HEALTHY DIET AND NUTRITION LABELS

TEACHING

GUIDE

TEACHING UNIT

Introduction

Objectives

Content

Skills

Participants

Timing

Location

Materials

Exercises

Activity

Materials

Solutions

Theory

Interesting websites

HEALTHY DIET AND NUTRITION LABELS

INTRODUCTION

In our daily life, many health risk factors are related to how we eat and move about. As childhood obesity has been increasing over recent years, we need to promote healthier eating and living habits in all population sectors. Good nutrition is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Food stores provide what we need in terms of energy and nutrients; and supply is on the up, both in terms of quantity and variety. Therefore, it is very important to know how to read each product’s nutrition label to be aware of what we are eating and so be able to choose from among all the products available on the market.

INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES AND CONTENTS

Objectives•Recognise the importance of proper nutrition in terms of health.•Be sure to cover all food groups.•Promote healthy eating habits among all social groups, varying diet as much as possible.•Incorporate classroom resources for information, consultation and to share opinions in order to further knowledge of our diet and eating habits.•Understand essential concepts for all food labels, how each one works and the nutrients provided.

Content•Food wheel•Food pyramid•Healthy diet•Nutrition labelling

SKILLS

Secondary Education, Higher Education, PCPI-s and school groups •Science, Technology and Health Culture •Learning to learn•Mathematics•Linguistic Communication•Social and Citizenship•Autonomy and Personal Initiative Other groups •Foreign Language Communication •Mathematics based on science and technology•Learning to Learn•Social and civic•Conscience and Cultural expression

METHOD

ParticipantsThis material is for students aged over 12 years old. The ideal class would be divided in groups of 4-6 people.

TimingEach session lasts 1 hour, depending on the group’s previous knowledge.

LocationIt will be held in a classroom with a Smart Board.

MATERIALS

Technological equipment Teaching material Consumables

Computer This resource book Pen and pencils

Smart Board * Laminated cards and notebook exercises

Blackboard(optional)

Internet connection(interesting websites)

Photocopies of the exercises

Materials needed to develop the teaching unit:

* Site to get a 90-day trial version of Smart Notebook software.Download a full-featured copy of the current version of Smart Notebook software and use it for 90 days without a license key.https://education.smarttech.com/en/products/notebook/download#trial

HEALTHY DIET AND NUTRITION LABELS

EXERCISES

EXERCISES

ACTIVITY NEEDS TIMING

0.- Introduction to the topic Blackboard 5 minutes

1.- Food wheelSecond page of the Smart Board Notebook 5 minutes

Theory to explain the food wheel

2.- Match the food to its function Third page of Smart Board Notebook 10 minutes

3.- Balanced menu

Fourth page of Smart Board Notebook.

15 minutes“Menu” page

Food pyramid print-out (also in the Notebook)

4.- Menu labelling

Smart Board Notebook, page 5

15 minutes“Menu” page

Laminated cards for food

5.- True or false Smart Board Notebook (sixth and seventh slides). 10 minutes

ActivityThe teacher introduces the topic by asking the students questions about healthy lifestyles and healthy diet, if water and sport are essential for a healthy diet, etc.Then, the teacher follows up by asking them what they have eaten for breakfast. He or she writes down every type of food on the blackboard and asks the students what they think is the best option and why. The teacher will not correct students’ answers, he or she only has to guide them and make them think.

Materials

No material is required for this activity.

Solutions

This is an exercise to find out about the students’ prior knowledge and thoughts; the teacher does not need to correct them.

0) INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC

ActivityThe teacher has to explain or remind the students about the food wheel, relying on material prepared for the Smart Board, on the second page, featuring a food wheel. This image is hidden and only revealed by clicking on it. The yellow group is in the top-left of the image; the red group in the top-right; the green group at the bottom; and, finally, the blue group is in the middle of the three groups.

MaterialsThis requires the second page of the Smart Board Notebook. It is an image of the food wheel and each part of the food wheel appears when you click on it.

1) FOOD WHEEL

Theory to explain the food wheel

Yellow group: food high in fats and carbohydrates. This group contains oil, butter, cereals, pasta, bread, etc. Their main function is to provide energy, the fuel that our body needs to work properly. It is advisable to eat 4-6 servings per day of pasta, cereals or potatoes; and 3-6 servings per day of oil and fats.

Red group: food high in proteins. Daily products, meat, fish, eggs and pulses belong to this group. They have a building function, like bricks, responsible for the construction and repair processes in the human body. We should eat 2 servings a day, preferably varying from day to day (3-4 of each type in a week), and 3 servings per day of dairy products.

Green group: food high in vitamins and minerals. This group includes fruit and vegetables. Their main function is regulation. Like traffic lights, they are responsible for controlling or regulating all the processes going on inside our body. It is advisable to eat 3 portions of fruit and 2 of vegetables (including one raw serving) per day, varying as much as possible.

