Healthy Eating on a Budget

Healthy Eating on a Budget
 
Objective: Students will explore ways to create a day’s worth of healthy meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for as cheap as they can while calculating different nutritional information
 
Materials:

• Printouts of Meal Chart (1 per student)
• Printouts of different food items (students will share). Can use ads from different grocery stores as well
• Calculators for each student

 
Task 1 (10-15 minutes): Teacher will explain to the students that they will have to create a day’s worth of healthy meals that they will have to “buy” from a grocery store. They will be buying foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while having a different food item in each of the 4 categories of the meal chart per meal. Once they pick out their foods, they will have to calculate the total calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats as well as the total price.
 
Review:
 
Fats (Trans fat, unsaturated fat, and saturated fat)
 

• Unsaturated fats are the best kind of fats. These types of fats are easy for the body to break down and are required for your body in order to function.
• Saturated fats are linked to heart disease, so choose the least amount of these as possible.  
• Trans fat increases the amount of cholesterol in your blood stream, linked to heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Limit the intake of trans fats as well.

 
 
 
Carbohydrates (Starch, sugar, and fiber)
 

• Starches are complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread and brown rice: they give the body energy for a long period of time.
• Sugars are simple carbohydrates: they only give you a short burst of energy, and then the extra calories that you don’t use turn to fat.
• Fiber is a good type of carbohydrate because it helps with digestion. Fiber also helps you feel more full as well as cleans your intestines from bacteria.

 
Proteins
 

• Protein can come from different types of meats such as chicken, beef, fish, and eggs.
• Proteins are essential for the body to build and repair tissues. Protein is important for the bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

 
Task 2 (10-15 minutes): For this task students will be asked different questions using the think-pair-share strategy. The teacher will ask students questions such as:
1.What kinds of foods should you have on your plate when planning a healthy meal?

• Fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy

2.What types of foods normally have a lot of carbohydrates?

• Grains such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal, barley, and brown rice

3.What types of foods normally have more fats?

• Meats, dairy, nuts, and other processed foods

4.How many calories are in one gram of fat? Carbohydrates? Protein?

• 9 calories per gram of fat, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates, and 4 calories per gram of protein

 
Teacher will introduce the activity of the day. Students will be creating a day of healthy meals based on a variety of food items that will be passed out by the teacher. Students will write down the name of the food item, calories from that food item, and at the bottom will calculate the total number of calories for the day. Teacher will remind students to make sure that they select a food item from each category (protein, vegetable, fruits, grain, and dairy) for each meal of the day. Once everyone is done the students will compare and pick who they thought had the healthiest meals.
 
Task 3 (30 minutes): Teacher will pass out meal charts as well as the different food items that they may choose from. Teacher will again explain the goal of the activity and make sure that everyone understands how to understand the food chart as well as filling out the worksheet.

• When students are done with the activity the teacher will ask for two different volunteers to share their meals. Class will compare the cost of their meals as well as the total calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Teacher will ask the class who they think had the healthiest meals for that day.