Introduction
Performance
Objectives
Behavioral capability – instrumental knowledge to identify whole grain foods
Theoretical
Framework
Lesson Overview
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• Identify whole grain food products using information on food packages.
• Understand portion sizes using common household items.
• Use information on food packages to make whole grain food choices.
• Identify whole grain foods in a variety of environments (e.g., home, school cafeteria, grocery market and restaurants).
by reading information on food packages and understanding portion sizes.
Behavioral Skills – identification skills for whole grain foods at home and in
the school cafeteria.
Review previous lesson content and introduce new lesson – 5 minutes
Understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels – 15 minutes.
• Use opening discussion questions to help students brainstorm ideas about
using food labels to choose foods.
• Have students complete Worksheet #1 on labels and share answers.
• Review the Nutrition Facts Panel on a food label. Describe the concepts
of serving size, number of servings in the package, nutrients and key
ingredients.
Understanding portion sizes using common household items –
10 minutes.
• Use common household items to illustrate portion sizes of various foods
(e.g., bread, cereal, crackers, pancake, pasta, brown rice).
• Show students 3 bowls of cereal with various portion sizes and have them
estimate the amount of cereal in each bowl (Worksheet #2).
Using food labels to select whole grain foods – 15-20 minutes
• Review strategies for identifying whole grain foods and portions using the
Nutrition Facts Panel handout and ingredient listing on food labels.
• Have students work in pairs to complete label-reading activity (Worksheet
#3). Use a large group process to summarize key ideas learned from the
activity.
Evaluation and closure – 5-10 minutes
• Summarize key points and answer questions.
• Collect worksheets and examine for accuracy. Distribute Quiz Bowl cards for
Lesson 2 and use to review.
• Distribute parent newsletters and ask students to return completed
homework activities found in the newsletter.
• Distribute whole grain “snack packs” for students to take home.
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
Materials
In-class activities:
Worksheet #1 What labels tell us
Worksheet #2 Cereal portion size activity
Worksheet #3 Label identification activity
Serving Size handout
Nutrition Facts Panel handout
Homework (activities included in the parent newsletter):
• Find Whole Grains on the School Lunch Menu
• Whole Grain Food Detective Activity
• Quiz Bowl cards.
Materials:
• Nutrition Facts Panel – poster or transparency or handout
• Nutrition Facts Panel – 8 x 10-inch reproducible copy http://www.cfsan.fda.
gov/~acrobat/foodlab.pdf or see attached supporting materials
• Overhead projector
• Household items to illustrate portion sizes and measuring equipment
Serving size visual cues:
Deck of cards = 3 ounces of meat, poultry or fish
Ping-pong ball = 1 ounce meat or 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Baseball = 1 cup lettuce or salad greens
Computer mouse = 1 medium potato
4-inch CD = 1 pancake or waffle
9-volt battery = 1½ ounces cheese
• Cereal and bowls (note: bowls must be the same size)
• Food labels – gather from various grain products, cereal, bread, pasta,
snacks, rice. Make sure you have examples of whole grain and refined
products.
• Blackboard or flipchart, markers
• Food models to illustrate portion sizes
• Whole grain “snack packs” for students to take home
Getting
Ready
1. Review the lesson plan and troubleshoot potential problems.
2. Obtain and prepare materials.
3. Purchase cereal and snack packs.
Introduction
1. Begin with a brief review of the key message from Lesson 1 (refer to
returned homework and Worksheet #1). Ask: What are the 3 parts of a whole
grain kernel? Answer: The bran, germ, and endosperm.
2. Tell students that the purpose of this lesson is to become familiar with
reading food labels in order to make whole grain food choices. By the end of
the lesson, they will know which foods are “whole grain” foods.
3. Review the agenda. Explain that students will work on activities to 1)
understand the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels, 2) estimate portion sizes
of common foods, 3) identify whole grain foods by reading food labels and
ingredient lists, and 4) identify whole grain foods in a variety of environments
(e.g., home and school).
Activity 1:
Understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels.
1. Write the opening discussion questions on the board. Have students
What’s on a brainstorm ideas to these questions using Worksheet #1 on what labels tell
Label?
us and then share as a group.
Understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels.
a. Why do you choose the foods you eat?
b. What is a food label?
c. Where do you find food labels?
d. How can the nutrition facts help you?
e. What are barriers to using food labels?
2. What’s on a label? As a group, using the Food Label poster/handout
to review the Nutrition Facts Panel, discuss the following concepts: the
meaning of serving size, number of servings in the package, nutrients and
key ingredients (e.g., the first ingredient is “whole” grain). Refer to information
provided in their workbooks. Brainstorm ways that they can use this
information.
Activity 2:
Understand portion sizes using common household items
Overcoming “Portion Distortion”
Comparing 1. Using common household items, illustrate portion sizes of various foods
characteristics of (e.g., bread, cereal, crackers, pancake, pasta, brown rice). Have students refer
whole and refined to supplementary information if needed (Serving Size Handout with common
grain foods.
household measures).
How much cereal did you have this morning?
2. Show students 3 bowls of cereal with various portion sizes and have
them estimate the amount of cereal in each bowl. Have students record their
estimates on Worksheet #2 along with the “actual” amounts of cereal. Discuss
any differences between their estimates and the actual amounts.
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
Activity 3:
Becoming a “Whole Grain Food Detective” using food labels to select
whole grain foods
Be a Whole Grain 1. Review strategies for identifying whole grain foods and serving sizes using
the Nutrition Facts Panel and ingredient listing on food labels. Use a Nutrition
Food Detective
Facts Panel transparency or handout to illustrate these concepts.
Using food labels 2. Have students work in pairs to complete label-reading activity. Each
to select whole student pair should receive 2-3 food labels, some which are from whole grain
grain foods
foods, others from refined grain foods. Have students complete corresponding
Worksheet #3. Use a large group process to summarize key concepts learned
from this activity.
Evaluation/
Closure
1. Distribute Quiz Bowl cards for Lesson 2 and use to review. Continue to
remind students about the Quiz Bowl event that will be held after the final
lesson.
2. Collect completed worksheets and examine for accuracy. Take notes
regarding what section(s) in this lesson need to be reviewed in the next
lesson.
3. Summarize the activities. What was the overall “message” of today’s
lesson? Close by encouraging students to tell their families what they have
learned about whole grains in this lesson. Explain that in the next lesson,
students will learn about setting goals and the health benefits of whole grain
foods.
4. Distribute parent newsletter and give instructions for completing the
activities in the newsletter. Point out the “Whole Grain Food Detective”
activities in the take-home newsletter. Ask children to complete the activities
with their parents as homework and return the completed homework activity
sheets for the next lesson.
5. Distribute whole grain “snack packs” at dismissal.
Background Information
References/ • The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/
Resources
•
•
•
•
The Power of Choice: Helping Youth Make Healthy Eating and Fitness Decisions” —USDA curriculum available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/
Resources/power_of_choice.html
“Get on the Grain Train” USDA pamphlet available at: http://www.usda.gov/
cnpp/Pubs/Brochures/GrainTrainPamphlet.pdf
How Much Are You Eating? Factsheet from USDA on the Dietary Guidelines: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/how-much/eat.htm
Food labels for teens: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/795_teenfood.html
Notes
How much do you need to eat?
Serving sizes on food labels and MyPyramid help you judge how much you
eat. This information can help you judge whether you’re getting enough or too
much of different kinds of foods.
What is a serving size?
It’s a measuring tool. Just by looking, most people don’t know how much a
serving is. Visual cues can help you estimate how much you eat. The amount
of food you usually eat may be bigger or smaller than a MyPyramid or Nutrition Facts serving (See Serving Size Handout).
Identifying whole grain foods
The food package contains several clues to help identify whole grain products. These include the ingredient list and the use of the whole grain health
claim or a whole grain symbol.
3 Ingredient list
Look for whole grain as the first ingredient in the ingredient list to help determine whether the product is whole grain.
There may be several sources of whole grains in one food. The first ingredient will represent the primary ingredient in the product but if the second, third
and fourth ingredients are whole grain, the product could still be an important
source of whole grain.
Some whole grain foods have a higher fiber content compared to their refined
grain counterparts (fiber content in grams and % Daily Value is located on the
Nutrition Facts Panel), but this not a foolproof way to identify a whole grain
product. The fiber content of a food depends on the type of grain used. Some
grains contain less fiber than others.
