Amy Stewart
Nutrition
Taking Charge of our Minds and Bodies
Title: Food Labels
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Date: April 22, 2001
Materials: various
food packages (with nutrition labels), paper, pencil, copies of
The Food
Pyramid
Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to give students practice evaluating the information found on food labels. This activity will empower children with information needed to make healthy choices.
Objectives:
The learner will be able to identify the information provided on food labels
The students will work together to decide which foods are healthy.
The learner will see why this information can be helpful in making healthful decisions.
The learner will work cooperatively with others to compare and contrast various foods.
Procedure:
a) Introduction: Students will bring out the food labels they have brought. We will first work as a group to decide which food groups these foods fit into, with the help of The Food Pyramid if necessary. Next, students are introduced to the nutrition label located on the package. Discuss that the law requires companies to include this information and that it is a great way for kids to gain valuable information.
b) Activities/Steps: In small groups, students compare the labels they have brought. As a class, discuss serving size. The groups compare the serving sizes of the various foods and then figure out what percent of their daily need for each vitamin can be gotten from a serving, or how much of this food it would take to meet the requirement. Students will also recognize some of the negative components that make up the food we eat.
c) Closure: Students share some of their research with the whole group. We discuss foods that have the highest levels of vitamins or fiber. Also discuss those foods with little value. Students write a short explanation of each label brought explaining where this food would fit into a healthy diet.
d) Have kids turn in their writing to evaluate what the child gained from this experience. Look for the student’s ability to pick out familiar food components and evaluate serving size. Look for student’s ability to decide where this food fits into their diet due to these components.
Kalbacken, Joan. The Food Pyramid. Scholastic Library Publishing, 1998.