Meal Planning: Multiple Factors Matter

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title:

  Food Science Applications

  Course Title:

  Food Science Applications 2

  Course Number:

  8129200

  Career Cluster:

  Agriculture Food & Natural Resources

  CIP Number:

  0102030100

  Course Type:

  CAR-PREP - High School Career Preparatory Program

  CTE Benchmark:

  CTE-AFNR.9123031.8129210.10.5 Compare and contrast the nutritional needs of different human diets

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is part 2 of a 2 part series and is designed to be used with the case study, “Balancing Act.” See CPALMS resource ID# 218894.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson will ask students to use industry terminology when deciding on the proper nutritional and dietary plan for individuals based on their needs. Students will gain knowledge about the different diets that are currently promoted as well as the recommended daily allowance for people of different age groups. Through this lesson students will incorporate the durable skill of Collaboration in that the students will need to work together to create a presentation that represents their combined research. The students will also practice interpersonal skills by communicating with one another.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Explain the essential parts of a nutritional plan.
  • Differentiate between various dietary meal options.
  • Compare the nutritional needs of different age groups, overall health and activity levels of different people.
  • Create and present a digital presentation.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of a digital presentation.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Working collaboratively.
  • The components of a nutritional plan.
  • Different dietary options.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What are the essential elements that a nutritionist should pay close attention to when creating an individualized meal plan for any client?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. To introduce the lesson, the teacher can give students time to review their work from lesson one of this series. The teacher can have students work in their same pairs or teams.

  2. Once students have had time to review their work, the teacher can then present the case study, "Balancing Act," (see CPALMS Resource ID# 218894) again and allow time for students to review the case study text.

  3. After the case study has been briefly discussed, the teacher can inform the students that today they will be the nutritionist, focusing on the clients in the case study, creating a weekly meal plan for them based on one diet plan. The teacher can then provide students with the following guiding question to discuss before they begin the activity:

  • What are the characteristics of the diets being discussed in the case study?
  • What are the essential elements that a nutritionist should pay close attention to when creating an individualized meal plan for any client?

  4. The teacher can pass out the “Client Meal Plans” to each pair or group of students and explain that they will now be using their research from lesson one to act as the nutritionist and select one of the clients from the case study. They can then create a weekly meal plan including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

  5. The students will use this handout to create an appealing presentation to show to their client. The teacher can also provide students with a template (see attachments) that will be provided to help students make their presentations. The last slide of the presentation should be a rationale for the selected diet and why they would recommend it for their client over others.

  6. Once students have completed their presentations, they will share their presentations with another group. The students can discuss the pros and cons of their meal plans and engage in constructive feedback with a provided “Peer Feedback Checklist.”

  7. To bring the lesson to a close, the teacher can pose the following discussion questions to highlight to how this activity relates to a career in nutrition.

  • What are the benefits of incorporating a checklist when you are meeting with a client?
  • What challenges do you anticipate when working with clients who have dietary restrictions or preferences, and how can you overcome them?
  • How can this activity help you prepare for real-world challenges you may face in a nutrition consulting or counseling setting?
  • Are there any other considerations that you would take, after completing this activity, when dealing with clients in your chosen career?

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • This lesson can be completed over two class periods if necessary.
  • The lesson closure can be used as an assessment or home learning reflection assignment rather than a class/group discussion.