Students strengthen their percentage and fraction skills by comparing the nutritional values of similar food products. They individually calculate their own daily intake of various nutrients and compare their diets to recommended daily percentages. Older students might create a dietary spreadsheet to track their daily intake of various nutrients. Discussion questions, additional activities, suggestions for assessment, and Internet extensions are included with the lesson plan. (author/sw)

Proper nutrition is a central concern of workers in the Health Science, the culinary pathway in the Hospitality & Tourism, and Human Services career fields. This lesson deals with investigating the nutritional content of various foods. The newspaper article that prompts the lesson is about nutritional claims made in advertising that are part of a company's marketing program. In addition to investigating the nutritional content of commercially available foods, students investigate the nutritional content of the food they consume. The lesson requires group work and writing, both general career skills. While the lesson can be used "as is," the Extension Activities and Interdisciplinary Connections provided can be used to enhance the lesson for the secondary classroom.