Activity from The Science of Food Teacher’s Guide: From Ecosystems to Nutrition

and for The Mysterious Marching Vegetables

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE 1 FOOD SAFETY AND NUTRITION

© Baylor College of Medicine Environment and Health Basics
 Food Safety and Nutrition
Environment and Health Basics

F
ood affects health and well-being in
two important ways. First, we require CHILDREN’S
appropriate amounts of different ENVIRONMENTA
kinds of foods to supply the energy L HEALTH
and nutrients we need for daily activities and Children are particularly
for growth and maintenance of our bodies. susceptible to contaminants
Second, food can contain contaminants that in food and in the environ-
can make us sick. ment. Because their bodies
Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are our are still growing and
main sources of energy. Our bodies also need because they eat more fruits
protein to maintain muscles and carry out and veg- etables (which may
many functions inside cells. Small amounts of contain chemical residues)
vitamins and minerals also are necessary. relative to their body
weights, children are more
Food becomes available for use by the
vulnerable to the harmful
body through the process of digestion. Diges-
effects of substances such as
tion breaks down large food molecules into lead and pesticides.
smaller ones that can be transported and However, many research-
used by the body. ers believe that a healthy
Many Americans eat too much refined diet, which provides recom-
sugar and unhealthy fats. Examples of foods mended amounts of vitamins
with little nutritional value, or with too and minerals, may help pro-
many added calories, are soft drinks, chips, tect children from potentially
greasy fried foods, candy and snack cakes. A harmful chemicals.
diet that has a lot of “junk” foods is harmful
in two ways. First, it does not provide all of the vitamins, minerals
and other substances needed for growth and health. Second, a diet AVOIDING SUGARY
with many sweets and fatty foods often delivers too many calories. DRINKS
When a person eats more calories than he or she uses up through Many soft drinks have
movement and exercise, the body stores the excess energy as fat. around 10 teaspoons of
Excess body weight can contribute to a number of serious health sugar in a
problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. 12-ounce can. These drinks,
How foods are grown and prepared also is important. Plants which have little nutritional
and animals can take in small amounts of pollutants (harmful value, contribute to the
chemicals) from water, food or soil. These nationwide epidemic of
pollutants can accumulate in the bodies of other over- weight and obesity.
living organisms that eat the smaller plants or
animals—a process known as bioaccumulation.
Food also can be spoiled by bacteria. Most bac-
teria that cause food-related illnesses are spread
because hands and food preparation areas are
not kept clean or because food is not kept at the
proper temperature.
Simple actions, such as washing hands before eating or preparing
food, help to reduce the possibility of spreading bacteria or other
harmful substances to food.

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE 1 FOOD SAFETY AND NUTRITION

© Baylor College of Medicine Environment and Health Basics
 Using Food Labels
Environment and Health

B
CONCEPTS
eginning in 1994, the US Government began requiring Food labels provide impor- tant information about
manufacturers to put information about nutritional value
on food labels. This information helps people make bet- OVERVIEW
ter choices about which foods to buy and eat. Students will learn about food labels to promote th
All food labels must present the same basic information in a Students also will explore units of measurement co
standard format. This information
SCIENCE, HEALTH & MATH SKILLS
Unit Links includes, at minimum, the amount
per serving of saturated fat, choles-
Measuring
Comparing measurements
The Mysterious Marching Vegetables Story,
terol, dietary p.and
fiber, 34–35; Sciences
other boxes, p. 3Making
nutrients and 34observations
(bottom)
Explorations known to be important for health. Drawing conclusions
From the Label to the Table, p.Labels
4; Marta Fiorotto, p. 7
also provide nutrient reference TIME
values, expressed as “% Daily Preparation: 10 minutes
Values,” to help consumers see how Class: 30 minutes
a food fits into an overall daily diet.
It is important to pay attention to MATERIALS
Each group will need:
the serving sizes on any food label. Cup of white sugar
Packages also must list all ingre- Measuring cup
dients in foods. This list is given in Measuring spoon
order, by weight, beginning with the Each student will need:
Copy of student sheets
ingredient that weighs the most. This
information can be helpful when
selecting foods.
• Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel. Starchy
foods like breads, spaghetti, rice, potatoes, corn and cereals are
made up mostly of carbohydrates. Sweet foods like candy, jam
and syrups also are carbohydrates. Some carbohydrates, called
fiber or roughage, are hard to digest. They help move waste
through the digestive system.
• Fats include butter, margarine, lard, shortening and cooking
oils. Meats, cheese, cream, chocolate and many desserts like
cakes and cookies usually have a lot of fat. Fats are very con-
centrated sources of energy. Some kinds of fat (particularly fats
that are solid at room temperature) have been linked to dis-
eases of the heart and circulatory system. Most Americans eat ESTIMATING
too many high-fat foods. SERVING SIZES
• Proteins are important for growth and repair of the body.
• 4 oz (1/4 lb or 114 g) of
Protein-rich foods include eggs, milk products, meat, dried
meat, poultry or fish is
beans, chicken, turkey and fish. The body also uses protein as about the same size as
fuel to provide energy for movement and growth. a deck of cards.
• Minerals are found in small amounts in foods. They are needed
• 1/2 cup of cereal or
for many of the body’s functions. For example, calcium is used
snacks is about as much as
to build bones and teeth and also is important for muscles and an adult can hold in his or
the nervous system. Iron goes into making red blood cells. her cupped hand.
• Vitamins are other chemicals found naturally in food that are
• A 12 oz can of soft
needed in very small amounts by the body. Fruits and vegeta- drink contains 1 1/2
bles are valuable sources of vitamins and minerals. cups of liquid.
All foods also contain some water.

