1. Healthful Meals and Snacks
In this lesson, you will Learn About…
Planning nutritious meals.
Why eating breakfast is important.
Choosing healthful snacks.

2. Healthful Meals and Snacks
The Vocabulary term in this lesson is:
Nutrient dense.
Click the term to display its definition.

3. Planning Healthful Meals
The Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid can help you plan healthful meals and snacks.
Here are a few suggestions to help you get the nutrients you need and still enjoy your food:
Eat regular meals.
Watch portion sizes.
Eat small amounts of food from the Pyramid tip.
Aim to achieve balance over time.
Eat regular meals. Avoid skipping meals. People who skip meals tend to overeat at other times.
Watch portion sizes. Suggested portion sizes may be smaller than people think. For example, one serving of meat is only 2 to 3 ounces. A cup of pasta may not seem like much, but it is two servings from the Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group.
Eat small amounts of food from the Pyramid tip. Teens don’t need to cut out fats and sugars entirely.
Aim to achieve balance over time. A variety of foods should be eaten over several days to get the right amounts and types of nutrients.

4. Planning Healthful Meals (cont’d.)
3 oz. (84 g) cooked meat, poultry, or fish = deck of cards
2 tbsp. (30 mL) peanut butter = matchbox
½ cup (125 mL) cooked vegetables = half a tennis ball.
1 oz (28 g) cheese = four dice
Some common items can help teens visualize Pyramid serving sizes.
1 cup (250 mL) raw leafy greens = four lettuce leaves
1 medium potato = computer mouse

5. Breakfast Starts Your Day
Start each morning with a healthful breakfast to give your body a fresh supply of energy. It may have been 10 to 12 hours since you last ate. Your body needs a fresh supply of energy.
Include complex carbohydrates and some protein in your breakfast to give you the energy you need to start the day. Ex. Oatmeal, milk, & fruit. Whole-wheat toast and eggs, bean burrito & juice.
Add vitamin-C rich foods or calcium-rich foods to your breakfast to provide your body with all the vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy.
Students who eat breakfast concentrate better at school and have a more positive attitude.
Oatmeal with milk along with a piece of fruit or whole-wheat toast and eggs are examples of healthful breakfasts. Even a bean burrito or a hamburger on a bun counts as breakfast. Ask students to think of other examples of nontraditional but healthful breakfast foods.
A cup of yogurt or a bowl of ready-to-eat cereal makes for a quick breakfast. It is important to choose cereals that are made from whole grains or have added vitamins and minerals. Teens should take something along if they don’t have time to eat something at home. A muffin, string cheese, and raisins plus a drink such as a fruit or vegetable juice provide the fuel needed for a great start.

6. Packing a School Lunch
Be sure to include a variety of nutritious foods in your lunch. Vary your selection to avoid eating the same foods every day.
Brainstorm ways to make your lunch more healthful. For example, using whole-grain bread instead of white bread for sandwiches will give you more fiber.
Adding raw spinach leaves and tomatoes to tuna on rye bread boosts the meal’s vitamin and mineral content. Lean meats provide protein with less fat.
Besides sandwiches, a packed lunch can include a salad with low-fat or fat-free dressing and low-fat yogurt, cheese sticks, apple sauce, or granola bars. Packing carrot sticks or pepper slices instead of potato chips is a healthier option. A crisp apple, a banana, or grapes make a great dessert, and these foods are easy to transport.
Ask the class to come up with other ideas on making lunches more nutritious.

7. Nutritious Snacks
Many snack foods are high in calories, fat, salt, and/or sugar, but are low in nutrients.
A more healthful way of eating is to choose snack foods that are nutrient dense.

8. Nutritious Snacks (cont’d.)
The snacks you eat give you energy and a chance to fit in the nutrients you may miss during the day.
Satisfy your hunger by choosing snack foods that combine grain products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods. Try some of these nutritious snacks:
Baked tortilla chips with salsa
Raw veggies with yogurt dip
Apple and cheese slices with graham crackers
Tomato or vegetable juice
Some more nutritious snacks include the following:
Fruit smoothie made with milk or yogurt.
A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread.
Have the class think of other nutritious snacks.

9. Reviewing Terms and Facts
List two ways to make sure you get the nutrients you need.
Eat regular meals.
Watch portion sizes.
Eat small amounts of food from the Pyramid tip.
Aim to achieve balance over time.
Click to show the correct answer. Responses may include any two from the list.

10. Reviewing Terms and Facts
Define the term nutrient dense.
Nutrient dense foods have a high amount of nutrients relative to the number of calories.
Click to show the correct answer.

11. Thinking Critically
How can you make sure that you eat portions of reasonable sizes at a restaurant?
Responses will vary. Accept all reasonable responses. Students might point out that they could order a half portion if it is available or bring part of their meal home.

12. Vocabulary Review
Nutrient dense foods have a high amount of nutrients relative to the number of calories.
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