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Fuel Your Awesome!

Lesson Plan

Fuel Your Awesome!

Students will be able to identify the major macronutrients and micronutrients, explain their functions, and make healthier food choices based on nutritional understanding.

Understanding nutrition empowers students to make choices that boost their energy, improve their focus, and support long-term health, directly impacting their performance in school and daily life. It provides them with essential knowledge for a healthier future.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, visual aids, and a practical activity to apply nutrition concepts.

Materials

Smartboard or Projector, Markers or whiteboard, Slide Deck: Fuel Your Awesome!, Warm Up: My Energy Meter, Activity: Plate Power-Up!, Worksheet: Nutrient Navigator, Answer Key: Nutrient Navigator, and Cool Down: One Healthy Habit

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: My Energy Meter

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Warm Up: My Energy Meter to each student.
    * Instruct students to quickly rate their current energy levels and jot down what they ate for breakfast or their last meal.
    * Briefly discuss a few responses, connecting them to the idea that food impacts energy.

Step 2

Introduction to Fueling Your Body

5 minutes

Step 3

Macronutrients: The Big Three

10 minutes

  • Present Slide 3 through Slide 6 on macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats) using the Slide Deck: Fuel Your Awesome!.
    * Explain the primary role of each and provide examples of healthy food sources.
    * Engage students with questions like: "What's your favorite source of protein? How do fats help our bodies?"

Step 4

Micronutrients: Small but Mighty

7 minutes

  • Transition to micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals) using Slide 7 and Slide 8 of the Slide Deck: Fuel Your Awesome!.
    * Emphasize their importance despite being needed in smaller amounts.
    * Discuss examples and their functions (e.g., Vitamin C for immunity, Calcium for bones).

Step 5

Activity: Plate Power-Up!

10 minutes

  • Introduce the Activity: Plate Power-Up!.
    * Divide students into small groups and provide each group with the Worksheet: Nutrient Navigator.
    * Instruct them to design a balanced meal, labeling macronutrients and micronutrients found in their chosen foods.
    * Circulate to provide guidance and answer questions.

Step 6

Share & Discuss

5 minutes

  • Have a few groups share their

Step 7

Share & Discuss

5 minutes

  • Have a few groups share their

Step 8

Share & Discuss

5 minutes

  • Have a few groups share their

Step 9

Share & Discuss

5 minutes

  • Have a few groups share their

Step 10

Share & Discuss

5 minutes

  • Have a few groups share their meal designs and nutrient breakdowns.
    * Facilitate a brief discussion about the variety of healthy choices and the balance of nutrients.

Step 11

Cool-Down: One Healthy Habit

3 minutes

  • Distribute the Cool Down: One Healthy Habit.
    * Ask students to write down one healthy eating habit they want to try or continue.
    * Collect as an exit ticket.
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Slide Deck

Fuel Your Awesome!

What does 'fuel' mean to you?
How does what you eat impact your day?

Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of how food powers their bodies! Ask a rhetorical question to get them thinking.

Food as Fuel

Just like a car needs gas, your body needs food!
Food provides the energy for:

  • Thinking and learning
  • Playing and moving
  • Growing and healing

Explain the concept of food as energy. Use an analogy to make it relatable (e.g., car needing gas).

Macronutrients: The Big Three

1. Carbohydrates: Your Body's Main Energy Source

  • Quick Energy: Grains, fruits, vegetables
  • Long-Lasting Energy: Whole grains, beans, potatoes

Introduce macronutrients as the 'big' nutrients needed in large amounts. Start with carbohydrates.

Macronutrients: Protein Power!

2. Proteins: Builders & Repairers

  • Helps build muscles, skin, and hair
  • Repairs tissues
  • Found in: Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, nuts

Move on to proteins and their role in building and repair.

Macronutrients: Fantastic Fats

3. Fats: Stored Energy & More

  • Provides long-term energy
  • Protects organs
  • Helps absorb vitamins
  • Healthy fats: Avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil

Discuss fats, emphasizing healthy fats and their importance.

Macronutrient Check-in

Can you name the three macronutrients?
What's one main job for each?

Summarize the macronutrients and check for understanding.

Micronutrients: Small But Mighty!

Vitamins: Boosters for Your Body

  • Help with growth, vision, immunity, and more!
  • Found in: Fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains
  • Examples: Vitamin C (oranges), Vitamin D (sunlight, milk)

Introduce micronutrients as 'small but mighty' nutrients. Start with vitamins.

Micronutrients: Essential Minerals

Minerals: Your Body's Tiny Helpers

  • Build strong bones (Calcium)
  • Carry oxygen (Iron)
  • Help nerves work (Potassium)
  • Found in: Vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats

Explain minerals and their diverse functions.

Your Turn: Plate Power-Up!

Let's design a super-fueled meal!

Prepare students for the activity. Explain the task of creating a balanced meal.

Fuel Your Awesome, Every Day!

Making smart food choices helps you:

  • Have more energy
  • Focus better
  • Feel great!

What's one healthy habit you can try this week?

Conclude the presentation, reinforcing the main message about making healthy choices.

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Warm Up

My Energy Meter

Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________

1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate your energy level right now?
(1 = Super Drained, 3 = Okay, 5 = Ready to Go!)

Circle one: 1      2      3      4      5

2. What did you eat for breakfast or your last meal?







3. Do you think there's a connection between what you ate and how you feel? Why or why not?












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Activity

Activity: Plate Power-Up!

Objective: Design a balanced meal that provides your body with all the necessary macronutrients and micronutrients.

Instructions:

  1. Get into your groups. Your teacher will assign you to a small group.
  2. Brainstorm a meal. As a group, think of a delicious and healthy meal. This could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
  3. Use your Worksheet: Nutrient Navigator. On the worksheet, draw or list the foods in your meal.
  4. Identify the nutrients. For each food item, identify the main macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats) and any key micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals) you expect to find.
  5. Explain your choices. Be ready to share why you chose these foods and how they contribute to a healthy, balanced meal.
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Worksheet

Nutrient Navigator: Design Your Plate!

Name(s): _________________________
Date: _________________________

Your Goal:

Design a healthy and delicious meal! Think about breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Draw or list the foods you would include in your meal on the plate below. Then, for each food item, identify its primary macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats) and any key micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals) it provides.

My Super Meal!

(Draw your meal on the plate below, or list the foods in the space provided. Label each food item clearly!)






































Nutrient Breakdown:

Fill in the table below for the main foods in your meal. Add more rows if needed.

Food ItemMain Macronutrients (Carbs, Proteins, Fats)Key Micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals)




















Reflection:

Why is your designed meal a healthy and balanced choice?












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Answer Key

Nutrient Navigator Answer Key: Guidance for Teachers

This answer key provides general guidelines for evaluating student responses on the Worksheet: Nutrient Navigator. The focus is on their understanding of balanced nutrition, not on a single

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Cool Down

One Healthy Habit

Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________

Reflect on today's lesson about fueling your body.

1. What is ONE healthy eating habit you already practice or learned about today that you want to start or continue?












2. How do you think this habit will help you feel more energized, focused, or just generally better?












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