Lesson 4 * Portion Distortion Objectives Students will: identify healthier items offered at places where fast food is sold* identify strategies for making healthier fast food choices* *Learning Objective NOTE: This lesson has an associated project lesson, which should only be taught as a follow-up. TEKS Science: 7.7B Mathematics: 7.1A, 7.5AB, 7.11AB, 7.13ABCD Health Education: 7.4ABC, 7.12ABCF Physical Education: 7.4EH Estimated Class Time Part A Worksheet and Comparison: 10 minutes Small-Group Discussion: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Part B Applying Strategies: 15 minutes Project Lesson Assignment: 5 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Materials Needed OPTIONAL: Calories Galore! transparency, pg. 34 Fast Food Menu Items worksheet, pgs. 35-36 (one copy per student) Lesson Preparation Review this lesson, including the documents listed in the Materials Needed section. Also review the associated Project Lesson: Portion Distortion, which is a follow-up to this lesson. Make copies of the worksheet listed in the Materials Needed section. (Optional) Make the transparency listed in the Materials Needed section. 29
Portion Distortion Part A Worksheet and Comparison 1. Ask a few students to name places where fast food is sold. (Possible answers: Restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys, food courts at malls) Ask a few students to name their favorite fast food. 2. Give each student a Fast Food Menu Items worksheet. Tell students to look only at Column A of each section for now. Instruct them to circle the three items in Column A of each section (Entrées, Sides/Desserts, and Drinks) they most frequently order or would most likely order. Ask them to write their name on the worksheet and return it to you. (NOTE: You will return these worksheets to students in Part B of this lesson; they will use it for the Project Lesson assignment.) 3. Tell students they re going to compare the number of calories in two typical fast food meals with the recommended daily number of calories for seventh graders. Write the following on the board: Boys: 1,800-2,800 calories Girls: 1,800-2,200 calories Explain that the recommended daily number of calories is given in a range since the exact number of calories varies depending on activity level. 4. Either use the Calories Galore! transparency or write the information from the transparency on a chalkboard. Ask a few students to comment on the daily recommended number of calories versus the total number of calories in each meal. As needed, emphasize that (1) the recommended number of calories is for an entire day, and (2) most people eat more than one meal during a day. NOTE: For this activity, you may want to give students an opportunity for movement. You can do this by pairing students, giving each student a copy of one of the meals on the Calories Galore! transparency, and instructing students to guess the total calories in the meal their partner has. Students respond to their partner s guesses by squatting to indicate the partner needs to guess lower and either stretching or jumping to indicate the partner needs to guess higher. 30
Portion Distortion Small-Group Discussion 1. Divide students into groups. Assign each group one of the following categories of fast food. (If needed, you may assign the same category to more than one group.) breakfast foods sub sandwiches Mexican food beverages burgers desserts pizza 2. Instruct groups to think about fast food menu items in their category and to discuss which ones are healthier than others, and why. Encourage students to (1) apply what they ve learned about GO, SLOW, and WHOA foods and (2) consider portion sizes, ingredients, and how the food is cooked (fried, baked, grilled, etc.). 3. Designate a recorder in each group to take notes. Inform students that in the next CATCH lesson they ll use the results of their discussion. Tell them how much time they will have to complete the discussion. 4. If time permits, ask recorders to share one or two points from their group s discussion. Part B Applying Strategies 1. Tell students to think about how many menu items are offered in places where fast food is sold especially in fast food restaurants. Ask why they think this is so. As needed, point out that one reason is customer demand for healthier options. 2. Review the following ideas in the GO-SLOW-WHOA nutrition message: There are no bad foods. It s simply best to eat more GO foods than SLOW foods, and more SLOW foods than WHOA foods. GO and SLOW foods can become WHOA foods if you eat them in quantities that are too large. You should eat reasonable portion sizes of foods for example, two or three hot cakes in a fast food breakfast rather than five or six. 3. Tell students that being aware of a few strategies may help them eat healthier at fast food places. Name the following two strategies, which are based on the ideas in the GO-SLOW-WHOA nutrition message: Order healthier items from fast food menus. (They should be in reasonable portion sizes.) Order smaller portion sizes of less healthy items. Ask students to give an example of each strategy. (Possible answers: Order a single patty hamburger with mustard instead of a double patty cheeseburger with mayonnaise; order a small soft drink instead of a large one.) 31