1) FOOD WHEEL

Theory to explain the food wheel

Blue group: water and physical exercise. More than 60% of our body is water and every function and process uses it. To replace all that water, experts recommend drinking 1.50-2L per day and eating products which contain water, such as fruit, vegetables, soup, etc. For our body to stay fit, we must exercise for at least 60 minutes a day.

1) FOOD WHEEL

ActivityThere is a board showing the three main functions of food: building, energy and regulation. Students have to match the food to the right function, according to which nutrient is most provided by each food.This activity can be done out loud as a whole class or in small groups of 4-6 people. If it is done in groups, students firstly think and discuss where to place each food and later on they complete the activity altogether as a class, answering why they believe that the food should belong to that group. When all the food images have been matched up and students are sure it is right, the teacher clicks on “Check” at the bottom and it shows which image is right and which one is wrong.

Materials

It is on the third page of the Smart Board Notebook.The theory to explain the solutions is on the second page of the Smart Board Notebook.Solutions

•Building function: ice cream, eggs, dried fruit, cream•Energy function: bacon, chocolate, rice, potatoes•Regulation function: mushrooms, strawberries

2) MATCH THE FOOD TO ITS FUNCTION

ActivityThe exercise consists of coming up with a balanced menu that provides the amount of food we have to eat per day/week from each group. The students work in groups of 4-6 people and they are given a menu to modify, taking off some food items and adding others (always from the box), until the menu is properly balanced. They might have to include more food than they remove.To make it easier for the students to complete the exercise, the teacher should put the food pyramid on the Smart Board, showing how much food from each group they should eat per day/week. If the school has no Smart Board, the food pyramid appears on page 19 and can be printed out for the students. The correct menu is included after the wrong one.

MaterialsThis activity requires the fourth page of the Smart Board Notebook.The teacher will have to print out the “MENU” featuring on the following page.

3) BALANCED MENU

Exercise 3: Menu to modify What would you change in this menu to make it more balanced?

BALANCED MENU

Breakfast•Milk•Pastries

Morning Snack•Chocolate biscuits

Lunch•Rice•Vegetables•Meat•Fruit•Bread•Coke •Oil

Food you can add or replace in the menu: •Fruit•Bread with cheese•Water•Soft drink•Vegetables•Cereals•Juice

Afternoon Snack•Chocolate pastry

Dinner•Fish•Yogurt•Oil•Water

Correct menu (Solution)

3) BALANCED MENU

Theory

3) BALANCED MENU

* You can also find the food pyramid on page 4 of the Smart Board Notebook

Activity

First of all, the teacher can carry out the activity from the Smart Board Notebook, where students have to match the word with its meaning. The words are taken from the nutrition label so that students know the meaning of each word. The teacher should leave the meanings on the Smart Board to help students while they are searching through the nutrition labels.After the first exercise has been corrected and reviewed, students are put in the same groups as for the previous exercise. Following the menu prepared in the previous activity, now they know the meaning and importance of nutrients, they must choose between different types of food for the most suitable to incorporate into a balanced diet. To know which food is healthiest, they have to read the nutrition label (nutrition labels for each food are printed out on laminated cards).

Materials needed The following material is needed:•The Smart Board Notebook, page 5, for the exercise matching the words with their meaning.•The MENU: on the following page, print out one for each group.•Food nutrition labels: laminated cards, printed out. Click here to open them.

4) MENU LABELING

Exercise 4: MenuWhat is the healthiest option? Look at the nutrition label and choose the best option

MENU LABELING

BreakfastBox of orange juice / oranges for making juiceCereals / croissant / biscuitsWhole Milk / Fat-free milk

Morning SnackChocolate biscuits / Apple

LunchWhite rice / brown riceVegetablesHamburger / grilled chicken- whole wing / roast chickenPineapple / pineapple in syrup Brown bread / white breadWater / Soft drink Olive oil

Afternoon SnackBrown bread / white breadCheese / Cream cheese

DinnerSalad / RatatouilleHake in green sauce / battered hakeYogurt / CustardBrown bread / white breadWater / Soft drinkOlive oil

Solutions

4) MENU LABELING

The Smart Board exercise:•Energy expresses the calories food gives to our body. Our body uses as much as it needs, and the rest becomes fat.•Carbohydrates supply the body with energy. They include sugars, polysaccharides and fibre.•Proteins help our body grow and repair itself.•Sodium hydrates the organism although excessive use is related to hypertension.•Cholesterol is a type of lipid that can be found in animal products.•Fat provides plenty of energy but not many nutrients. Try not to have too much.•Nutrition label provides consumers with information about the food’s nutritional properties.

4) MENU LABELING

BreakfastOranges for making juiceCerealsFat-free milk

Morning SnackApple

LunchBrown riceVegetablesRoast chickenPineappleBrown breadWater/Olive oil

Afternoon SnackBrown breadCheese

DinnerSalad (we have to eat at least one raw vegetable per day, so ratatouille is impossible here)

Hake in green sauceYogurtBrown breadWaterOlive oil

The healthiest menu activity :

Solutions

Theory

4) MENU LABELLING

• Fresh oranges, used to make juice, are best, as they provide more nutrients and less sugar than orange juice from the box.

