Nutrition Facts Labels

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Course Name: Orientation to Health Science Professions

  Program Name: Health Science

  Course Number: 8400110

  Course Type: Orientation/Exploratory

  CIP Number: 03179999OR

  CTE-HLTH.68.8400110.5.6 - Explore the need for proper nutrition and water intake to maintain wellness.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson should be used with the Case Study "Lifestyle Choices: Nutrition and Wellness" (See CPALMS Resource ID #218928). It is intended to be the second lesson in the unit following Food Groups (See CPALMS Resource ID #219015). Other lessons aligned to this case study focus on Therapeutic Diets (See CPALMS Resource ID #219019), Dieticians/Nutritionists (See CPALMS Resource ID #219074), and Meal Planning (See CPALMS Resource ID #219084).

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will have the opportunity to explore the career of a Food Scientist as an extension activity for this lesson.

  Students will collaborate and utilize critical thinking skills as they analyze Nutrition Facts Labels and evaluate them for nutritional value.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • identify nutrients found on a Nutrition Facts label.
  • identify which nutrients you should try to increase in your diet versus those that should be minimized.
  • analyze nutrition facts labels to explore and compare the nutritional value of various foods.
  • write and justify a claim expressing the nutritional value of a food based on its Nutritional Facts Label.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Some of our behaviors and choices impact our health.
  • Some foods are healthier than other foods.
  • Nutrients are the materials in food that your body needs.
  • Different foods have different nutrients in them.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How do you know if a food is ‘nutritious’ or good for you?
  • What information is on a Nutrition Facts Label?
  • Which nutrients should you try to get more of vs. which should you try to eat less of (and/or avoid)?
  • How can you use Nutrition Facts Labels to guide dietary choices and ensure proper nutrition?

• Procedure

  
  

  Introduction
  

  1. Warm-Up/Bellwork question to pose to students: “What did you have for breakfast today? How do you know how nutritious it is?” (Have students discuss with a partner and share answers with the class.)
     
     
  2. Provide the case study “Lifestyle Choices: Nutrition, and Wellness” (See CPALMS Resource ID# 218928) to students.
  • Tell students that the case study will provide background/setting for today’s lesson.
  • Have students read it aloud with a partner or group.
    
    
  3. Then, have student pairs/groups discuss these questions:
  • What do we know about the eating habits of the Martinez family?
  • What food limitation does Marisol have?
  • What recommendations does the doctor make for Abuelo Carlos and the Martinez family?
  • If Elena wants cereal for breakfast, how can her mom tell if it is a healthy option? (Answers may include looking at ingredients, nutrition facts label, etc.)
  • How much cereal should Elena eat? What counts as a serving of cereal?
    
    
  4. Direct instruction (tell students): “Today we are going to learn how to determine the nutritional value of food. To figure that out, we need to know which nutrients the food provides and how much of each nutrient the body needs on a daily basis.”

  Activity

  1. Provide students the “Understanding Nutrition Facts Labels” handout.
     • The “Understanding Nutrition Facts Labels” handout introduces information provided on a nutrition facts label and guidelines to follow when evaluating packaged foods for their nutritional value.
     • Review these guidelines with students and display a sample Nutrition Facts Label to discuss as a class.
       
       
  2. Activity: Students will analyze nutrition fact labels to determine the nutritional value of the food.
     • Have students bring in snacks and/or food packages/labels for analysis. Alternatively, the teacher can find food labels online and provide them to students to use for this activity. Suggested foods to explore include: pasta, snacks (ex. chips, pretzels, snack mix), salad dressing, breakfast cereal, etc.
       
       
     • Pass out the “Analyzing Nutrition Facts labels” worksheet.
       1. Students will find information on a Nutrition Facts Label and use it to explain how the food fits into a balanced diet.
       2. Students may work with a partner or alone for this activity.

  Closure

  1. Pass out the “Exit Ticket: Nutrition Facts Labels” to each student. The exit ticket requires students to analyze two nutrition fact labels (whole fruit vs fruit juice - to tie in the case study) and write a paragraph to justify which the family should eat, based on nutritional value.
     
     1. Student responses should be a paragraph long and refer to data (%DV) on both food labels and may also refer to information from the handout and/or knowledge of food groups, etc. Their response should also demonstrate knowledge of which nutrients should be high (fiber, vitamins, minerals) versus those that should be low (added sugar, saturated fats, trans fats) and select the food item that follows the highs/lows guidelines (the juice).

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • The teacher can find and play videos on interpreting Nutrition Facts labels. The FDA has many online resources including videos, sample labels, handouts, and an interactive food label.
  • Have students bring in snacks and/or food packages/labels for analysis. Alternatively, the teacher can find food labels online and provide them to students to use for the activity.
  • Lesson pacing: 10 minutes for case study and discussion, 10 minutes for direct instruction and/or video on Nutrition Facts Labels, 20 minutes to analyze food labels,and 5-10 minutes for the exit ticket.
  • The teacher will informally assess learning through group discussion and observation of students during the food label activity. Answers on the assignment and/or exit ticket may also be used to evaluate mastery.

• Optional

  
  

  Extension Ideas:

  • Students could research the career of a Food Scientist. Handout “Food Scientist Career One Pager Directions and Rubric” provided.
  • Students can research the nutritional value of a fast food meal (sandwich, side dish, and drink).