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE 2 USING FOOD LABELS

© Baylor College of Medicine Environment and Health
 SERVING SIZE is the amount onTRANS FAT is another unhealthy which the nutrition facts are based.form
If someone eats more than the serv-manufacturing of vegetable shortening ing size, he or she will receive m
of the calories and nutrients than theSODIUM is the amount of salt in a amounts listed on the label. Serv-fo
amount a typical person might eat.
CALORIES measure the amountTOTAL CARBOHYDRATE shows
HIDDEN FATS of energy a food can provide. Mostsugars, starches and different kinds of
people need somewhere around 2,000fiber. Most people eat too much sugar.
Many crackers, cookies,
to 2,500 calories a day to meet theirBrown sugar, molasses, honey and energy needs.corn syrup all are sug
candies, processed snack is important to health.
foods, fried foods and fast CALORIES FROM FAT is the amountPROTEIN is essential for building of calories that come from fats and o
foods contain trans fat in a food.functions.
TOTAL FAT gives the weight of all theVITAMINS AND MINERALS are fat in one serving. Most people sho
and saturated fat.
SATURATED FAT gives just the100% of the daily requirements of weight of unhealthful fats in one serv-vit
To learn more about foods
and USDA recommendations,
visit www.myplate.gov and
www.myfoodapedia.gov.

WATER FOR LIFE

Water makes up three-fourths of the brain and muscles.
Every cell in the body is packed with water. Water transports nutrients and wastes, helps control tem- perature, and makes many chemical reacti
Some of it is replaced with food, such as fruits and vegetables, but drinking six to eight glasses of liquid each day to maintain the
body’s water supply is recom- mended.

Source: The Science of Water Teacher’s Guide. Baylor College of Medicine.

SETUP
Have students work in groups of 2 – 4. Set up sugar and
other materials in a central location.

PROCEDURE
1. Remind students of the food guides they used at the beginning
of this unit. Ask, How can we be sure that the foods we eat
each day contain the nutrients we need?
2. Mention that packaged foods now have uniform labels that
provide information about the nutritional value of foods.
Distribute copies of the student page.
3. Have students read the label depicted on the student page out
loud in their groups. Follow by helping them understand the
concepts outlined in the box above.
4. Ask students, What units of measure are mentioned on the
label? (cups and grams). Mention that they will be investigat-
ing these measures using sugar.
5. Have students, in their groups, follow the instructions on the
Sugar Measures Up page. They will explore how much sugar is
contained in a typical soft drink.
6. Afterwards, ask, Were you surprised about the amount of
sugar in one soft drink? How many soft drinks would you
need to meet your daily total carbohydrate requirement? Do
you think that that would be a good way to fuel your body?

USING FOOD LABELS 3 THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE

Environment and Health © Baylor College of Medicine
 From the Label to the Table!

Pay close
attention to
serving sizes.

Products labeled
“light” or “lite”
Look for must have 1/3 fewer
foods with calories or 1/2 the fat
lower levels of the foods to
of saturated which they
fats. are compared.
“Light” also
can mean that
salt has been
This tells
reduced
you how much
by 1/2.
salt is in food.

Calcium is
important
Look for
for bones
products that
and teeth.
have more fiber
and less sugar.

Use this
section as
a guide for
daily plannng. Vitamins and
minerals help
your body
function properly.
The
amount of
calories a person
needs each day
depends
on many factors,
including exercise.

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE 4 USING FOOD LABELS

© Baylor College of Medicine Environment and Health
THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE 4 USING FOOD LABELS
© Baylor College of Medicine Environment and Health
 Sugar Measures Up

You will need a measuring cup,

a teaspoon, and sugar.

1. Think about an ordinary can of PREDICTION

your favorite soft drink. The can
holds 12 ounces of liquid. How
many
teaspoons of dissolved sugar do you
think is in one can of soft drink?

2. On the measuring cup to the right,

draw a line to show the amount of
sugar you predict is in one can of
soft drink.

3. Now, use the following information

to answer the question below.

An average soft drink contains

about 40 grams of sugar.

One teaspoon of sugar weighs

4 grams.

How many teaspoons of sugar are

in a can of soft drink?

4. Put that many teaspoons of

sugar into the measuring cup.

5. Look at the amount of sugar actually

in your measuring cup. On the
measuring cup to the right, draw a
line showing the actual amount of
sugar in a can of your favorite
soft drink.

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE 6 USING FOOD LABELS

© Baylor College of Medicine Environment and Health
 ACTUAL

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TEACHER’S GUIDE 6 USING FOOD LABELS

© Baylor College of Medicine Environment and Health