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We are from Care for Them, a local community based organization in Pittsburgh!

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Why should we care about nutrition?

• Discuss this with a partner of your choice for two minutes

Can anyone name all the food groups?

Why is it important to have a balanced meal from these groups?

Why it’s important to eat Healthy

• Supplies nutrients to your body
• Helps us grow and develop
• Prevents us from getting sick
• Prevents fatigue
• Improves performance

What is a healthy food versus an unhealthy one?

• Take two minutes with a elbow partner to write down as many foods you can. They can be anything from your favorite restaurant dish, commonly brought fast food meal, or any random item you have seen at a grocery store.
• Once you're done group these dishes into two categories: Healthy or Unhealthy. Remain in your pair.
• Elect a spokesperson to share with everyone.

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Food labels

What are food labels and why are they important?

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When reading a food label, Look at the food label as a whole, not only specific pieces of it, to get the full picture!

Start with… The Serving Size!

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• Usually found at the top of the label.
• When you compare calories and nutrients, be sure to check if the serving size is the same.

A food label knowing is about...

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• This number on the food label shows how many calories are in one serving of the food.
• The number of calories a person needs varies, depending on that person’s gender, age, weight and activity level.
• Fat-free doesn’t mean calorie-free.

Calories

A food label knowing is about...

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• Total fat: how much fat is in a single serving of food, an important source of energy.

Fats

Question: Does anyone know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

• Unsaturated fats, which are found in vegetable oils, nuts and fish, are often called “good fats” because they don’t raise cholesterol levels.

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• Saturated fats and trans fats are considered “bad” because they can increase a person’s risk for developing heart disease. These fats typically come from animal products like cheese or meat.

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A food label knowing is about...

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• Sodium is a component of salt (NaCl). Almost all packaged foods contain sodium because it adds flavor and helps preserve food.
• Our bodies need some sodium, but too much might cause high blood pressure and water retention.

Sodium

A food label knowing is about...

• Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods that push through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way and easing bowel movement. Fiber has no calories and can help you feel full. (Why do you think?)
• Ideally you should select foods that have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

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Fiber

A food label knowing is about...

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• You would like your foods to have a lot of vitamins and minerals as our bodies need vitamins and minerals to help them work - from supporting skin health (B2) to helping in the formation of bones (calcium).
• Look for foods that are rich in nutrients such as Vitamin A (eye health), Vitamin C (Immunity), Calcium (bones) and Iron (creation of red blood cells).

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Nutrients

A food label knowing is about...

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• These percentages show the amounts of nutrients an average person will get from eating one serving of that food.
• Rule of thumb: A food is considered a “good source” of a nutrient if the percent daily value is 10%-19%. If the food has more 20%, it is considered an “excellent source” of that nutrient. And if the food has less than 10% of that nutrient, it’s a “poor source” of that nutrient.

Percent Daily Value

A food label is knowing about...

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Calories

Serving Size

Fats

Sodium

Fiber

Nutrients

Do you think you got what it takes to use food labels to make important decisions about food?

Percent Daily Value

• Form a group with your elbow partner
• Rank these food labels from unhealthiest (5) to Healthiest (1) for a lunch meal
• Be prepared to defend your groups answers

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• Frozen Pizza:

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• Doughnut

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• Canned Soup

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• Salad + Dressing

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• Turkey Sandwich

The Deal about Fast-Food

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Fast Food is...

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• Cheap $
• Convenient
• High is Sodium
• Has many artificial ingredients that are known to cause long-term obesity, cancer, and
• High in Trans-Fats
• High in Sugars
• Low in Fiber
• Low in nutrients and essential micronutrients
• High in calories
• Consumed by a large proportion of the american population on a daily basis

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How easy is it to get fast food and how fast do they rack up to our health?

Activity:

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• You are given $22 to spend on a whole days worth of food (Breakfast, Lunch, Midday Snack, and Dinner).
• You only have limited time to consume each meal, and as a result have to rely on fast food to feed yourself
• Keep track of how much calories, total fats, saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, fiber, and sugars you consumed that day. Most Fast food chains like mcDonalds, Chipotle, Panera, Wendys, Arbys, burger king, etc have nutrition calculators where you can get information about a Dish
• To keep track of your expenditures visit those same sites and try to place a dummy order from the local fast food joint. Use the zip code 15143 (Sewickley), if you need help.
• Remember you are not allowed to surpass your $32 daily budget by any means!
• Once are done, pair up with a partner to discuss your results and what you noticed
• Once your pair is done, elect a spokesperson to discuss your findings together as a class.

Credits:

Special thanks to all the awesome people who released these awesome resources for free

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• Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
• Photographs by unsplash
• Information from Peyton Manning Children's Hospital
• lesson plans loosely inspired by Sewickley Academy Middle School Health class

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