best explains why milk is classified as a protective food rather than only as a body-building food?

  1. It is the only food containing carbohydrate
  2. It supplies calcium and riboflavin that help prevent deficiency diseases Correct answer.
  3. It contains no protein and therefore protects the body from obesity
  4. It supplies more energy per gram than any cereal

Explanation

Milk is classed as protective because it supplies calcium and riboflavin in forms that help prevent deficiencies such as rickets and ariboflavinosis, in addition to its protein. Protective foods are those rich in vitamins and minerals. Milk is not an energy-dense cereal substitute.

Question 40Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

A community diet survey shows that most households eat plenty of rice but almost no pulses, milk or green leafy vegetables. Which conclusion is most defensible?

  1. The diet is excessive in protein and therefore harmful
  2. The diet is adequate because rice supplies all nutrients
  3. The diet is energy-rich but likely deficient in protein quality, calcium, iron and carotene Correct answer.
  4. The diet is deficient in carbohydrate energy

Explanation

A rice-dominant diet meets energy needs but is likely to be short of good-quality protein, calcium, iron and carotene because pulses, milk and green leafy vegetables are protective and body-building foods. Cereals alone cannot supply all nutrients. The diet is not low in carbohydrate.

Question 41Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which combination of foods would best provide a complete protective and body-building supplement to a cereal staple in a vegetarian meal?

  1. Refined flour bread with jam
  2. Extra rice with a spoon of sugar
  3. Pulse dhal with a green leafy vegetable and a fruit Correct answer.
  4. Fried snacks with sweetened tea

Explanation

Pulse dhal supplies complementary protein, green leafy vegetables give carotene, iron and calcium, and fruit adds vitamin C, together covering body-building and protective needs. The other combinations are largely energy foods with little protective value.

Question 42Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which reasoning correctly explains why fat is not classified as a body-building food even though it is part of every cell membrane?

  1. Its predominant dietary role is energy supply and it is grouped accordingly Correct answer.
  2. Fat is a micronutrient needed in microgram amounts
  3. Fat supplies no structural material at all in the body
  4. Fat cannot be stored and is excreted immediately

Explanation

Classification by function is based on the predominant role of a nutrient in the diet. Fat is grouped as an energy-giving nutrient because it is the most concentrated fuel, even though small amounts serve structural and regulatory roles. Carbohydrate and protein follow the same predominant-role logic.

Question 43Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Two students debate whether a fruit such as guava should be placed in the energy-giving or protective group. Which answer is most consistent with functional classification?

  1. Body-building, because fruits contain complete protein
  2. Protective, because its main contribution is vitamin C and fibre rather than significant energy Correct answer.
  3. It belongs to no group because it is eaten raw
  4. Energy-giving, because all fruits are rich in starch

Explanation

Functional classification places a food in the group matching its main nutritional contribution. Guava supplies little energy but is an outstanding source of vitamin C and also provides fibre, so it belongs to the protective group along with other fruits and vegetables.

Question 44Food and its Functions: classification, nutrients, and food groups

Which statement correctly relates a nutrient to a food-group source and a deficiency consequence?

  1. Thiamine from whole cereals and pulses; deficiency causes beriberi Correct answer.
  2. Vitamin C from polished rice; deficiency causes rickets
  3. Calcium from cooking oil; deficiency causes anaemia
  4. Iron from refined sugar; deficiency causes night blindness

Explanation

Whole cereals, pulses and nuts are good sources of thiamine, and its deficiency causes beriberi. The other options pair a nutrient with a food that does not supply it or with an unrelated deficiency disease.

Question 45Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids: sources, functions, and deficiency

Which carbohydrate is the principal form of stored energy in the human liver and muscles?

  1. Lactose
  2. Sucrose
  3. Glycogen Correct answer.
  4. Cellulose

Explanation

Glycogen is the branched glucose polymer that humans store mainly in liver and skeletal muscle, where it is broken down to release glucose when blood levels fall or energy demand rises. The other substances listed are dietary carbohydrates that the body does not use as its own storage form.

Question 46Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids: sources, functions, and deficiency

A student lists foods rich in complex carbohydrates for a school lunch menu. Which combination best fits this description?

  1. Whole wheat chapati, ragi porridge and boiled potatoes Correct answer.
  2. Butter, ghee and coconut oil
  3. Egg white, fish and skimmed milk
  4. Sugar, honey and jaggery

Explanation

Complex carbohydrates are starches and dietary fibre supplied by cereals, millets and tubers, so whole wheat, ragi and potato are appropriate choices. The remaining sets supply simple sugars, fats or proteins rather than starch and fibre.

Question 47Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids: sources, functions, and deficiency

Dietary fibre such as cellulose helps prevent constipation mainly because it:

  1. Is digested completely into glucose in the stomach
  2. Is absorbed unchanged into the bloodstream
  3. Provides a concentrated source of energy per gram
  4. Adds bulk that holds water and stimulates intestinal movement Correct answer.

Explanation

Indigestible fibre retains water, increases stool volume and promotes peristalsis, which shortens the time food residues remain in the colon and softens the stool. Fibre is not digested to glucose in the stomach, nor absorbed intact, and it yields little usable energy.

Question 48Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids: sources, functions, and deficiency

Which protein source is described as a first-class or complete protein for a vegetarian Indian diet?

  1. Soya bean Correct answer.
  2. Rice
  3. Tapioca
  4. Wheat flour

Explanation

Soya bean supplies all essential amino acids in good amounts and is therefore classed as a complete protein, making it valuable in vegetarian diets. Cereals and tubers are limiting in lysine and are regarded as incomplete when eaten alone.

Question 49Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids: sources, functions, and deficiency

The chief function of proteins in the diet is to:

  1. Act as the main store of energy in adipose tissue
  2. Supply amino acids for growth, repair and synthesis of body tissues Correct answer.
  3. Carry fat-soluble vitamins into lymph
  4. Provide the bulk of dietary fibre

Explanation

Proteins supply amino acids that the body uses to build and repair tissues and to make enzymes, hormones and other nitrogen-containing compounds. Energy storage is mainly a function of fat, fibre is a carbohydrate, and fat absorption is aided by bile rather than protein.

Question 50Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids: sources, functions, and deficiency

Which deficiency disease results from a prolonged lack of protein and energy in young children, producing oedema and a swollen belly?

  1. Scurvy
  2. Rickets
  3. Kwashiorkor Correct answer.
  4. Beriberi

Explanation

Kwashiorkor arises when protein intake is far too low relative to energy, so low blood albumin reduces plasma osmotic pressure and fluid collects in tissues, causing oedema. Beriberi, scurvy and rickets are vitamin deficiencies.