For example:
Grain (100 grams)
Fiber
Whole wheat
12.2 grams
Whole corn meal
7.3 grams
Brown rice
1.8 grams
The amount of fiber in a food made with these grains will also vary (a 30
gram serving of brown rice has 0.5 grams of fiber and a 30 gram serving
of corn chips made with whole cornmeal has 1 gram of fiber), but both are
considered whole grain foods.
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
Notes
continued
3 FDA-authorized health claim:
According to Food and Drug Administration regulations, the health claim can
be listed on a product that includes 51% or more of whole grains by weight
per reference amount usually consumed. The product must also contain all
portions of the grain kernel and be low fat, saturated fat, and low cholesterol.
The health claim states:
Diets rich in whole grain foods and other
plant foods, and low in total fat, saturated
fat and cholesterol may reduce the risks
of heart disease and certain cancers.
Not all manufacturers use the health claim, so some qualified products may
not carry the claim.
3 Whole grain symbols
Some manufacturers use “Good” and “Excellent” source labeling which can
be helpful in identifying whole grain foods. While this is an easy method, not
all food packaging may use these symbols. The Whole Grains Council developed a series of stamps to indicate level of whole grain in products. A “Good”
source provides a ½ ounce equivalent or greater of whole grains or about
8-15 grams. Children would have to eat about 4-6 servings of good source
foods to get three 16 gram servings of whole grains per day.
“Excellent” sources provide 1 ounce equivalent of whole grains or about 16
grams of whole grain. Children would only have to eat 3 servings of these
foods to meet their requirement. “100% Whole Grain/Excellent” sources have
16 grams of whole grain and all the grains in the product are whole grains.
Not all whole grain products carry the stamp since manufacturers have to
pay to use the Whole Grain Council stamps.
Term Stamp Whole Grain
(Grams whole grain)Ounce Equivalent
Good source
(≥8-15g) 1/2
xcellent source
E
(≥16g) 1
100% Whole grain/
Excellent source (≥16g)
1
Notes
continued
Other terminology used on packaging adds to the confusion about which
foods are whole grain. For example, the term 100% wheat only means that
the product is made of wheat but does not indicate if it is whole or refined
wheat. A product labeled as multi-grain is made of several different types of
grain, but they may not be whole grain. Stone ground products refer to the
way the grain was processed but doesn’t indicate if the bran or germ are
included in the final product. The best way to identify a whole grain food is to
look at the ingredient list and other helpful indicators and not to depend on
the color, texture or marketing terms.
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
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11
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
12
.
13
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
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15
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
16
Grain
Group
1 ounce or ½ cup cooked rice
1 ounce pancake
1 slice of bread (1 ounce)
1 cup of cereal flakes (1 ounce)
Tennis ball or ice cream scoop
Compact disc (CD)
CD
Fist – hand sizes vary so this is only a guide, or a
baseball
Vegetable Group
1 cup salad greens
Baseball or a fist
½ cup cooked broccoli
Scoop of ice cream or a light bulb
½
cup serving
6 asparagus spears; 7 or 8 baby carrots or carrot
sticks or 1 ear of corn on the cob
Fruit Group
1 medium size fruit
Tennis ball or a fist
1 cup of cut-up fruit
Fist
¼
Large egg
cup raisins
Milk Group
1 ½ ounces natural cheese
1 ounce processed cheese (½ serving)
Meat Group
2 tablespoons peanut butter-equal to
1 oz. of meat
1 tablespoon peanut butter
3 ounces cooked meat, fish, poultry
3 ounces grilled/baked fish
3 ounces cooked chicken
9-volt battery
Pair of dice or your thumb
Ping-Pong ball
Thumb tip
Palm, a deck of cards or a cassette tape
Checkbook
Chicken leg and thigh or breast
17
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
18
Nutrition Facts Panel Handout
1 Start here
2 Check calories
3 Limit these
nutrients
6 Quick guide to
% daily value
5% or less
is low
4 Get enough
of these nutrients
20% or
more is
high
5 Footnote
19
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
20
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Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
22
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Question #1
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Question #2
True or False?
Give an example of a
“visual cue” that could help
you estimate how much
you eat.
A portion is the amount
you choose to eat.
