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Label Logic

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Stephanie Mesbah

Tier 2
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Serving Size Superpowers

Students will be able to accurately identify serving sizes and daily values on food labels and apply this information to make informed dietary choices and practice portion control.

Understanding food labels empowers students to make healthier food choices, manage portion sizes, and develop lifelong healthy eating habits. This lesson directly relates to their daily lives and personal wellness.

Audience

7th Grade Group

Time

40 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, practical application, and a fun challenge.

Materials

Small group setting with a whiteboard or projector, Variety of food labels (empty packages or printouts), The Daily Value Decipher, Daily Value Detective Sheet, and Portion Patrol Challenge

Prep

Gather Materials & Review

15 minutes

  • Gather a variety of empty food packages or printouts of food labels for students to examine during the lesson. Make sure there's enough for each small group to have a few different examples.
    - Review the Serving Size Superpowers Lesson Plan and ensure familiarity with the activities.
    - Prepare the The Daily Value Decipher for presentation.
    - Print enough copies of the Daily Value Detective Sheet for each student.
    - Set up the materials needed for the Portion Patrol Challenge.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Label Scavenger Hunt

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "When you look at a food package, what's the first thing your eyes go to?" Allow for a few responses.
    - Introduce the idea that food labels are like a secret code to understanding what we eat.
    - Distribute a few food labels to each small group. Ask them to quickly find and share one interesting piece of information they notice. (e.g., "This cereal has 10g of sugar!")

Step 2

Introduction to Serving Sizes (Slides)

10 minutes

  • Use the first few slides of The Daily Value Decipher to introduce 'Serving Size.'
    - Explain that serving size is the amount of food that nutrition facts are based on, not necessarily how much we should eat.
    - Discuss why knowing serving sizes is important for portion control and how it affects the total nutrients consumed.
    - Provide examples using the food labels. "If a serving size is 1 cup, but I eat 2 cups, how does that change the calories?"

Step 3

Exploring Daily Values (Slides & Discussion)

10 minutes

  • Transition to 'Daily Value' using The Daily Value Decipher.
    - Explain that Daily Values (DV) are percentages that show how much of a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a total daily diet (based on 2,000 calories).
    - Discuss the '5/20 Rule': 5% DV or less is low (aim for low in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars); 20% DV or more is high (aim for high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals).
    - Have students examine their food labels again, identifying different Daily Values and discussing what they mean.

Step 4

Activity: Daily Value Detective Sheet

10 minutes

  • Hand out the Daily Value Detective Sheet.
    - Instruct students to work in their small groups to analyze the provided food labels and complete the worksheet.
    - Circulate among groups to provide support, answer questions, and facilitate discussion.
    - Bring the class back together to briefly share some of their findings.

Step 5

Cool Down: Portion Patrol Challenge

5 minutes

  • Conclude with a quick, engaging activity: Portion Patrol Challenge.
    - Ask students to reflect on one new thing they learned about food labels or one way they might change how they look at food labels in the future. What do you think?
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Slide Deck

Welcome to Label Logic!

Decoding What We Eat

Ever wondered what all those numbers and words on food packages mean? Today, we're becoming food label detectives!

Greet students and start with a quick question to gauge their current understanding or habits around food labels.

Serving Size Superpowers

What is a Serving Size?

  • The amount of food typically eaten at one time.
  • All the nutritional information on the label (calories, fat, sugar, etc.) is for ONE serving.

Why does it matter?

  • Helps you compare similar foods.
  • Key for understanding how much you're really eating if you eat more than one serving!

Introduce serving size as the basis for all nutritional info, not necessarily a recommended portion. Emphasize why it's important.

Your Portion Power!

Quick Math Challenge!

If a serving size of chips is 15 chips and has 150 calories, how many calories do you eat if you have 30 chips?


(Answer: 300 calories!)

Use examples from actual food labels (if available) to show how calories and nutrients change with multiple servings.

The Daily Value Decipher

What are Daily Values (%DV)?

  • They tell you how much a nutrient in one serving of food contributes to your total daily diet.
  • Based on a 2,000-calorie diet – this is a general guide!
  • Think of it as a quick way to see if a food is high or low in a specific nutrient.

Introduce Daily Values as a guide, explaining the 2,000 calorie diet basis. Explain the concept of %DV and its purpose.

The 5/20 Rule: Your Secret Weapon!

