Mathematics & Nutrition
Brief Description: Students study mathematics and nutrition as
they learn about calories and fat in their diets.
Grade Levels: 7-12
Major Objectives:
- to help students learn how to select food wisely by being aware of
ingredients and understanding the package information.
- to teach students how to calculate fat and calorie content in what
they are eating.
- to make students aware of healthy life styles.
Equipment/Materials: computer(s), printer, packages with nutritional
labels, printer, optional-projection system.
Before the Lesson: Take a look at the sites Food
Safety and Nutrition and Lifestyle
Choices & Physical Activity. Bookmark or capture these sites (and
others if you wish) for use in this lesson.
Ask students to bring in several nutritional labels found on food packaging.
These are usually called "Nutrition Facts.
Procedures:
- Talk with the students about what they have heard about the amount
of calories they should be eating and the percentage of fat that is in
these calories.
- Use the suggested sites from the American Dietetic Association and
the International Food Information Council, textbook, library, and other
Internet resources to gather information of calories and fat. For example,
students will find that total fat intake should be less than 30% of their
calories.
- Have groups of students work together to examine the "Nutrition
Facts" charts and lists on the packaging. Ask them to find out what
a serving is considered and how many calories and calories from fat are
in one serving. Have them determine what the percentage of calories come
from total fat, from saturated fat, and from monounsaturatuated fat.
- Have student groups see if they can come up with crazy meal using the
labels they have brought in. Let them figure the calorie count and fat
percentages and present their meals and this nutritional information to
the class.
- Give students an assignment to keep track of all the food they eat
the next day. Have them estimate serving amounts they eat and use labeling,
Internet, textbook, and library resources to determine number of calories
they consumed and the percentage of fat they ate.
- On the day after students keep track of their eating, have them bring
the statistical results to class. Discuss the findings. Ask the students
what they learned about their diets. How might they keep track of fat intake
without carrying around a calculator to find percentages whenever they
eat? Is this math they can learn to do on their own (in their heads)? What
do they think about labeling on packages? Is it helpful? Confusing? Might
the package serving amount differ from what your students think is a serving?
What other types of calculations might be valuable for health? Sodium totals?
Vitamins? Minerals? Do they have another idea for labeling?
Follow-up: A week after this lesson find out if students are
taking more care with what they are eating. Review how to calculate the
fat amounts and tell the students you're going to check on their healthy
diet progress in few months.
Suggestions for Parents: Many teenagers do not eat healthy diets
and/or have weight problems. They are setting problem patterns in eating
that they may carry into their future. Using online information to help
them is a way to bring good nutritional habits to their attention.