The Power of 3: Get Healthy with Whole Grains Lesson 2
The Power of 3: Get Healthy with Whole Grains Lesson 2
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Question #4
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Question #3
Your school cafeteria is serving
these foods at lunch today.
Which are whole grain foods?
Name one simple way
to identify
whole grain foods.
•
•
•
•
•
The Power of 3: Get Healthy with Whole Grains Lesson 2
Teriyaki chicken
Brown rice
Oriental vegetables
Whole wheat roll
Milk
The Power of 3: Get Healthy with Whole Grains Lesson 2
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Question #5
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Question #6
Along with squash and beans,
he kept Native Amercan people
alive for centuries.
Who is he?
As a “whole grain food detective” you are
always on the lookout for tasty whole grain
foods. In your cupboard at home, you find:
Wheat Thins, Triscuits and Ritz crackers.
Which is a whole grain cracker you could
pick for a snack?
The Power of 3: Get Healthy with Whole Grains
Lesson 2
The Power of 3: Get Healthy with Whole Grains Lesson 2
23
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Answer #2
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Answer #1
Possible answers:
Baseball = 1 cup of cereal
Compact disc = 1 slice of bread
Deck of cards = 2-3 ounces of meat
Hockey puck = 1 bagel
Pair of dice = 1 ounce of cheese
CD = 1 pancake or waffle
True
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Answer #4
Whole Grain
Quiz Bowl Answer #3
Brown rice
Whole wheat roll
The first ingredient is
“whole” grain.
Whole Grain Quiz Bowl
Answer #6
Whole Grain Quiz Bowl
Answer #5
Poppa Corn
The cracker with whole grain as the
first ingredient on the ingredient list.
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Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
26
Issue 2
Use Food Labels to Get the “Whole” Message
This week in school
your
child learned how
to identify whole grain
foods by reading food
labels and to estimate
portion sizes using
common household
items. In this newsletter,
we offer more
opportunities for you and
your child to practice
these skills at home. Put
on your detective caps
and look for clues that
help identify whole grain
foods at home, at school
and in the grocery store.
You’ll be surprised at
how many you can find. Here are some helpful
tips to get you started.
MyPyramid recommends
that children and adults
need a certain number of
grain servings each day
according to their age and
activity level and that 3
servings should be from
whole grain sources.
Identifying whole grain
products can be challenging even for the savviest
consumer. Product names
that sound “grainy” may
in fact be a refined grain
product in disguise.
Today, most packaged
foods have a Nutrition
Facts Panel and list of
ingredients. The Nutrition Facts Panel provides
information about serving
sizes, calories and key
nutrients, like fiber, that
are important for good
health. The order of the
ingredients in the list can
help tell you if the product is whole grain.
Issue 2
Inside this issue:
Serving sizes
Which foods are
whole grains?
3
Whole grain
detective
activity
Use these tools to make
smart food choices for
yourself and your family.
Although label reading
sometimes can be confusing and take a little extra
time, it will be time well
spent.
Issue 2
4
Meet Patty Rice. Here are some interesting facts about Patty:
- Born over 5,500 years ago in India.
- Patty is very diverse and loves to hang out with lots of other foods. Some of her favorites are fish, vegetables and beans.
- She also loves to hang out in crackers, cereals and breads.
Kids Win with Healthy School Meals
We are offering a variety
of whole grain foods for
lunch at school this week.
Children may be enjoying
whole grain pasta, pizza
crust and breadsticks. As
your child learns about
portions at school, they
2
- Patty is very popular in Asia, where 95% of the world’s rice is consumed.
will be able to see whole
grain foods offered
according to MyPyramid
portions for school lunch.
Remember to ask your child
how he or she liked the new
products!
- She loves to keep you healthy with vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper.
- Patty has over 7,000 cousins around the world. You might know “Long Grain” or “Basmati”.
27
Page 1
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
What Counts as MyPramid Ounce Equivalents?
Whole Grain Choices:
1 slice whole grain bread (such as whole wheat bread)
1 cup ready-to-eat whole grain cereal (such as Total or Cheerios)
½ cup cooked brown rice
5 whole grain crackers (such as Triscuit or Ry Krisp)
3 cups popped popcorn
½ cup cooked whole grain pasta, noodles or macaroni
1 6-inch diameter whole-wheat flour tortilla
Refined Grain Choices:
1 slice refined white bread
1 refined white roll (2½ inch diameter)
½ cup cooked white rice or pasta
1 4½-inch diameter pancake made with refined white flour
1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal (such as Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes)
Source: www.mypyramid.gov, USDA
Don’t Let Portion Distortion Fool You!
