Intermediate ENGLISH FOR YOUR HEALTH

Adult Learner

ESOL Program

Session 11 A Healthy Diet and the Food Pyramid To the Teacher

The most recent U.S. Food Guide Pyramid was designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in response to the rising obesity rate in the Understanding United States. New to this pyramid is the focus on daily exercise as part of a the New Food healthy lifestyle, and the replacement of “one size fits all” guidelines with Pyramid recommendations that vary according to individual characteristics. Other changes include the focus on whole grains (“make half your grains whole”) and the emphasis on darker-colored vegetables and fruits, which contain more vitamins. There is also a focus on eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, because each fruit or vegetable has a different balance of vitamins. The Food Groups in the new pyramid are arranged in colored bands. Food from every group should be eaten daily — but the wider the band, the more food from that group should be eaten. The website www.MyPyramid.gov may be used to assess individual needs, while helping to find a balance between food and physical activity for each person. There are three major components of food: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. It is important to note that many foods are a combination of several components. For example, whole wheat contains primarily carbohydrates, along with some protein and a minimal amount of fat.

Protein Protein is one of three nutrients that provide calories to the body. Nutrients from protein help to build muscle, bone, skin and blood. Protein can be found primarily in meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts and tofu (a soybean product). Protein has 4 calories per gram.

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, so it is important to make sure the diet consists primarily of the healthier carbohydrates. It is recommended that 40% to 60% of total calories should come from carbohydrates, which contain 4 calories per gram.

Carbohydrates to Emphasize Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are all comprised primarily of carbohydrates. These healthful foods provide the body with vitamins, minerals and fiber. “Complex” carbohydrates are one type of healthy carbohydrates found in whole grains (including brown rice, wild rice, bulgur, quinoa, triticale, amaranth, millet, barley and sorghum), whole grain breads and cereals, potatoes, sweet potatoes and legumes. It is important to note that many supposed “whole grain” or “whole wheat” flours are not really whole grain — but a mix of whole and refined grains. To see if the food is healthy, check the Nutrition Facts label for the amount of fiber.

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To the Teacher Carbohydrates to Avoid (continued) “Refined” carbohydrates have had their outer portion removed. These foods are not as healthy for the body for several reasons: First, they lack fiber, a necessary dietary component for preventing such conditions as constipation, colon cancer and diverticular disease. Also, many vitamins and minerals are removed in the refining process. While “enriched” foods (such as enriched flour) have some of the vitamins and minerals restored, many micronutrients and fiber are not restored to the “enriched” product.

Fat Fat is needed by the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, and to protect vital organs, insulate the body and maintain healthy hair and skin. Fat also helps produce cell membranes and hormones that help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the nervous system. It can also be used as a source of energy for the body. Too much fat can be harmful to a person’s health. Excess fat may increase blood cholesterol levels and the risk for coronary heart disease, while increasing the possibility of weight gain. While the USDA recommends that fat consumption should not exceed 35% of a person’s daily calories, many other sources suggest keeping fat intake below 30%. Fat contains 9 calories per gram.

Healthy Fats “Monounsaturated” fats have the ability to reduce the “bad” cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, helping to lower the risk of heart disease. Monounsaturated fats are found in olive, peanut, sesame and canola oils, avocados, and most nuts. “Polyunsaturated” fats help lower blood pressure, protect against irregular heartbeat and decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. This type of fat can be found in vegetable oils (safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed), flaxseed, flax oil and walnuts, and in fatty, cold-water fish. Polyunsaturated fats are divided into several sub-groups, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Typically, the American diet does not include enough of the Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in flax oil, walnuts, and cold-water fish such as salmon. Typical Western diets place too much emphasis on the Omega-6 fats found in soy, sunflower, cottonseed, canola, peanut and corn oil.

Harmful Fats “Saturated” fats can increase the amount of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) in the body, while also increasing blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. These harmful fats are most often found in animal products and tropical oils. While minimal amounts of “Trans” fats occur in most meat and dairy products, most trans fats in the diet are man-made — when manufacturers add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil to produce a solid fat. The food industry has relied on trans fats mainly because they do not go rancid, and thus extend product shelf life. If a product label lists “partially hydrogenated fat” among the ingredients, then trans fats are present in the food. Nutrition Facts food labels now include trans fat — but the amount can be listed as “0 grams” if the product contains less than 0.5

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ESOL Program

To the Teacher

gram per serving. Trans fats are common in most commercially baked goods, fried foods, shortenings and some margarines. Dietary Cholesterol is produced (continued) naturally by the body, but can also be obtained from animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter. While the body needs some cholesterol to function properly, it is not necessary to consume more of it — as the body can make all it needs.

