D&E-1: Comparing Nutrient Densities
READ and SUMMARIZE pg. 175-176 "Is Junk Food a Problem?”, “Instead of this: Try this:” and “Choose the Right Snacks”
DEFINE (in your own words) Nutrient Density, Junk Food, and “Empty Calories”
CHOOSE at least 2 nutrition labels to compare. Choose items that make sense to be compared (different drinks, different
snacks, different meats). For example, comparing white bread vs. wheat bread makes more sense than orange
juice vs. chicken. You could also compare possible snack foods like Chips vs. Apples.
Make it easier: One of your choices can be shared with someone else at your table.
Make it harder (extra stamp): You may use a combination of items (like cheese and crackers or peanut
butter and celery), but that will require a lot more careful math! You could also choose to compare multiple
items (like Whole Milk, Low Fat Milk, and Skim Milk) if you wish. Speak with Mr. Warren if interested!
EXPLAIN what you are trying to learn from this comparison, why it matters, and what you think the result will be.
COPY the nutrition facts into a chart (for 2 items, you will need 5 columns)
The first column will have the Nutrition Fact categories (Serving size, Calories, Carbohydrates, Vitamins, etc.)
Ignore any nutrients that have zero’s for all items (e.g. if all items have 0% Vitamin C listed, you can ignore it)
Enter in the numbers (with units!) for your items into the chart’s second and third columns.
CALCULATE the number of servings to get 1,000 Calories. In order to fairly compare nutrient density, you will want to
compare the nutrients found in an equal amount of Calories.
(# of Calories / 1 serving) = (1,000 Calories / X servings)
MULTIPLY X by each of the amounts of nutrients and add them to your chart’s fourth and fifth columns.
(If you multiply X by Calories and get a number that isn’t close to 1,000 Calories, you did something wrong).
COMPARE the nutrient contents of the two foods (based on 1,000 Calories).
Summarize the major similarities and differences of nutrients in your comparison. Then, using the
considerations below, explain which option is healthier and why (be specific and refer to the calculations as
evidence).
Things to consider:
 Most people need to eat foods with LESS saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar
 Most people need to eat foods with MORE fiber and a greater variety of nutrients (including vitamins/minerals)
 Foods with carbs + proteins + fats (e.g. peanut M&M’s) make you feel full longer and keep your energy level
more stable than foods with just carbs (e.g. fruit, chips, candy).
REFLECT on what you learned from the comparison. Was your guess accurate (explain)? Does this information affect
your choices (explain)? With this information, what would you recommend to others (explain)?
D&E-2: Overeating
READ and SUMMARIZE pg. 186-187 “Healthy Meal or a Good Deal?”
DEFINE: Portion Size, “Clean Plate” Syndrome
COMPLETE: Your Turn: Do questions 1-3 (for 3, cut out or print an advertisement and attach it to your answers).
REFLECT: How much control do you have over what, how much, and when you eat? Do you have clean plate syndrome?
Who decides what you and/or the family eats? How do family, friends, school, and advertisements affect your diet
(explain)? If you have the opportunity to eat as much as you want, what do you do (give examples)? Do you think any of
your eating habits are unhealthy (explain)? What would you like to change about your diet (if anything)?
D&E-5: Diet & Exercise Goal (This is a big project we will work on throughout the unit)
Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Estimated Calories burned per day “at rest” (doing absolutely nothing).
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
Activity factor: Use this formula to estimate Calories burned per day based on activity.
Choose the factor that matches your activity:
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Sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2
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Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375
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Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55
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Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725
How to use this information:
 If your weight is stable, then you are eating and using (“burning”) the same amount of Calories.
 If you eat more or burn fewer Calories, you gain weight.
 If you eat less or burn more Calories (this is called a “Caloric deficit”), you lose weight.
 In general, people trying to gain weight should exercise and eat ~110-125% of the Calories they use each day,
making sure to include proteins and complex carbs.
 In general, people trying to lose fat should exercise and/or eat less to create a 10-25% Caloric deficit (while still
getting all of the nutrients they need).
Things to consider:
 1 pound of fat = ~3,500 Calories, but fat is not the only thing you are losing if you exercise. You can also lose
some muscle. If you have a large Caloric deficit, you will lose weight faster, but you will lose more muscle too
(this is bad)!
 People with more body fat will lose more fat than muscle when creating a Caloric deficit and can safely lose fat
more quickly. People with less body fat will have to lose fat more slowly to avoid losing muscle.
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Exercising more could affect the Activity Factor you use in your calculation!
Muscles burn more Calories, so gaining muscle from resistance training (weight lifting) can help with fat loss.
Since muscle weighs more than fat, you can gain weight even if you are losing fat!
Doing the same exercise over and over makes your body more efficient at it, so you will use fewer Calories.
Making small changes to your routine (trying different exercises for the same muscle groups, increasing the
difficulty, etc.) every couple weeks will help.
CHOOSE: at least 1 of the following options for the exercise part of this assignment:
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Increase Cardiorespiratory Endurance (and lose fat)
Increase Muscular Strength (and increase muscle size for males)
Increase Muscular Endurance (and tone muscles)
Increase Flexibility
D&E-5: Diet & Exercise Goal (continued)
Use the 6 suggestions for Goal Setting (refer to assignment W-2) to write up your goal:
Satisfying: Explain why you want to meet this goal (include the physical, mental, and social benefits of exercising and
how meeting this goal will make you feel).
Safe: Explain specific ways you will be safe (for both the exercise and diet parts of the goal) and the unsafe things you
will avoid doing (and their consequences).
Similar: Explain how this goal relates to other parts of your life. How does this goal support or conflict with your current
routine / plans? What personal challenges might prevent you from meeting your goal, and how will you overcome these
challenges (for example, making time to exercise)? How will you stay motivated?
Supported: Explain how outside influences directly help you meet your goal: family, friends, school, community, etc.
What external challenges might prevent you from meeting your goal, and how will you overcome these challenges (for
example, making time to exercise)?
Sensible: Describe why you think your goal is realistic in the amount of time you’ve planned, your motivation to follow
your plan, and how you will track your progress to see if you have met your goal.
Specific: Make a detailed action plan: What and how? Where, when, and with whom? For how long and how often?
Extension (1 stamp per journal entry):
Actually attempt your goal, and write three ~1/2 pg. journal entries: at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the
goal). Describe what you did and how well you’re following your action plan, measure your progress, explain how you
feel about the experience, and any new problems/solutions/thoughts/questions. In the 3rd journal entry, also reflect on
the usefulness of the assignment, whether or not you met the goal, and what you want to do next.
If you do not attempt your goal, explain why in one ~1/2 pg. journal entry, considering the following:
If you don’t care about the goal, what physical health goal would be satisfying enough to try?
If you’re too lazy, what can you (or your family/friends) do to increase your motivation enough to do it?
If you don’t have time or can’t follow the action plan, what support would you need in order to do so?
If your goal is too difficult, how would you change it so that it is more realistic?