HOW DO YOU MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES FROM FAST FOODS

HOW DO YOU MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES

FROM FAST FOODS?

By Houstonia Clymer

EMERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION

Mc Donalds, Wendys, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken are all fast food restaurants that today’s families have come to depend on for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Quick fast meals. Are these meals nutritional or healthy? This is quite questionable. Adults and especially children have made these restaurants quite rich. But are these same eateries making our population fat or obese? – Especially our children!

TASK

The purpose of this project is to have adolescents carefully examine the food they consume from these popular restaurants. They will look for nutritional content (i.e. fat, salt, sugar and vitamin content). Adolescents will also examine the food pyramid in order to compare the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines with the data they have will acquire from their Web Quest. As a result of this research, the adolescents will produce bar graphs, spreadsheets and menus that will reflect research data. Students will acquire the nutritional knowledge that will allow them to make informed and healthy diet choices.

PROCESS

Step 1: Students will define the problem of obesity.

Identifying the Problem, and Worksheet #1

Step 2: Students will gather evidence of the problem.

Gathering Evidence, and Worksheet # 2

Step 3: Students will identify the causes of the problem.

Identify Causes of the problem, and Worksheet # 3

Step 4: Students will examine the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food Guide Pyramid.

Goal: Examination of the Food Guide Pyramid for daily requirements.

Evaluate the Policy, and Worksheet #4

Step 5: Students will record a food journal for five days.

(See student handout: Is your diet healthy? –Journal)