The Food We Eat: NCERT Class 1 English Lesson (Mridang Unit 3)

etmantra3 Nov 20264 min read

The Food We Eat shows the many foods Indian children bring to school. It has a kind moment where friends share their lunch. Children learn food words, sharing and saying thank you.

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From NCERT’s new English book Mridang for Class 1, unit “Food”. Unit 3.

What your child learns

Names of everyday Indian foods
Sharing and saying 'thank you'
Where food comes from: milk from cows
Clapping for syllables: mar-ket, car-rot

What the lesson is about

At school, children show what they have brought for lunch: poori with aloo sabzi, roti with sabzi, idli with chutney, gobhi paratha, chilla and fruits. One child has no lunch because their mother is sick. The friends share their paratha and chilla, and the child says thank you.

The chapter also talks about where food comes from. We get milk from cows and make curd and butter from it. Farmers work hard to grow our food, so we should thank them and not waste food. There are word-clapping games and fun riddles about fruits and vegetables.

New words, with Hindi meanings

lunch: the meal in the middle of the day (हिंदी: दोपहर का खाना)
share: give some of yours to others (हिंदी: बाँटना)
sick: not well (हिंदी: बीमार)
thank you: what we say when someone helps us (हिंदी: धन्यवाद)
milk: white drink from cows (हिंदी: दूध)
curd: thick food made from milk (हिंदी: दही)
butter: soft yellow food made from milk (हिंदी: मक्खन)
hungry: wanting food (हिंदी: भूखा)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Why did one child have no lunch?
What did the friends share?
What do we get from cows?
What do you like in your lunch box?

Answers for parents

Because the child's mother was sick.
They shared paratha and chilla.
We get milk from cows.
For example: I like roti and sabzi in my lunch box.

Grammar corner: Talking about what we have with 'I have'

We say 'I have' to tell what is ours. The children in the chapter use it to show their lunch. We can use it for food, toys and more.

I have idli in my box today.
I have an apple to share.
I have a glass of milk every morning.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: I ___ roti and dal.
Choose the polite words when a friend gives you food: (Thank you / Go away).
Clap and say: how many claps for 'dinner'?

Answers: 1. have · 2. Thank you · 3. Two claps: din-ner

Try this

At mealtime, play 'What is on my plate?'. Each person names one thing on their plate in English, like 'I have rice'. Then everyone passes a little of something to the next person and says 'Thank you'.

Tip for parents

While eating, ask 'Aaj khaane mein kya hai?' and let your child answer in Hindi, then say the same food with 'I have' in English. Food names like roti and idli stay the same, which makes it easy. Praise your child for sharing and for saying thank you.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of The Food We Eat?

It teaches us to share food with friends who need it and to say thank you. It also says we should thank farmers and not waste food.

Which foods are in The Food We Eat?

The children bring poori with aloo sabzi, roti with sabzi, idli with chutney, gobhi paratha, chilla and fruits. Milk, curd and butter are also named.

Is The Food We Eat in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 2 of Unit 3, Food, in NCERT's new Mridang book for Class 1.

Learn every Class 1 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →