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.

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Do Something, Inc.

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