Putting it All Together

Summary

Meals meeting requirements for nutrition, budget, and table setting.

Materials

• Any good food and nutrition textbook.
• Nutrition Insurance by Oppert
• "United States recommended Daily Allowances" from Some Facts and Myths of Vitamins, HHS Publication (FDA) No. 88-2117. 1988
• Food Preparation: Basic Guidelines for Home and Food Service by Proctor & Gamble Educational Services, p.15, 1986.
• Dairy Council food pictures can be divided up into 6-8 envelopes depending on the number of groups or students can neatly cut pictures from magazines prior to the activity.
• Dietary guidelines for Americans, USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232-3, April 1986.

Background for Teachers

Knowing how to make good food choices while planning and preparing nutritious meals enables one to have a healthy life.

The ultimate goal of this Basic Nutrition and Foods Course is to teach students to be able to plan eating patterns and meals that enable them to make wise choices in food selection and meal preparation that meet nutritional requirements of family members.

The ultimate test is to be able to plan and prepare a meal that meets nutritional requirements within the budget and time allowed.

Instructional Procedures

LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING STRATEGIES

OPTION #1
Have the students name some time-consuming activities they participate in. Draw an analogy to the fact that meal preparation can be very time consuming, but time can be saved by understanding our own values and by practicing good basic principles of planning and preparation.

Use this opportunity to review with students how the principles of time and energy can be used in food preparation, such as: carefully selected recipes, streamlining preparation methods and cleaning-up-as-you-go principles.

Using the chalk board, brainstorm with the students what problems they think they might have in preparing a meal (at least 5) and give the possible solutions for each problem.

OPTION #2
As a FINAL PROJECT students will follow guidelines outlined by the teacher to plan and prepare a meal in the laboratory situation. Duplicate worksheets in this unit for each student. Suggest that students use recipes in their recipe file that they are familiar with. Have the students decide as a group on the menu. Then have them divide the assignment worksheets among the unit members so that each person is responsible for a part of the planning. Have each unit turn the assignment into the teacher as a unit packet.

Due to space limitations, each teacher may have to modify the activity to fit the classroom circumstances.

The teacher may wish to notify parents ahead of time of this activity and requirements for the students.