Skip to Main Content

Fiber in Your Diet

Lesson Plan

Fiber in Your Diet

Grade Levels

10th Grade

Course, Subject

Food Science and Nutrition
  • Big Ideas
    Nutrition, eating habits and preparation choices impact overall health and wellness throughout the lifecycle at individual and societal level.
  • Concepts
    Diets can be modified to improve health conditions.
    Emotional, psychological and physical factors can have an impact on health.
    Food and nutritional information needs to be interpreted by the consumer.
    Nutrients are used in the body’s physiological processes.
  • Competencies
    Adapt favorite meals/recipes to improve nutritional content while controlling costs.
    Analyze recipe for nutrient value.
    Analyze societal messages regarding body size.
    Analyze sources of food & nutrition information, including food labels, related to health & wellness.
    Analyze the effect of food & fad diets, food addictions, & eating disorders on individuals’ health & wellness.
    Assess the influence of socioeconomic & psychological factors on food choice, nutrition & behavior.
    Conduct a nutritional analysis of dietary intake for a current health condition.
    Evaluate the validity of nutritional claims from various sources.
    Examine the chemical conversion of food to energy.
    Examine the relationship between health and diet across varied cultural and religious groups.
    Explain the breakdown of foods and absorption of nutrients by the body.
    Identify common food fads, diets, addictions and eating disorders.
    Identify ways to obtain a healthy diet on a limited budget.
    Suggest modifications to the diet for a specific health condition.

Rationale

Fiber is an important carbohydrate that helps regulate the body's use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check. Getting enough fiber in the diet is important and helps keep bodies healthy, but many Americans don't get enough fiber. Students need to learn the benefits of fiber and how to incorporate it into daily meals in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Vocabulary

Dietary fiber-- The edible portions of plant cell walls that are resistant to digestion

Soluble fiber-- ("Soluble" in water) When mixed with water it forms a gel-like substance and swells

Insoluble fiber-- Does not absorb or dissolve in water.  It passes through our digestive system in close to its original form

 

Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Identify foods sources that are high in fiber
  • Explain the importance of fiber in the diet
  • State how much fiber they need daily
  • Explain health consequences of not getting enough fiber

Lesson Essential Question(s)

Why is fiber important?

There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, what is the difference between them?

What diseases does fiber help prevent? 

How much fiber do you need daily? 

What are examples of food sources high in fiber?

How can you increase fiber in your diet?

Duration

60 minutes

Materials

Computer, Powerpoint program, Cereal boxes (food examples high in fiber), Worksheet

Suggested Instructional Strategies

W:  List on the board objectives, rationale, and assignments before students arrive
H:  Asking questions about each students personal diet habits and group activity worksheets 
E:  Discussion, Group chats, self-evaluation on fiber sources consumed
R:  While filling out the worksheet after the lesson, each student will review and apply concepts learned to the worksheet. Students are also encouraged throughout the lesson to reflect on prior diet habits and rethink about current diet habits
E:  Students will have a chance to share with the class about personal eating/food choices and write about their current fiber intake on the worksheet
T: The students will be in groups while filling out the worksheet and each student will recieve a personal worksheet to discuss what they learned and how they can relate it to their diets
O:  Learning experiences move students from teacher-guided to independent applications by following the instructional procedures

Instructional Procedures

Powerpoint Presentation

intro

slide 1: What is fiber?

  • Fiber is the indigestable part of plant foods
  • Two types: 1) Insouluble fiber does not dissolve in water and does not change forms as it travels through the digestive tracts  2) soluble fiber dissolves in water and changes as it travels through the digestive tract
Slide 2: Why is fiber important?
  • Helps maintain a healthy digestive system 
    • moves digested food through the intestines
    • promotes healthy bowl movements by adding 'bulk' to stool and preventing constipation
  • Helps maintain healthy body weight
    • Slows stomach emptying
    • Promotes feelings of fullness (prevent overeating)
  • Can help prevent several diseases 
Slide 3: Disease Prevention from Fiber
  • Obesity
    • Fiber helps you feel full faster, making it less likely to overeat
  • Diverticulitis
    • When there isn't enough fiber incorporated into the diet, too pressure is put on the colon which creates pockets where food can get caught. This can cause a painful infection. Eating enough fiber keeps the digestion system regular, preventing constipation. 
  • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Fiber prevents overeating to help maintain a healthy body weight
  • Heart Disease
    • fiber helps lower cholesterol in the blood, decreasing your risk for heart disease
Slide 4:Sources of Fiber
  • Major sources of fiber include: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds
  • Fruits: Raspberries, Pears, Apples,etc. (Ask students: what fruits do you guys like best? Can you think of any other fruits that are high in fiber?)
  • Vegetables: Artichokes, green peas, broccoli, potato, etc. (Ask students: Can you think of any other vegetables high in fiber?)
  • Beans, Nuts, & Seeds: Lentils, black beans, almonds, etc. (Ask students: What food group would you find these in ?)
  • Grains: Spaghetti, barley, oatmeal, bread, etc. (Ask students: Does anyone know the difference between whole-wheat and multigrain? What about refined grains?)
Slide 5: Daily recommended intake of Fiber
  • Depends on age, weight, gender (Ask students: How much fiber do you think you get a day? What daily foods do you eat that could be high in fiber?)
  • Recommened 14 grams per 1,00 calories consumed
  • Males ages 14-50: about 35 g/day
  • Females ages 14-50: about 25 g/day 
Slide 6: Fiber on the Food Label
  • Look for the words dietary Fiber under Total Carbohydrates
  • 3 grams or more per serving indicate a good source of fiber
  • 5 grams or more per serving are considered an excellent source of fiber
Slide 7: Incorporating more fiber into your diet
  • Follow MyPlate, eat all your vegetables, fruits, protein, grains, and dairy!
  • Replace refined grains with whole grains. 
    • Instead of white ride try brown rice or oatmeal instead of sugary cereals
  • Add fruits and vegetables to your meals 
    • such as adding fruit into oatmeal or vegetables into a morning omlette 
Slide 8: Too Much Fiber
  • Too much fiber can lead to intestinal gas, abdominal bloating and cramps. 
  • Its also important to get enough water, fiber works best when its absorbed by water
Worksheet
Divide the students into groups, having 3 students in each group. Hand out the Fiber Up worksheet and have them work together in groups to accomplish the worksheet. 
Walk around the classroom offereing help to students. Once all the worksheets are completed, hand each student an evaluation sheet, where they will write a small summary on their own fiber intake and what they will do differently after viewing the presentation. 

Formative Assessment

Class participation, Fiber up Worksheet, and Personal Fiber summary paper 

Related Materials & Resources

Author

Date Published

April 22, 2015
Loading
Please wait...

Insert Template

Information