Low is 5% DV or less!

  • Aim for LOW in Saturated Fat, Sodium, Added Sugars.

High is 20% DV or more!

  • Aim for HIGH in Fiber, Vitamins (like Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Potassium).

Explain the 5/20 rule clearly with examples of nutrients to aim for high or low. This is a crucial takeaway.

Putting It All Together

Now you try!

Look at your food labels. Can you find:

  • A nutrient that is LOW (5% DV or less)?
  • A nutrient that is HIGH (20% DV or more)?

Discuss with your group: Is this food generally considered a good source of healthy nutrients or something to eat in smaller amounts?

Encourage students to look at their own food labels again using the 5/20 rule. Prompt discussion about what they find.

Your Mission, Detectives!

You've got your serving size superpowers and your daily value decipher skills ready! Now it's time to apply what you've learned with the Daily Value Detective Sheet!

Briefly recap the main points and introduce the upcoming worksheet. Prepare them for independent work.

Challenge Time!

Get ready for the Portion Patrol Challenge!

Prepare students for the game as a fun wrap-up.

You Are A Label Logic Pro!

You now have the skills to understand food labels and make choices that are right for YOUR body. Keep practicing your Label Logic!

End the lesson with a positive and empowering message about making informed choices.

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Game

Portion Patrol Challenge

Objective: To quickly assess understanding of serving sizes and the 5/20 rule in a fun, competitive way.

Materials:

  • Pre-selected food labels (the same ones used in the lesson, or new ones for a fresh challenge)
  • Small whiteboards or paper for each group
  • Markers

Instructions:

  1. Divide into Teams: Students should already be in their small groups. These will be your "Portion Patrol Teams."
  2. The Challenge: The teacher will hold up a food label and ask a question related to serving size or Daily Value. Teams will huddle, write their answer on their whiteboard/paper, and hold it up.
  3. Scoring:
    • 1 point for a correct answer.
    • Bonus point: If a team can also explain why their answer is correct (e.g., "It's 20% DV, so it's high!"), they get an extra point.
  4. Sample Questions:
    • "Based on the serving size, if you ate the whole package, how many calories would that be?"





    • "Is this food high or low in added sugar, according to the 5/20 rule?"





    • "What is the serving size for this item?"





    • "If you want more fiber in your diet, would this food (e.g., a cracker with 3% DV fiber) be a good choice to help you reach your daily goal? Why or why not?"





    • "Look at the sodium %DV. Is this food low, medium, or high in sodium?"





  5. Declare a Winner: After 5-7 rounds, the team with the most points wins the "Portion Patrol" award!

Teacher Notes: Encourage quick thinking and teamwork. Keep the pace lively. Adjust difficulty based on student comprehension. This game serves as a fun, quick assessment of their understanding.

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Worksheet

Daily Value Detective Sheet

Instructions: Work with your group to examine the food labels provided by your teacher. For each food label, answer the questions below.

Food Label 1: [Name of Food Item]

  1. What is one serving size of this food?


  2. How many servings are in the entire package?


  3. If you ate two servings, how many calories would you consume?


  4. Find a nutrient that is low (5% Daily Value or less) in this food. What is it and what is its %DV?





  5. Find a nutrient that is high (20% Daily Value or more) in this food. What is it and what is its %DV?





  6. Based on the label, would you consider this food a good source of fiber? Why or why not?










Food Label 2: [Name of Another Food Item]

  1. What is one serving size of this food?


  2. How many servings are in the entire package?


  3. If you ate half a serving, how many calories would you consume?


  4. Find a nutrient that is low (5% Daily Value or less) in this food. What is it and what is its %DV?





  5. Find a nutrient that is high (20% Daily Value or more) in this food. What is it and what is its %DV?





  6. This food has [X]% DV of added sugars. According to the 5/20 rule, is this amount low or high? What does that mean for your daily diet?










Food Label 3: [Name of Third Food Item]

  1. What is one serving size of this food?


  2. How many servings are in the entire package?


  3. If you ate three servings, how many grams of total fat would you consume?


  4. Find a nutrient that is low (5% Daily Value or less) in this food. What is it and what is its %DV?





  5. Find a nutrient that is high (20% Daily Value or more) in this food. What is it and what is its %DV?





  6. Compare this food label to Food Label 1. Which food would you choose if you were trying to increase your Vitamin D intake? Explain why.










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