TRACKS
Lesson Plan
Low Fat Calcium-Rich Foods
Lighten’ Up
Grades 5 – 8
I. Nutrition Education Goal & Objective:
Goal 1: Students will comprehend concepts consistent with USDA guidance
related to eating and physical activity for good health
Objective: As a result of Pennsylvania’s SNAP-Ed plan, students will
know, understand, analyze, and apply concepts, as developmentally
appropriate, that are consistent with USDA guidance about the benefits of:
1. Eating a variety of whole grain products, fruits and vegetables,
low fat milk, and calcium-rich foods for meals and/or snacks.
2. Limiting foods high in fat, sodium and added sugar.
Goal 2: Students will apply skills consistent with USDA guidance related to
eating and physical activity for good health.
Objective: As a result of Pennsylvania’s SNAP-Ed plan, students will be
able to:
1. Assess personal health practices.
2. Develop a goal to adopt, maintain, or improve a personal health
practice.
II. Pennsylvania Educational Standards:
A. 10.1 Concepts of Health
B. 11.2 Food Science and Nutrition
III. Content
A. Using visual aids (models of fat/muscle) students will describe differences
between fat and muscle weight and be able to identify effect of excess fat/calorie
intake on weight.
B. Students will try a new calcium rich food.
C. Students will recognize low fat dairy foods.
D. Students will identify sources of fat in the foods they eat.
E. Students will choose one way to decrease the amount of fat in their diet.
F. Students will sample low fat foods.
IV. Materials
A. Supplies: Softened butter (1 stick), bread (2slices), oil, 2 small side salads,
bottle salad dressing, and 2 skillets
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 1
B. Visuals: Nasco ™ fat model, Nasco ™ muscle model, beach ball with nutrition
messages
C. Activity: Guess the Mystery fat
D. Taste Testing: pudding made with skim milk with fresh fruit or pizza made with
low-fat cheese
E. Supplies for taste-testing: Paper plates/napkins/cups as needed for taste testing
F. Gloves and Antibacterial wipes/gel
G. Reinforcement that conveys the appropriate nutrition message
H. Caregiver Newsletter
V. Procedure
A. Introductory:
a. Icebreaker: Health is “All Around” You
1. Pass around a ball labeled with many different conversation starters
relating to nutrition, such as “What is your favorite exercise?” or
“Name a healthy drink you can have in place of soda”
2. Participants toss the ball and complete the statement corresponding to
the one their left thumb lands on when they catch the ball.
3. When everyone has gotten the opportunity to respond, summarize by
concluding that they are certainly learning a lot about healthy foods
and activities. Both food and activity work together to make us
healthy.
b. What are the mystery items?
1. Show the students the Nasco™ models of fat and muscle. See who can
identify them. Describe the differences between the two. (Size,
Weight, Texture, Appearance)
2. Use this as a springboard for discussing the differences between fat
and muscle and the importance of having the right balance of both.
Too much of one, and not enough of the other can cause problems.
B. Developmental:
a. Discussion on Fat
1. Too much fat: weight problems, heart disease risk, increased risk of
diabetes, high blood pressure, harder to move around and do activities
that are fun.
2. Too little fat: malnutrition, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa. Some
people think if you’re too thin, you look sick. What is too thin?
3. Discuss: How can you tell what too much and too little fat is?
a. Show three different magazine pictures of African
American women, different shapes and sizes, from Lesson
1.
b. Place in category of Too fat, Too thin, Just right on voting
board.
c. Make the point that people naturally come in all shapes and
sizes, and it is difficult to say just by looking at someone, if
they are too fat or too thin.
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 2
4. Use this to transition into staying healthy by eating the correct amount
of fat.
b. Guess the Mystery Fat: Identifying dietary fat sources.
1. Give out Guess the Mystery Fat word puzzle (1 per student)
2. Encourage students to identify the mystery fat by reading the clues and
to participate in discussion.
c. How much fat do you add to your food? Instructions for this interactive
food demonstration highlighting portion size are provided below.
1. Butter on Bread
2. Salad dressing on salad
3. Oil in fry pan
4. What other options are available for cutting back on fat?
a. Bake instead of fry
b. Remove skin from chicken
c. Use Teflon (non-stick) pans
d. Use oil spray
e. Less butter on bread
f. Less gravy on meats and chicken
g. Less oil in fried chicken
h. Less salad dressing and mayo in foods
i. Use low fat (1% or skim) milk in place of whole milk (red cap)
C. Concluding:
a. Meal Preparation the Light and Tasty Way
1. Prepare a low fat recipe, such as vanilla pudding with fruit in season
(berries, mandarin oranges, or bananas) or low fat veggie pizza. Show
how skim milk was used in place of whole milk in the pudding and
low fat cheese was used in the pizza.