Guidelines Take Care New York emphasizes that following the Food Pyramid guidelines — by eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, and knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers — will help ensure a healthy heart, leading to a longer, healthier life.

Sources www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000276.htm www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-iron.html http://mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262 http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/glossary/AthruL.htm#B http://nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/herb_All.html www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002468.htm www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002469.htm www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000276.htm www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002415.htm http://nutritiondata.com/ www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines/index.html www.familydoctor.org http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=3 &tax_subject=274&topic_id=1323&level3_id=5147 (NOTE: The Beginner curriculum covers reading food labels [“Nutrition Facts”]. Please refer to Beginning Level, English for Your Health, Session 17, if you wish to cover this topic.)

Objectives Learners will: • Name the 5 categories of the Food Pyramid. • Identify their own eating habits and compare them to the Food Pyramid. • Discuss the kind of food or diet that is right for them.

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Materials Needed Board or chart paper Markers Paper plates (optional) Food cutouts or pictures (optional) Laminated Food Pyramid mini posters (2-sided) Worksheets: 11a (Parts of a Healthy Diet), 11b (Listening), 11c (Dialogue), 11d (Nutrition questions), 11e (Nutrition Word Search), 11f (Calcium), 11g (My 3Day Diet Chart)

Activity 1 What do you know about a healthy diet? Warm-up 1. Divide the class into small groups of 3–5, depending on the class size. Ask

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Activity 2 Listening

learners, “What is a healthy diet? What do you think are parts of a healthy diet?” Write some of their examples on the board. (NOTE: Do not “teach” the components of a healthy diet. The goal is to elicit what learners already know.) Give each group a copy of Worksheet 11a (Parts of a Healthy Diet). Ask the learners to discuss what they think Parts of a Healthy Diet is a healthy diet. Ask Amount of MEALS Food Food them to write down an example of a one-day Breakfast menu, including foods and the amount they Lunch think a person should consume for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Elicit Snack some examples from the class. Dinner Optional Activity: You may want to prepare cut-out pictures of different foods and paper plates. Learners fill their plates with cut out pictures based on their chart. The groups post their charts (and plates of food, if done) and present their work to the class. Encourage feedback from other students.

1. Distribute Worksheet 11b (Listening). Play the recording for the learners; repeat once. Ask the learners to listen to the dialogues and answer the True/False questions. Check as a class. 2. Distribute Worksheet 11c (Dialogue). For additional practice, ask the learners to role-play the dialogue with a partner.

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Activity 3 U.S. Food Pyramid

Adult Learner

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1. Show the Food Pyramid mini-poster and say, “This is the U.S. Food Pyramid. Each color represents a food group. Can you name them?” Write their responses on the board. 2. Hand out copies of the Food Pyramid to each group. Ask the learners which of the food groups one should eat more of, and which food groups should one eat less of. 3. Talk about each section of the Food Pyramid. Ask the learners to read each category and name the foods that are in each one. Be sure to cover alternatives to dairy, complex carbohydrates, and meat. Encourage learners to ask questions about the words they do not understand. Write them on the board and explain by using them in a sentence. If not mentioned, check for comprehension of these words: Variety, Vary, Lactose, Lactose-free, Ounce (oz.), Go easy on…, Fortified foods, Lean, and Saturated fat. • Variety – different kinds. “A variety of fruits and vegetables is available at your local grocery stores.” • Vary – change something or be different. “It is a good idea to vary your protein routine by eating more beans, fish, and lean meats.” • Lactose – sugar in milk. “Some people cannot consume milk due to the lactose in it.” • Lactose-free – sugar in milk is not present. “Choose lactose-free products if you cannot consume milk.” • Ounce (oz.) – 1/8 of a cup (liquid), 1/16 of a pound (dry). “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” • Go easy on… – have a small amount. “Go easy on the red meat and fried foods.” • Fortified foods – add ingredients to food or drink in order to improve flavor or increase nutrients. “Fortified foods and beverages could be a good source of calcium.” • Lean – meat with less fat. “Lean meat is best for your heart.” • Saturated fat – soaked in fat; oversupply of fat. “Fried foods like fried chicken, hamburgers and French fries are high in saturated fat.” 4. Learners take turns reading each category. Direct the learners to the bottom of the back page of the Food Pyramid mini-poster, and ask: • “What foods are good sources of fat?” (fish, nuts, vegetable oils) • Give examples of non-liquid fats or solid fats. (butter, lard, shortening, ghee, chicken fat) • “What is the minimum should you be physically active daily?” (30 minutes) “If you want to lose weight, how many hours per day should you exercise?” (30–60 minutes) • “For a 2,000-calorie diet, how much fruit and vegetables should you eat every day? Meat and beans? Grains? Milk?”

