7.NPA.1

What does this standard mean a child will know and be able to do?

7.NPA.1.1 Use the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to eat nutrient-dense foods in moderation.
The Dietary Guidelines encourage Americans to balance intake (food and beverage calories) with output (physical activity calories) to maintain a healthy weight. Nutrient-dense foods and beverages are encouraged by eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or reduced-fat milk and fish, poultry, beans, nuts, seeds, eggs and lean meat as protein sources. Greater attention is given to calcium, potassium, Vitamin D and fiber in foods.

The guidelines suggest that Americans get too much salt, saturated fat, cholesterol, high fructose corn syrup, sugar and refined grains (the components found mostly in processed and fast foods) and need to reduce these. Trans fats in partially hydrogenated oils, soft margarines and some baked goods should be reduced as low as possible and people should replace solid fats with healthy oils such as olive or canola oil.

MyPlate is an interactive tool provided by the USDA (choose MyPlate.gov) to help Americans personalize their food and exercise choices. Students enter age, height, weight, sex and daily activity estimates to calculate their calorie requirement, and the servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and meat/beans they need per day. For instance, a female 14-years-old who is 5’2” weighing 120 pounds and has limited activity uses about 1800 calories per day. She needs 4-6 servings of cereal, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, corn (or other starchy foods), 5 servings of vegetables, 3 fruits, 3 cups of milk or yogurt and 5 ounces of fish, poultry, meat or beans. She needs to choose foods wisely to include all her nutrient needs and does not have many extra calories for sugary drinks, refined starches, or fried foods.
 * Considering the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the student will recall lists of foods or food components to increase or decrease in his or her meal and snack plans.
 * The student will utilize the interactive MyPlate tool to determine total calorie needs and the number of servings required from the five food groups.
 * The student will incorporate the Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate in completing a personalized meal plan rubric.

7.NPA.1.2 Analyze Nutrition Facts Labels for nutrients such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Nutrition Food Facts is the label on food packaging that helps determine the nutrient density of a food. It lists the serving size and how many servings are in the container. It features the total calories and the calories from fat per serving. In the chart, the label indicates the grams and types of fat; the milligrams of cholesterol; and the amount of salt—all substances that need to be reduced. Next are the grams of carbohydrate broken down into sugars and fibers (the remaining grams are starch). A desirable food has 2 or more grams of fiber and limits sugar. Protein grams follow. Finally, the label indicates vitamins and minerals found per serving. Percentages of a vitamin or mineral should be 10% (Percent Daily Value) to value the food as a source, and 20% or more to be considered a significant source.

Look for the Ingredients List on the package to find out what is in the product. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. For instance in fruit yogurt, the first ingredient is low-fat milk, followed by apples, followed by high fructose corn syrup, spices, flavors, pectin and finally active yogurt cultures. Pay attention to the first three or four ingredients, as they are most of a product. Remember that if someone eats an entire bag that contains 3 servings, they must triple all the numbers to get an accurate calorie and nutrient count.
 * The student will identify the components of a Nutrition Facts Label and what is desirable in each.
 * The student will indicate the significance of order in an ingredient label.
 * The student will successfully compare two or more food labels or restaurant menu nutrition charts to determine the more desirable nutrient-dense selection.