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Do Something about... Eating Healthy - Day 4: International Food Day
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Title - Do Something about... Eating Healthy
Day 4: International Food Day
By - Do Something, Inc. / www.dosomething.org
Primary Subject - Health / Physical Education
Secondary Subjects - Other
Grade Level - 9-12

Do Something about...
Eating Healthy
10-Day Unit

The following lesson is the fourth lesson of a 10-day
Eating Healthy Unit from Do Something, Inc.
Other lessons in this unit are as follows:
    Day 1: Green Scene
    Students learn the benefits of green vegetables and the number of recommended servings
    Day 2: Vital Vitamins
    Students learn about different types of vitamins and how they function in the body
    Day 3: Nutritious Choices
    Students examine their eating habits and learn about a balanced diet
    Day 4: International Food Day (See the lesson below)
    Students learn the differences in people's diets from around the world
    Day 5: Super-size Me
    Students learn about America's growing obesity and its relationship to portion size
    Day 6: Got Greens?
    Students learn ways foods are marketed towards youth in order to start their own green campaign
    Day 7: Getting the Skinny on Obesity
    Students learn about the New Food Pyramid and how to evaluate their Body Mass Index
    Day 8: Action Plan
    Students evaluate their own activity levels and plan ways to add more movement into their lives
    Day 9: Fitting in Fitness
    Students evaluate how they spend their time and how to include physical activity into their day
    Day 10: Green Day
    Students plant a garden and/or fix up a community space for physical activity

More student resources for this cause are at:
www.dosomething.org/causes/healthy_eating

Day 4: International Food Day

Goal:

Students will learn about the differences in people's diets from around the world.

Steps:

  1. Warm-up: Find someone who knows Tai Chi, Karate, Bhangra dancing, Irish Step Dancing or any other international form of dance or exercise to present to the students.
  2. Ask students to think of their favorite types of international food. What ingredients do these international foods rely heavily on?
  3. Explain to students the difference between industrialized and developing nations.
  4. Tell students that Americans eat the most calories per day. Since the early 1970s, The US has increased its calorie consumption by 20 % to become the world's highest calorie consumer. The US diet is diverse. However, it is higher in meats, sugar and sweeteners (such as found in soft drinks) and dairy products.
  5. Direct students to the following website: http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/agexporter/2000/Apr/diets.htm
  6. Referring to the graphs, have students consider the following questions:
    1. What types of foods are the least expensive? How can you tell?
    2. Compare the US food consumption with that of another country. What are the differences? What might be the implications of this diet for health purposes?
  7. Reflect: Have students think about the traditional foods of their extended family. For example, are there recipes associated with their ethnicity or heritage? Encourage students to find international recipes either through family or on the internet and categorize the type of food and (if possible) caloric content.

Other Activities:

Organize an international food day where students can bring in different recipes and present information about the nutritional habits of that country to other students.

E-Mail Do Something, Inc.!

 
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