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5. Pair up learners and ask them to write sentences using at least 2 or 3 of the vocabulary words. Assist the sentence-building activity, and ask them to write their sentences on the board or chart paper. Have learners take turns reading their sentences. If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes, wait until they have finished reading, and then go over each sentence one at a time. Then ask the class if there are words that need to be changed. (NOTE: If there are many errors, you may wish to focus on a limited number.) Give learners have option to copy some or all of the sentences. 6. Distribute Worksheet 11d, and ask learners to answer the nutrition questions in groups or pairs. Check as a class.

Activity 4 Revising the Chart

1. Divide the class into pairs or groups of 2–3, depending on class size. Ask the learners to look at their chart from Activity 1, and say: “How could you make your selections healthier? Which ones should you keep and which ones should you change, and why?” Go around the room to facilitate discussion and assist the groups as they make their changes. (If there are no changes, then the group posts its chart on the board.) Learners should discuss and make their changes based on what they have learned about the Food Pyramid (ex., instead of a can of coke, drink a glass of water). 2. Ask learners to switch partners/groups. Ask learners to discuss the changes they made with their new partners, and to explain why they think these are healthier choices. Explain that the group/pair will present to the class the changes that the other group came up with. Ask learners to present each other’s changes. Feedback and suggestions are recommended. Have everyone post their charts.

Activity 5 Running Dictation Game: Health Tips

Post the following list on the wall where most of the class cannot see it. (Post one copy per group, in different locations.) Divide the class into groups of 6. Each group sends their first runner, who reads tip #1 and dictates to the group. The group writes it down. Then a second runner brings back tip #2. Continue until the list is completed: 1. Fresh fruit is healthier than canned. Canned food sometimes has sugar added. 2. Fresh vegetables are healthier than canned. Canned vegetables often have sugar and salt added. 3. It is better to eat fruit than drink juice. Fruit has fiber, juice does not. 4. If you drink juice, read the label. Some drinks are only 30% fruit. The rest is sugar and water. 5. Walnuts are a healthy snack. They have good fats and some protein. But don’t eat too many. 6. If you eat meat, choose lean meat. Eat small portions. 7. Fish contains protein and some healthy fats that are good for the heart. 8. If you don’t drink milk, you can get calcium from some green vegetables (for example: kale, spinach, or collard greens). 9. Bacteria grow faster at room temperature. Defrost meats in the refrigerator, not in your sink. 11 • A HEALTHY DIET & THE FOOD PYRAMID

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Homework • Hand out Worksheet 11e (Nutrition Word Search). • If you wish, you can give learners the optional homework sheet (11f) on alternative sources of calcium, as well. • Healthy Diet Diary Hand out Worksheet 11g (My 3-Day Diet Chart). Ask learners to fill in their own individual diet diary for 3 days. This activity will help them see what foods (and how much) they eat, and how they can control their consumption. Tell learners that the chart is just for personal use, but they may choose to share their charts. If there is no English equivalent, tell learners they can write the names of fruits and vegetables in their home language. Use the sample chart to demonstrate. (NOTE: Learners will use their individual diet diaries in Session 19: Using the Internet for Nutrition and Menu Planning.)

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Worksheet 11a – Parts of a Healthy Diet Chart

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Dinner

Snack

Lunch

Breakfast

MEALS

Amount of Food Food

Parts of a Healthy Diet

Intermediate ENGLISH FOR YOUR HEALTH Adult Learner

ESOL Program

Intermediate ENGLISH FOR YOUR HEALTH

Adult Learner

ESOL Program

Directions: Listen to Donna and Lisa talking. Then mark the statements TRUE or FALSE. Correct any false information. The example is done for you. Example: women Two men are talking.

1. Donna and Lisa used to be ghbors. nei

False

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2. Lisa has lost some weight.

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3. Donna took diet pills.

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4. Donna has a lot of variety in her diet.