2. Distribute the reinforcement, read the message and/or explain why
they are getting the reinforcement.
3. Distribute Caregiver Newsletter.
D. Taste Testing:
a. Students are to wash hands or use antibacterial wipes/gel if no sink
available.
b. Taste testing of low fat food, such as : Pudding (prepared with low fat
milk) with fruit or Veggie Pizza (prepared with low fat cheese)
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 3
Health is “All Around” You (Ball Toss)
Materials:
• Beach ball (any bright color)
• Permanent Marker, thin style
• Nutrition and Health Conversation Starters (see below)
Preparation:
Inflate beach ball. Write nutrition and health conversation starters all
around beach ball, using permanent marker.
Nutrition and Health Conversation Starters
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
One reason why kids your age should exercise more
One way to exercise indoors
One food from the grain group of the MyPlate
One type of exercise that is fun
A red fruit
An orange vegetable
A yellow vegetable
One healthy drink you can have in place of soda
One health problem that can come from eating too much junk food
A healthy alternative to meat
A green fruit
A vegetable used in salad
One fruit that tastes sweet
One fruit you have never tried
A purple vegetable
A fruit that tastes good in a smoothie
A vegetable you eat often
A green fruit with black seeds
A way girls your age can eat more vegetables
A vegetable you ate today
A healthy choice in a fast food restaurant
A lower sugar cereal
What did you eat for breakfast today?
The best room in your house to snack
One food from the Dairy group
One way girls your age could eat more fruit
A food that is high in protein
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 4
Guess the Mystery Fat
Purpose:
•
To assist participants in identifying common sources of dietary fat
Preparation:
•
•
Duplicate one “Guess the Mystery Fat” handout for each student in the
class.
Give out one pencil to each student.
Activity:
•
•
Use the word puzzle, “Guess the Mystery Fat” to help students identify
common sources of added fat in the American diet (butter, oil, salad
dressing).
Use as a springboard to discussion on dietary fat and ways to reduce
intake through modifications in portion size and frequency of consumption.
For example: “What happens if you use too much of these foods?” (You
might gain weight) “How can you enjoy these foods but not gain too much
weight?” (Limit portions and frequency)
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 5
How much fat do you add to your food?
Purpose:
•
To help participants become more aware of portion size of added fats and
learn to how to use less fat in food preparation and tasting.
Materials:
• 2 frying pans
• Cooking oil
• Butter, softened
• Salad dressing
• Bread (2 slices)
• 2 small bowls salad or salad greens
Preparation:
• Butter on Bread
1. The first volunteer butters a slice of bread. The second volunteer is
challenged to butter a slice of bread using less butter.
2. Is it possible? How do you think the second slice of bread would
taste?
•
Salad dressing on salad
1. Ask for one volunteer who likes salad to put some salad dressing
on salad, the amount that he or she would usually use. Another
volunteer is challenged to use the same salad dressing, but use
less.
2. Is it possible? How do you think this would taste? What other
options are available to cut back on fat from salad dressing? (use
fork dipped in dressing, use light or fat free dressing)
•
Oil in fry pan
1. Ask for a volunteer who has made fried chicken before, or who has
watched someone make fried chicken. Ask her to pour the amount
of oil in the pan that she thinks would normally be used to make a
batch of fried chicken. Ask for another volunteer to add less oil to
the pan.
2. Is it possible to use less oil and still have fried chicken that tastes
good?
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 6
Guess the Mystery Fat!
Mystery Fat #1: I’m solid at room temperature and am often used to flavor foods
such as popcorn and bread.
_____ ______ _______ _______ _______ ________
Mystery Fat #2: I’m liquid at room temperature and am added to pans when
frying.
______ _______ _______
Mystery Fat #3: I’m thick and creamy, sold in a bottle or jar, and used to flavor
cold foods.
_______ ______ ______ _______ _______
_____ ______ ______ ______ _______ _______ ______ _______
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 7
Job cards/Lighten’ Up
Give out wet ones to each person.
Give out clear plastic cup to each person.
Give out napkins to each person
Give out cups to each person
Give out spoon to each person.
Place tablecloth on table.
Open pudding mix and pour into mixing bowl
Measure out 1% milk according to package
instructions and place in mixing bowl
Mix pudding mix and milk together
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 8
Blend pudding mix and milk together with wire
whisk until thickened.
Spoon ¼ cup of pudding into cups.
Spoon sliced banana on top of pudding.
Spoon 2 tbsp whipped topping on top of banana.
Slice bananas using plastic knife and cutting
board
Drexel University, GC 11A of 12, revised 8/2014, page 9