Nutrition: Individual Activity

"Making Healthy Food Choices"

Lifeskill:

• Decision Making
• Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Overview:

Participants will compare food products based on information on food labels. The following are examples of activities that may be included in the contest:

1. Rank these food products based on the amount of saturated fat in the food, or
2. Rank these food products based on total sugar content, or
3. Rank these food products based on sodium content, or
4. Rank the following food products based on nutrient density (nutrient density refers to the nutritional value of the food product compared to the fat, sugar, sodium, cholesterol or total calories in the food), or
5. Using information found in the Nutrition Facts and ingredients information, rank these product based on added sugar.

The contest may ask for other comparisons so study the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients section carefully and practice comparing foods.

Objective:

Youth will be able to:

• locate nutrition and ingredient information on a food product.
• compare foods based on information on the label.
• make healthy choices based on information on the food label.

Resources:

• Nutrition: To Know the facts, Finding Your Way to a Healthier You (PB-1755).
  http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB1755.pdf
• KidsHealth for Kids - Figuring Out Food Labels
  http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/labels.html
• Kansas State University Research and Extension - What's on a Food Label? (L-883)
  http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/fntr2/L883.pdf
• University of Tennessee Extension - 4-H Focus on Food Labels Project (W-108)
  http://www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/projects/activities/NHF-FoodLabels-W108.pdf
• US Food and Drug Administration - How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
  http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html
• Teens Health Answers & Advice - What Do Food Labels Really Say?
  http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/food_labels.html

Time Allowed:

The individual should be able to complete this activity in 2 to 3 minutes.

Scoring:

There will be one group of four food products to rank. Scoring will be done using the Hormel Computing Slide for Scoring Judging Contests.

Specialist:

Betty Greer
Professor, Family & Consumer Sciences
119 Morgan Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-4501

Phone: 865-974-7402
Fax: 865-974-3234
E-mail: bgreer@utk.edu

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