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5. Lisa recognized Donna right away.

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6. Donna and Lisa meet once a week.

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7. Lisa says exercise is boring.

Worksheet 11b – Listening

________

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Donna: Hi, Lisa! How have you been? Lisa: I’m fine… Do I know you? Donna: I’m Donna – I used to live in your building, remember? Lisa: Donna? Oh, my – I didn’t recognize you! I haven’t seen you in ages! You look absolutely wonderful! You’ve lost some weight, huh? Donna: Yes, I have. Lisa: What did you do? Did you take some diet pills? Or just starve yourself? Donna: No, no! I’ve just been exercising regularly, and I’ve really improved my diet in the last 8 months. Lisa: I’ll bet you’ve had to give up a lot of your favorite foods. I remember how much you love ice cream. Donna: I still do – but now I don’t eat it everyday. I save it as a treat for special occasions. The key is portion control. I go easy on ice cream. I’ve also cut down on red meat, sweets, fried foods and junk food. Lisa: That sounds boring. Donna: Not really! I’ve discovered so many new things to eat. My diet now has much more variety, actually. I’ve found so many new fruits and vegetables to choose from. I vary the foods I eat everyday. Lisa: And I can see the result. We need to get together so you can show me how you do it. Donna: I’d love to! Here’s my number. Lisa: Thanks, and here’s mine. Talk to you soon.

Worksheet 11c – Dialogue

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Read and answer the following questions: 1.

What foods are good sources of fat?

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Give examples of non-liquid fat.

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What is the minimum one should be physically active daily?

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If you want to lose weight, how many hours per day should you exercise?

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For a 2,000 calorie diet, how much fruit and vegetables should one eat every day?

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How much meat and beans should one consume daily?

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How much milk should one drink every day? How about grains?

Worksheet 11d – Nutrition Questions

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Teacher’s Version

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Worksheet 11e – Word Search

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Calcium Adults need 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Milk has a lot of calcium. But some people do not drink milk or eat dairy foods. Here are some other calcium-rich foods. Do you eat these foods? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Circle the foods you eat. Talk about it with your teacher and classmates. I often eat…

I sometimes eat… Food

Calcium (mg)

Soy beverage, calcium fortified, 1 cup

368

Sardines, Atlantic, in oil, drained, 3 oz

325

Tofu, firm, prepared with nigarib , ½ cup

253

Pink salmon, canned, with bone, 3 oz

181

Collards, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

178

Molasses, blackstrap, 1 Tbsp

172

Spinach, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

146

Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup

130

Turnip greens, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

124

Ocean perch (fish), Atlantic, cooked, 3 oz

116

Cowpeas (black eyed peas), cooked, ½ cup

106

White beans, canned, ½ cup

96

Kale, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

90

Okra, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

88

Beet greens, cooked from fresh, ½ cup

82

Bok choy (Chinese cabbage), cooked from fresh, ½ cup

79

Dandelion greens, cooked from fresh, ½ cup

74

Dried figs, 10 figs

269

Total cereal (General Mills), ¾ cup

250

Calcium-fortified orange juice, 8 oz

250

Navel orange, 1 medium

56

Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup

72

Seaweed, dried (Agar), 1½ Tbsp

75

Seaweed, dried (Hijiki), 1 Tbsp

80

Worksheet 11f – Alternate Sources of Calcium

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Teacher’s Version

(Sample Chart)

My 3-Day Diet Date

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

07/21

1 cup coffee, 1 buttered croissant, 2 strips bacon

½-cup rice, 4 oz. fish, broccoli, apple

07/22

1 boiled egg, toast, banana, tea

½-cup rice, salad, 2 drumsticks, soup

07/23

1 bowl cereal with milk, 1 banana, 1 cup coffee

Carrot-&-pea soup, ½ ham sandwich, apple juice

My 3-Day Diet – Sample Chart

SNACK

DINNER

8 strawberries, 1 piece white toast

Salad, ½-cup rice, broiled chicken breast, 1 cup orange juice

1 apple, cheese, 5 crackers

Meat with bokchoy, potatoes, 1 cup cranberry juice

1 mango

Tomato salad with mozzarella cheese, 2 slices of bread, tea

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Food Pyramid Mini-Poster – 1

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Intermediate ENGLISH FOR YOUR HEALTH Adult Learner

ESOL Program

Food Pyramid Mini-Poster – 2

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Intermediate ENGLISH FOR YOUR HEALTH Adult Learner

ESOL Program