Designing a Family Nutrition Plan
Overview
Students create a meal plan for a family of three, each person needing a different caloric intake.
The learning outcomes and overview for the activity. The overview is written to spark students’ interest in the activity before they start it.
Outcomes
- Analyze the effect nutrition has on overall wellness across the lifespan.
- Evaluate diets for unhealthy macro/micronutrient consumption.
- Review and use food guideline recommendations for each age and caloric intake using an online dietary analysis tool.
- Create a daily menu for each individual, meeting each individual’s caloric and dietary guidelines.
Overview
Who has ever tried meal planning for their household one week at a time? Who has people in their households who have very different food likes and dislikes? How can you create meals that will meet everyone’s nutrient needs? In this assessment, you will create meals for a family of three, each person needing a different caloric intake. You will need to determine the nutrient needs of each member based on the information provided, then create meals that meet these needs. REMEMBER This is one family eating together, so you cannot make three separate entrees for each meal!
Why Use This?
This activity allows students to practice developing a nutritional meal plan, which requires skills they can use in their professional and personal lives.
How Does It Work?
Students are given details about each member of a three-person family. They’re then asked to determine the nutrient needs of each family member based on the details provided and the nutritional guidelines that each family member must follow to maintain their weight. With this information, students create a three-day menu that meets these guidelines.
Instructions for the activity
Instructions
- Review the guidelines for nutrition on MyPlateLinks to an external site. for each of the following family members (to maintain weight):
Assigned Sex Age Weight (pounds) Height (feet, inches) Daily Activity Calories Consumed per Day Male 72 195 6’ 30-60 minutes 2,600 Female 40 145 5’ 5” < 30 minutes 2,000 Female 14 120 5’ 4” > 60 minutes 2,400 - Use MyPlateLinks to an external site. and MyFitnessPalLinks to an external site. to complete the following:
- Provide dietary food group guidelines for each of the three individuals. Review the Sample MyPlatePlanDownload Sample MyPlatePlan for an example.
- Create a three-day menu for each individual that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks per day. REMEMBER This is a family, so the meals should be planned around similar foods, with the assumption they will eat meals together. As you create the diet plans, account for the following factors:
- Variety: A varied diet is more likely to be adequate in nutrients.
- Balance: All food groups are needed.
- Moderation: Intake of certain foods such as fat, cholesterol, sugar, and salt should be limited for health’s sake.
- Calorie Control: Energy intake should not exceed needs.
- Adequacy: The foods should provide enough of each essential nutrient, fiber, and energy.
- Evaluate if you met the dietary guidelines/goals for each person. NOTE You need to provide total servings per food group, the caloric totals, and the nutrient totals (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals) to demonstrate that your newly designed meals meet the requirements for each individual. Provide your analysis of the menu. IMPORTANT As part of the dietary analysis, be sure to include the MyPlate computer-generated dietary analysis for each individual. Review the Sample MyFitnessPal Dietary Analysis Download Sample MyFitnessPal Dietary Analysis for an example.
- Write a 500-750 word summary reflecting on how well you met the necessary nutrients and caloric intake for each family member. NOTE Include what you learned from the process.
Keep In Mind
In this activity, students use the MyFitnessPal website, an easy tool to create and analyze meal plans. Remember to include instructions on how to use the site, so students understand how it works and what type of information it can provide.