KEY INFORMATION

Recommended age group: 11–14.
Time required: approx. 60 minutes.
Equipment: student-facing presentation; printable activity sheets: food influencer matrix, fridge checklist, pledge sheet.


ACTIVITY IDEA

Warm up

  • Use the Fuel class presentation and questioning to draw out students’ knowledge of the Eatwell Guide and the main food groups. Emphasise the idea of a balanced and varied diet – over a day/week – rather than the notion of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods.
  • Use the slides to lead students through a true or false quiz on the nutritional value of foods; to make it active, ask students to stand behind their chairs: stretch up if they think the statement is true; crouch down if they think it is false.
  • Use the slides to support a brief discussion after revealing the correct response to each statement.

Explore

  • Ask the students to watch the film and discuss the choices they see.
  • Working in small groups, show each scenario and ask the groups to decide which food option is the best/healthiest choice. There is more than one healthy option for each scenario so encourage the students to share why they chose that option and discuss in the whole group.
  • Run as a quiz with groups competing against each other to make it more engaging: award points for either of the two healthy choices; deduct points for choosing the unhealthy/less-healthy option. If appropriate, substitute grapes (or similar) for points.

Challenge

  • Working individually or in pairs, ask the students to discuss and complete the food influencer matrix provided in the Fuel Class activity sheets. Focusing on the three main influences in their lives: what are the limiting or supportive ‘powers’ of each. Ask them to consider how positive influencers (superheroes) can help to overcome limiting influencers (villains).

Cool down

  • Use the slide to reinforce and summarise the key learnings about eating a balanced and varied diet, making informed choices and listening to their own bodies.
  • Ask the students to consider their own food choices and potential ‘easy swaps’. Ask them to create a pledge by identifying one healthy food choice they will make.

EXTENSION

Encourage the students to take the fridge checklist home and post it in the kitchen to help them to make healthy food choices on a daily basis. Signpost the students to resources that support them to make healthy food choices at home.

Ask students aged 13+ to consider their social media profiles and make a pledge to be a ‘superhero’, i.e. use their social media posts to be a positive influence on others. For example, ask them to consider:

  • What social media posts made by other people do they like/share? Are these positive or negative in terms of healthy eating?
  • How could they comment on other people’s posts to turn any negatives into positives – without attacking the person/trolling?
  • What messages could they post themselves that would help to spread positive messages?

The Vary Your Fuel information sheet provides further key, expert-informed advice on nutrition subjects. This sheet can be provided for students to read, or used by the teacher for additional background information. 

MAKE IT ACTIVE

Ideas for active learning are included throughout the resource. Adapt as required to suit your class and learning environment.