Serving sizes on food labels help you figure out how much to eat. Most people have difficulty estimating the
amount of food in a serving. Common household items can provide important visual cues to help you. Paying
attention to serving sizes will ensure that you and your child eat just the right amount.
Did you know???
3 ounces of meat, poultry or fish
=
A deck of cards
1 cup ready-to-eat cereal
=
A baseball
1 6-inch tortilla
=
A 6-inch plate
1 slice of bread
=
Compact disc
1 bagel
=
A hockey puck
1 ½ ounces of natural cheese
=
9-volt battery
½ cup pasta
=
A small computer mouse
Issue 2
28
Page 2
Which Bread Is Whole Grain?
To identify whole grain foods look at the ingredient list on the package. If the first ingredient
is “whole” grain, the product is a whole grain food.
Look at the following two types of bread. Circle the whole grain bread.
Farmhouse Hearty Slices Bread – Harvest 7 Grain
INGREDIENTS:
Unbromated unbleached enriched
wheat flour, water, high fructose corn syrup, wheat gluten, soybean and/or canola oil, yeast, salt, honey.
Honey Oat Bread
INGREDIENTS: Stone ground 100% whole wheat flour,
water, high fructose corn syrup, wheat gluten, soybean
and/or canola oil, yeast, salt, honey.
Find Whole Grain Foods on the School Lunch Menu
Directions: Circle the whole grain foods in the school menus listed below. How many did
you find?
MONDAY TUESDAYWEDNESDAY
Chicken NuggetsCheeseburger on a whole wheat bunFish and Chips
Fresh broccoli French fries Tartar sauce
CouscousOatmeal cookie Quinoa salad
Whole wheat roll Baby carrotsCucumber slices
Apple
Orange Kiwi fruit
1% Milk 1% Milk 1% Milk
____ whole grain foods
____ whole grain foods
____ whole grain foods
Homework Instructions for Parents:
• Cut or tear off pages 3 and 4.
• Fill in the blanks below with names.
• Return pages to school with your child after you have completed the activities.
Child’s name____________________________________ Parent name________________________________
Teacher name_________________________________
Issue 2
29
Page 3
Lesson 2: Food Label Lingo: Sending You a Message
Whole Grain Food Detective Activity
Directions: With your parents, think about all the grain foods that you have had in
your home in the last 7 days. They can be fresh, dried flour mixes, or frozen. Mark
“yes” or “no” on the table below if they have been present. Parents, return completed
sheet to school with your child. Have fun!!
Food Item
Present in your home Food Item
the last 7 days
Whole grain cereals like
Life, Cheerios, Whole Grain
Total or Raisin Bran, Wheat
Chex, Wheaties, Shredded
Wheat
Oatmeal
� Yes � No
Present in your home
the last 7 days
Whole grain pasta like lasagna
noodles, macaroni, spaghetti,
shells, or egg noodles
� Yes � No
� Yes � No
Brown or wild rice � Yes � No
Granola or granola bars
� Yes � No
Whole grain flour tortillas
� Yes � No
Whole grain sliced bread
� Yes � No
Whole grain corn taco/tostada
� Yes � No
Whole grain pita bread
� Yes � No
Whole grain crackers like � Yes � No
Triscuits or Ry Krisp
Whole grain English muffin � Yes � No
Popcorn
Whole grain bagel
� Yes � No
Frozen meal with whole grain
� Yes � No
� Yes � No
pasta
Whole grain roll � Yes � No
Frozen meal with brown rice
� Yes � No
Whole grain bun
� Yes � No
Frozen whole grain waffles
� Yes � No
Whole grain flour
� Yes � No
Whole grain barley � Yes � No
Whole grain pancake mix
� Yes � No
Couscous
� Yes � No
Whole grain muffin mix
� Yes � No
Quinoa
� Yes � No
Whole grain pizza crust
� Yes � No
Buckwheat
� Yes � No
Add:
Name of organization
Contact information
Issue 2
30
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