TITLE:  FOOD LABELS IN THE CLASSROOM

AUTHOR:  Kathleen Rogers, Webster School, Winfield, KS

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 4-12; HEALTH (easily integrated into other subject areas)  

OVERVIEW:  Most of the food that people in the U.S. eat today is
obtained from the local grocery store in attractive convenient
packaging.  The attractive packaging can often mislead or confuse
the consumer as to the true nutritive value of the contents found within.  

PURPOSE:  Students need to be aware of the nutritional value of the
food products they consume to enable them to make healthy and
intelligent dietary choices for the rest of their lives.  

OBJECTIVES:  Students should:  
  1.  be aware of all the nutritional information found on food labels  
  2.  be familiar with the basic dietary needs of the human body  
  3.  understand that food companies want their product to sell and
package and label their product to attract the consumer  
  4.  know where and how to write a letter to a food company  found
on the label.  

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  food labels brought in by students 

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:  Each student should have several food labels:  
  1.  read thoroughly all information given on packaging; write
down complete ingredients (these are sometimes surprising) and
grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat per serving  
  2.  use current health references (text, brochures, charts) to go
over the six basic dietary requirements for maintaining a healthy
body (carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, water) and
look for these on label  3. make a classroom list of packaging and
labeling techniques meant to attract the consumer; classify these
appeals into categories such as good taste, low cost, convenience,
health, etc; under the health category determine which health factor
is being considered (low in calories, no cholesterol, fiber, no additives)  
  4.  write a business letter to a food company found on label
requesting more nutrition information.  

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  Analyzing food labels is a good way to
teach nutrition using a readily available resource for all students.
Spin-offs of this activity can easily be integrated into math
(measurement, price comparison) and social studies (government
regulatory agencies such as the FDA and USDA; geographical mapping
of location of major food companies) and creative and language arts
(packaging design, advertisements and commercials, letters of inquiry,
directions for food preparation).