Exploring Nutrition: Food Friends and Foes
From CurriculumWiki
We’ve all heard it a million times: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” While this old saying is somewhat oversimplified, the essential message is this: eating healthy food can contribute greatly to your health. But is it really as simple as eating your daily apple? Munching spinach like Popeye? Gulping down your lima beans? Let’s face it: healthy eating has gotten a bad rap, and unfairly so. As you will see, healthy eating can be delicious and easy, and, although it’s hard to imagine now, the long-term consequences of eating poorly can be devastating.
Contents |
Learn by Getting Ready
You might hear all kinds of headlines from the news about this or that “miracle” food or the latest diet that your parents and neighbors are talking about. It can be confusing to separate fact from fiction, and it may be tempting to give up all together and just eat whatever you want. But no one likes to be sick, tired, or overweight, and everyone wants the energy and strength to get through a busy day. It really doesn’t have to be confusing – or unpleasant – to eat a healthy variety of foods that will have you looking and feeling your best.
We will begin by thinking about what we eat and what we already know about healthy eating.
Step 1: What do I eat?
For three days, keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Be honest! People are often surprised by what they write down, because it doesn’t match their idea of what they think they eat. Write down everything anyway.
Step 2: Class Discussion
Make a T chart on a sheet of paper. On the left-hand side, write down foods that you think are healthy. On the right, list unhealthy foods. Share ideas with your classmates and generate a single class list on chart paper. There may be some disagreement over some foods, so you may wish to make a “Question Mark” column for foods whose healthfulness is disputed. You will learn more about healthy food in your reading and will be able to adjust your list as needed.
Here are some other key questions for you to consider and discuss before continuing:
- Do I know anyone who is on a diet? What does it mean to be on a diet?
- What do I read in the news or see on television about food and healthy eating?
- Do the adults in my life try to change how I eat? Are they good role models for healthy eating?
- Do I know anyone who has had health problems related to a poor diet?
Step 3: Reflection and Thinking Ahead
Look at your food journal. Highlight the number of food items that you would consider healthy. Think about how you would rate the quality of the food you eat. Ask yourself if there are any changes you think you might like to make if you could. Keep the contents of your journal in mind as we move ahead.
Learn from Sources
- Stay Healthy by Kidshealth.org/The Nemours Foundation Scroll down to the section entitled “Fabulous Food”
- A Grain of Truth About Fiber Intake by the United States Department of Agriculture Find out how to tell if the bread you buy is healthy.
Learn by Doing
You are now ready to take what you have learned about nutrition and prepare a menu for your family. The menu will include the following:
- A brief introduction with basic guidelines for healthy eating. This can take the form of an expository paragraph or two, bulleted lists of guidelines, a table of Do's and Don'ts, etc.
- A one or two paragraph explanation of why good nutrition is important for your family's health. Consider this an opportunity to persuade your family to improve their diets! Be specific about how nutritious food can contribute to health and how poor eating can contribute to specific diseases or health problems.
- Healthy options for three days worth of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for your family. Stay within the recommended guidelines for calories, food groups, fat, and sugar and choose tasty options that promote good health.
- Illustrations. Make the menu cheerful, colorful, and appealing.
Some specific links that will help you in your menu planning:
- MyPyramid.gov Use "My Pyramid Plan" to figure out how many calories your family members need. You will be using this information to help you plan your meals.
- Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling See how many grams of different nutrients are recommended in a healthy diet. Focus especially on the nutrients you have learned are most significant, including fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates.
- Interactive Menu Planner On this site from the National Institutes of Health, you can easily plan breakfast, lunch and dinner while the computer calculates total fat, calories, and carbohydrates.
- Nutrition Connection Recipe Search Search for specific recipes that include whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, low fat, etc.
Learn from Feedback
You will present your menu to your classmates in preparation for presenting it to your family. You will be responsible for providing feedback for other students' menus. Here are guiding questions for providing feedback:
- Does the menu offer a wide variety of nutritious foods?
- Is the menu appealing, both in its appearance and in the food it describes?
- Did the student present clear information on good nutrition?
- Is there compelling persuasion about the importance of good nutrition?
Your menu will be evaluated as follows:
| Healthiest | The menu presents a comprehensive overview of how to choose healthy food. There is a compelling argument for good nutrition that is supported by facts about nutrition and specific health conditions. There are complete meals given for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days, plus a list of healthy snack options. The menu is annotated to include rationale for specific food choices. All meal components represent student research about healthy eating. The menu is colorful, appealing, and easy to read. Images and illustrations enhance the text. |
| Healthier | The menu presents several clear tips for how to choose healthy food. There is a clear argument for good nutrition that includes some information about specific health conditions. There are complete meals given for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days, plus a list of healthy snack options. Parts of the menu include rationale for some food choices. Most meal components represent student research about healthy eating. The menu is colorful, appealing, and easy to read, with some illustrations. |
| Healthy | The menu presents tips for how to choose healthy food. There is an argument for good nutrition that may or may not mention specific health conditions but does address the importance of food for overall health. There are food options given for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days, plus a list of healthy snack options. There is some evidence of student research in the choices of food. The menu is somewhat colorful or appealing. |
| Doctor! | The menu does not present tips for healthy eating, or the tips are inaccurate. There is no argument for good nutrition, or the argument is based on false premises. Food options are not given for the entire three days. Food options do not adequately represent student research. The menu is not colorful or appealing. |
Learn by Looking Ahead
You will be taking this menu home and presenting it to your family. Depending on your family's knowledge of this issue or their attitude towards food and nutrition, your message may or may not be well received. With a partner, discuss any concerns you have about presenting your menu and brainstorm answers to anticipated questions.
After presenting the menu to your family, come back to class prepared to discuss the following:
- How was the menu received?
- Is your family willing to try to follow your menu for three days?
- Did your family have questions for you? If so, what were they? Did you feel you could answer them?
- How will you change your eating habits, if at all?
- What are three simple changes you think you could make?
- What are three simple changes you would recommend to your classmates?
- What questions do you still have about nutrition, and where could you find the answers?
Standards
Illinois Learning Standards
State Goal 22: Physical Development and Health
- 22.A.3b Identify how positive health practices and relevant health care can help reduce health risks (e.g., proper diet and exercise reduce risks of cancer and heart disease).
- 23.B.3 Explain the effects of health-related actions upon body systems (e.g., fad diets, orthodontics, avoiding smoking, alcohol use and other drug use).
Credits
Authors
Carolyn Skibba is the Technology Coordinator at Burley School in Chicago, where she has been teaching, developing curriculum, and providing network and technical support since 1999.
Sources
Bin of Red Apples by kino-eye, retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/kino-eye/37595710/ on May 21, 2006 under Creative Commons license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
All other resources used to create this activity are listed above.