Portion Distortion 4. Ask students to recall their group discussion of healthier fast food options during the last CATCH lesson. As time permits, ask a few students to give additional examples of each strategy, based on their discussion. 5. Divide students into the same groups they were in during the last CATCH lesson. From the following categories, assign each group a different category from the one assigned previously. breakfast foods sub sandwiches Mexican food beverages burgers desserts pizza 6. Instruct groups to discuss how they can apply the two strategies when choosing among fast food menu items in their assigned category. As needed, before groups begin their discussion, ask them to recall the two strategies. (Order healthier items make sure they re in reasonable portion sizes; order smaller portion sizes of less healthy items.) 7. Designate a recorder in each group to take notes. Let students know how much time they will have for the discussion. 8. As time permits, ask recorders to share their group s strategies. Project Lesson Assignment 1. Tell students they re going to have an unusual homework assignment: to go to a place where fast food is sold and use one of the two strategies when they order. 2. Return the Fast Food Menu Items worksheets to students. State or paraphrase the following instructions: Write Instead of this at the top of Column A in each section and Try this at the top of Column B in each section. Take this worksheet along when you go to the fast food place. Look at the items you circled in Column A. The items in Column B represent healthier choices. Choose at least one item listed in any row of Column B. If you order a healthier item or a smaller portion size of an item that isn t on this worksheet, write what you ve chosen underneath Column B in that section. Finally, in the gray box next to the item you ve chosen, note the strategy you ve used. If you ve chosen a healthier menu item, write H in the box. If you ve chosen a smaller portion size of an item, write SP in the box. Remember to order a reasonable portion size of anything you get even if it s a healthier item. 32
Portion Distortion 3. Tell students to write the due date for their worksheet (the date of the Project Lesson) at the top of the page. Stress the importance of completing and returning the worksheet since they re going to use it in the next CATCH lesson. NOTE: To allow time to remind students to return their worksheet, you may want to assign a due date that is a few days before the date you will teach Project Lesson: Portion Distortion. Extension Activities Tell students to consult the nutrition information for menu items that is provided by fast food companies. (This information is usually accessible online or in a poster or brochure at restaurants.) Ask groups of students to use this information to create meals composed of healthier items for which the total calories fall within the range of the recommended number of calories for seventh graders. Instruct groups of students to answer the following question: In which fast food restaurant is it probably easiest to eat healthy? Tell them to support their answer using the nutrition information for menu items that is provided by fast food companies. Ask students to research and report on the increase in portion sizes at fast food restaurants since 1990. Additional resources can be found in the appendix. 33
Lesson 4 * Portion Distortion Transparency CALORIES GALORE! POPULAR BURGER RESTAURANT Number of Calories Double hamburger with quarter-pound of meat and cheese 740 Large french fries 500 Large cola soft drink 310 TOTAL CALORIES 1,550 POPULAR PIZZA RESTAURANT Number of Calories 9-in. personal pizza with meat toppings 1,590 Fried cheese sticks (2) 190 Medium cola soft drink 280 TOTAL CALORIES 2,060 34
Lesson 4 * Portion Distortion Worksheet Name: Date: Pd: Due Date: Fast Food Menu Items ENTRÉES A B Double patty cheeseburger Single patty cheeseburger Burger or cheeseburger Chicken fajita pita Pepperoni pizza Canadian bacon/pineapple pizza Deep-dish cheese pizza Thin-crust cheese pizza 6-in. cold cut sub sandwich 6-in. turkey sub sandwich Chicken crispy taco Grilled chicken Beef burrito Bean burrito Beef nachos Crunchy beef tacos Large popcorn chicken Crispy chicken strips (2) Chicken club sandwich Grilled chicken wrap Fried chicken strips (3) Chicken nuggets (6) Macaroni and cheese Spaghetti with tomato sauce Macaroni and cheese Grilled chicken pasta Meat lasagna Pasta with meat sauce Chicken egg roll Veggie spring roll Chicken Lo Mein Chicken lettuce wrap Kung Pao Chicken Broccoli chicken Sausage biscuit with egg Ham and egg on English muffin French toast sticks with syrup Hot cakes with a grilled egg Blueberry muffin Yogurt parfait Coffee cake Oatmeal 35
Lesson 4 * Portion Distortion Worksheet SIDES AND DESSERTS A Large fries Medium fries Fries Cheese tortilla chips Chips and queso Refried beans Bread sticks Mashed potatoes and gravy Fried rice Hash browns Hot fudge sundae Caramel empanada Slice of cake B Medium fries Small fries Apple slices Baked potato chips Chips and guacamole Black beans Side of broccoli Green beans or corn on the cob Steamed rice Apple slices Yogurt parfait Cinnamon twists Slice of apple pie pizza DRINKS A B Large soda Medium soda Small soda Soda Soda Soda Lemonade drink Whole milk Milk shake Regular cappuccino Medium soda Small soda 100% juice Water Low-fat milk Unsweetened iced tea 100% juice Low-fat or fat-free milk Low-fat milk (plain or chocolate) Low-fat milk 36