• Whole grains retain the husk meaning that fibre content is higher.

• Fat free milk provides the same nutrients but less fat than whole milk.

• Apples are healthiest, as they contain no fat and are high in Vitamin C.

• Brown rice has more fibre than white rice.• It is recommended to eat more than one type of vegetables.• Roast chicken is the best option and fast food should be

avoided as it is high in fats.• Pineapple in syrup has more sugars (carbohydrates) and fats

and less Vitamin C than fresh pineapple, making fresh pineapple healthier.

• The human body needs a lot of fibre so we should eat products that are high in fibre, such as brown bread.

Theory

4) MENU LABELLING

• Calcium is an essential mineral for the human body. It can be found in dairy products, such as cheese. Cheese is also high in Vitamin D, iron and proteins.

• When eating vegetables, it is advisable to eat at least one raw vegetable per day as vegetables lose their vitamins and minerals when they are cooked. Consequently, students have to choose salad.

• Eating fish 2-4 times per week is advisable as it is high in proteins and iron. From the two fish dishes, hake in green sauce is better, as it has less fat than battered hake.

• Sweetened yogurt is better than custard; it provides less fats and more proteins and calcium.

• Experts claim that we should eat 3-6 servings/day of oil. Olive oil is recommended as it has monounsaturated fats and withstands the heat better during cooking.

• More than 60% of the human body is liquid, and we have to renew this liquid every day by consuming 1.5-2 litres of liquid, preferably water, as it contains no fats or sugars.

Activity

This last activity consists of reading some sentences and deciding whether they are true or false. To carry out the activity, the teacher reads each sentence aloud and asks the groups if they think it is true or false and why. Afterwards, the teacher (or a student) will move it next to the true or false image. If it is correct, the sentence disappears, but if it is wrong, it returns to its original position.

MaterialsThe Smart Board Notebook is essential for this activity (slides 6 and 7).

5) TRUE OR FALSE

Solutions and theory

Slide 7 shows all the sentences classified as True/False, in case they want to read them again and talk about them.

•Vegetable oil is healthier that animal oil. TRUETRUE. Animal oil fat is more harmful for our health and contains cholesterol.

•Eating a peeled or unpeeled apple is exactly the same. FALSEFALSE. There are lots of vitamins, minerals and fibre just under the peel that can be lost when the apple is peeled.

•We have to eat at least one raw vegetable. TRUETRUE. When we cook vegetables, some of their nutritional substances disappear or remain in the water. It is thereby recommended to make the most of the water used to cook vegetables.

•The liquid your body needs can only be obtained by drinking water. FALSEFALSE. You can also take in liquid by eating fruit, vegetables, soup, etc.

5) TRUE OR FALSE

Solutions and theory

•It is better to drink juice right after making it. TRUETRUE. If you wait a while, the juice oxidizes and loses its vitamins (Vitamin C for example).

•We have to eat food from all food groups every day. TRUE.TRUE. Each group provides our body with different nutrients, all of them essential.

•You can eat as much processed meat as you want. FALSEFALSE. Processed meat should only be eaten occasionally.

•You have to eat 3 times a day. FALSEFALSE. It is recommended to eat 5 times a day.

•Meat and fish are low in proteins. FALSEFALSE. They are high in proteins.

•Strawberries, oranges, kiwis and lemons are high in Vitamin C.TRUETRUE. All four fruit contain a lot of Vitamin C, recommended to prevent colds.

5) TRUE OR FALSE

INTERESTING WEBSITES

HEALTHY DIET AND NUTRITION LABELS

INTERESTING WEBSITES

Nutritional labels•American Heart Association (2014). Dictionary of nutrition. Dallas.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Dictionary-of-Nutrition_UCM_305856_Article.jsp

•Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad (xxxx). Nutrition and healthy eating

habits. Spain.

http://www.naos.aesan.msssi.gob.es/en/csym/nutricion_saludable/

•The Dairy Council (2014). Nutrients and their functions. London.

http://www.milk.co.uk/page.aspx?intPageID=130

•U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014). How to Understand and Use

the Nutrition Facts Label. Silver Spring, MD.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/

ucm274593.htm

 

Balanced or healthy diet•NHS Gov.uk (2014). A balanced diet. UK.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx

•American Heart Association (2014). The American Heart Association's Diet and Lifestyle

Recommendation. Dallas.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/The-

American-Heart-Associations-Diet-and-Lifestyle-

Recommendations_UCM_305855_Article.jsp

 

 

INTERESTING WEBSITES

 

Download the food Wheel in high resolution•Sociedad Española de Dietética y Ciencias de la Alimentación (2007). La nueva rueda

de alimentos. Spain.

http://www.nutricion.org/img/rueda_alimentos_ar.jpg

 

Activities•British Nutrition Foundation (2014). Explore Food. Great Britain.

http://explorefood.foodafactoflife.org.uk/

•Food a fact of life (2014). Love your lunch. Great Britain.

http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/Sheet.aspx?siteId=20&sectionId=85&contentId=692