Lesson 4.3: Tips and Tools for Eating Well

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning about the key elements of a healthy diet and how to identify healthy foods and plan healthy meals.

Learning Targets

  • LO11: Explain the four keys to a healthy diet.
  • LO12: Explain what biased information is.
  • LO13: Demonstrate the ability to read a nutrition facts label.
  • LO14: Explain how to use MyPlate to plan a healthy diet.
  • LO15: Demonstrate how to access valid and reliable nutrition information.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the Journal Question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Make copies of the Lesson 4.3 Note-Taking Guide. Project the Lesson 4.3 PowerPoint slides.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 4.3 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Accessing Valid Nutrition Information.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: How often do you read a food label when you are choosing what to eat? Have you ever asked to see the nutrition information when eating at a restaurant? Why do you think you do or do not use these tools to help you make decisions?
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journal or on their “bell ringer” sheet as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 4.3 Vocabulary Review Worksheet
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 4.3 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Accessing Valid Nutrition Information

  1. Give each student a copy of the Lesson 4.3 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Accessing Valid Nutrition Information.
  2. Have students work individually to complete the worksheet.
  3. Once students are finished with their worksheet, tell them to find a partner to share the one-day diets they developed for the lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan diets. Tell students to compare their diet plans to see if they came up with anything similar.
  4. Option: Once students have shared and compared with their partner, ask for groups to create a one-day vegan diet they both would enjoy. Ask them to create a “day menu” card on a piece of construction paper. When students are done, place the one-day menu cards around the room and have students do a walking tour of the menu cards. Ask students to vote on which menu card they would enjoy the most. Share the top three or winning card with the class.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing an additional challenge work on the following Thinking Critically task.

You and your classmates have been asked to visit a class at the local elementary school to explain what MyPlate is and to help kids younger than you to understand how to use it to help them eat a healthier diet. Outline the key points you would make to the class and then write three questions you could ask the young students to see whether they understood your message.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Explain the four keys to a healthy diet?

    Balance is when a diet has enough carbohydrate, fat, and protein in it to meet your body’s needs. A diet has variety if it has lots of different foods in it. Moderation means eating foods in amounts that are not too much or too little. A diet is adequate if it gives you enough calories.

  • Explain what biased information is?

    Biased information is based on feelings and opinions more than on facts. Biased information sometimes uses only part of a fact and does not tell you the full story.

  • Demonstrate the ability to read a nutrition facts label?

    Nutrition facts labels contain information about the nutrients that are or are not in foods. Nutrition facts labels also include a list of ingredients and the suggested serving size and show the percent daily value of the nutrients included in the food based upon the suggested serving size.

  • Explain how to use MyPlate to plan a healthy diet?

    The graphic shows how a well-balanced plate of food looks. Half of the plate is made up of fruits and vegetables. Grains and protein sources make up the other half of the plate. The glass of milk alongside the plate represents dairy.

  • Demonstrate how to access valid and reliable nutrition information?

    To access valid and reliable nutrition information, use accurate key terms when searching for nutrition information. Focus on information from .org and .gov sites, making sure the information is research based and written by experts in the field of nutrition for accuracy, validity, and reliability.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Look at the foods in your kitchen or pantry at home. Pick out three boxed, canned, or packaged foods and use the nutrition facts label to compare the calories, fat, sodium, and added sugar in each item. Decide which of the foods is the healthiest for you and your family. Explain your findings to a sibling, parent, or guardian.