Food and Fitness Field Day eLearning Kit©
Food Label Frenzy
Lesson Plan
Page 1
LESSON TITLE:
Food Label Frenzy
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
In this instructor-led activity, students will begin by identifying main parts of a food label. They will then
work individually or in small groups to analyze three different food labels to learn how to identify healthy
snacks.
GRADE LEVEL:
4-6
INSTRUCTION PHASE:
Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis,
Evaluation
DURATION:
One class period
DELIVERY METHOD:
Instructor-led
Small groups
Individual
MATERIALS:
1. Food Label Frenzy Worksheet
2. Empty food packages with food labels
MANAGEMENT:
 Students will begin working in a large group to identify parts of a food label. They will then work in
small groups (3-5 students) or individually to analyze food labels.
 For the group portion of the activity, prepare by placing enough healthy snack food packages at each
table. There should be at least one package per student so that each student has the opportunity to
analyze three food labels.
 Each student will have a copy of the Food Label Frenzy Worksheet.
 The night before this activity, students should be asked to bring in a healthy snack food
(other than fruit or vegetables) in its original package with the food label intact. It is
suggested that the instructor have several extra food packages in case all students don’t
bring in a snack.
LESSON OBJECTIVES & STANDARDS:
The students will be able to:
1. Identify parts of a food label.
2. Compare nutritional value of a variety of foods.
Educational Standards
Click here to view how this activity aligns with your state’s standards:
http://www.learntobehealthy.org/parents-teachers/kits/state-standards.aspx
Food and Fitness Field Day eLearning Kit©
Food Label Frenzy
Lesson Plan
Page 2
ANTICIPATORY SET:
Begin by relating student experiences to the objectives of the lesson by asking the following:
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Have you ever eaten something without knowing what it was first?
Do you feel it’s important to read a food label before eating the product?
What information is found on food packaging?
Brainstorm favorite snack foods and determine the location of the food label.
TEACHING – Input:
Lesson Terms
1. Calcium is a mineral that is necessary for bone growth and strength.
2. A calorie is the amount of energy that comes from the food you eat and what you drink.
3. Carbohydrates are nutrients that are the body’s main source of energy. Carbohydrates include
starches, fiber, and sugar.
4. Cholesterol is a waxy substance made by the liver and it also comes from eating animal
products. Cholesterol in the blood can help build and repair your body’s cells, but too much can
clog your blood vessels.
5. Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in foods that aids digestion and helps keep the
digestive system healthy.
6. Foods that provide calories but few nutrients are empty calorie foods.
7. Fats are nutrients that provide a source of energy and help carry certain vitamins throughout the
body.
8. Food labels found on packaged food show you the serving size and other nutritional information,
including how much fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
9. Iron is a mineral found in foods that helps to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your
body.
10. Nutrients are substances found in foods that nourish the body.
11. Percent daily values show the percentage of nutrients in a serving of food based on a 2,000
calorie/day diet.
12. Protein is a nutrient that builds up, maintains, and replaces the tissues in your body.
13. Saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, such as the fat in meats and cheeses.
Saturated fats increase blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
14. Serving size is an amount of food listed on a nutrition food label to help people understand how
much they're eating.
15. Sodium is a mineral that helps maintain the balance of fluids in the body.
16. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that usually tastes sweet. Sugars can be naturally occurring
(fruits and milk) or added (soda, candy).
17. Tran Fats are found in snack foods, baked goods and fried foods. Like saturated fats, eating too
much can increase the risk for heart disease.
18. Vitamins are substances found in the foods we eat that the body needs to grow and develop.
Food and Fitness Field Day eLearning Kit©
Food Label Frenzy
Lesson Plan
Page 3
TEACHING – Modeling:
 Students familiarizing themselves with parts of a food label by
completing the front of the Food Label Frenzy Worksheet individually
or in groups.
 Instructor should review the correct answers with students before
moving on.
 Students should have a healthy snack (with the food label)
that they brought in from home. Instructor can provide for
labels if needed.
 Instructor can also place additional healthy snack food
labels in groups who have duplicates of the same foods.
 Students will gather in small groups and analyze their own
label by filling in the first blank label on the back of the Food
Label Frenzy Worksheet.
 Students will then choose two more foods found at their
table to fill in the other two food labels.
TEACHING – Check for Understanding:
1. Food Labels identify the nutritional facts about food
contained in the package.
 Name 3 parts of a food label.
 The calories listed on a food label are for how many servings of that food?
 What vitamins and minerals are listed on a food label?
2. It is important to eat a variety of healthy foods every day.
 How might food labels help you make healthy snack food choices?
 Why is it important to look for foods with no trans fat and little to no saturated fat, sodium and
cholesterol?
 Why is it important to choose snacks that are lower in sugar?
 How are the snacks you analyzed similar? Different?
3. Percent daily values on a food label tell us whether a food is high or low in a nutrient like fat, protein
and vitamins. If the % daily value is 5% or less, the food is low in that nutrient. A % daily value of
20% or more is a food high in that nutrient.
 Which nutrients on a food label should you limit?
 Which nutrient on a food label should you try to get more of?
 If a food label says 25% vitamin A, you would be getting what fraction of your daily requirement
for vitamin A (if you ate one serving of this food)?
 One type of cereal bar provides 20% calcium per serving. What fraction of your daily requirement
for calcium would you get by eating this cereal bar?
 How many cereal bars (1 cereal bar = 1 serving) would you have to eat to meet your total calcium
requirement for the day?
Food and Fitness Field Day eLearning Kit©
Food Label Frenzy
Lesson Plan
Page 4
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY: FAMILY PRACTICE HANDOUT
This Family Practice Handout is designed to extend the lesson objectives outside the classroom.
CLOSURE:
Review key points of the lesson to help students form a coherent understanding of the lesson
objectives. Ask students to tell or show you what they have learned, using questions similar to those
found in Check for Understanding.