Nutrition Foundations

Context and Australian Curriculum Links

This lesson fits into the Year 10 Design and Technologies curriculum focusing on food technologies under the Australian Curriculum Version 9. Specifically, it aligns with:

AC9TDE6K04: Explain how the characteristics of foods influence selection and preparation for healthy eating.
AC9TDE6P03: Select and use suitable materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions.
AC9TDE10P03: Select, justify, test and use suitable technologies, skills and processes, and apply safety procedures to safely make designed solutions.

Students will explore and apply the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating alongside investigating macronutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats and their roles in nutrition, before applying this knowledge by preparing healthy food items like wraps, sandwiches, or chicken burgers.

This lesson is designed for 15 Year 10 students, running 90 minutes.

Lesson Details

Lesson 5 of 12: Nutrition Foundations: Healthy Eating Guidelines

WALT (We Are Learning To):

Investigate the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating to understand food group proportions for a healthy diet.
Identify the role of key nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Apply knowledge of nutrition by preparing healthy wraps, sandwiches or chicken burgers.
Follow food safety and hygiene practices during food preparation.

Success Criteria:

I can describe the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and its recommendations for balanced meals.
I can explain the nutritional roles of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
I can safely prepare and assemble a healthy wrap, sandwich, or chicken burger using balanced ingredients.
I follow food safety and hygiene practices while preparing food.

Lesson Plan Breakdown

Time	Activity Description	Resources
0-10 mins	Introduction: Setting the Foundations
Discuss lesson objectives using a student-friendly version of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating poster displayed or printed for each student.
Briefly introduce macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) and their role in energy and health. Use a simple diagram/chart for visual support.
Check prior knowledge via a quick think-pair-share on students’ favourite healthy foods.	Australian Guide to Healthy Eating posters or printouts, large chart or slide of macronutrients with examples	Dyslexia-friendly reading: use coloured overlays on printed guides, clear fonts (Arial, Comic Sans), bullet points, and annotated diagrams.
Extension: Provide students with a nutrient infographic for key nutrients and ask advanced learners to explain how these nutrients help the body function.
10-25 mins	Investigation task: Food Groups and Nutrients
Students work in pairs to analyse different common foods (some pre-prepared cards or digital worksheet) identifying which food group they belong to and the dominant macronutrient.
Use ‘traffic light’ coded food cards to enhance engagement and visual clarity.
Each pair shares an example.	Food cards/worksheet showing various food items and their nutrient content, coloured traffic lights for categorising	Differentiation: Pair stronger readers with peers needing support; provide vocabulary lists of key terms.
Support: Instructions simplified into step-by-step guide with icons.
Extension: Challenge advanced learners to suggest ingredient substitutions for better health or sustainability.
25-35 mins	Class discussion: What makes a healthy meal?
Connect the analysis to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating’s recommended balance of food groups. Discuss how meals like wraps or sandwiches can be balanced.
Discuss the importance of portion sizes and ingredient choices.	Whiteboard, markers, Australian Guide to Healthy Eating diagram	Use questioning techniques to involve quieter students and scaffold answers.
Use real food examples brought in or pictures.
35-50 mins	Demonstration: Preparing Healthy Wraps, Sandwiches or Chicken Burgers
The teacher/model demonstrates how to prepare one healthy dish emphasizing hygiene, correct knife skills, and selecting balanced ingredients (lean protein, wholegrain bread/wrap, vegetables, healthy fats).
Discuss food safety during preparation.	Fresh ingredients for wrap, sandwich, chicken burger (lean chicken, wholegrain wraps/bread, salad veggies, healthy spreads), safety gloves, chopping boards, knives	Safety reminders repeated frequently for all learners.
Support: Visual step-by-step instructions projected or printed for dyslexic students.
Extension: Provide advanced learners recipes for making low-fat sauces or homemade seasoning blends.
50-80 mins	Student Practical: Prepare and Assemble
Students prepare their own chosen healthy wrap, sandwich or chicken burger in groups or pairs. Monitor safety, hygiene, and encouraging teamwork.
Encourage students to use their nutritional knowledge to balance their ingredients.	Ingredients and kitchen equipment as demonstrated, cleaning supplies	Allow students to work at their own pace; those needing more time supported by an aide or peer.
Encourage students to experiment with flavour combinations (extension).
80-90 mins	Reflection and Clean-Up
Students taste their creations and reflect on ingredients chosen.
Students complete a brief self-assessment: How well did they apply healthy eating guidelines? What did they learn about proteins, carbs, and fats?
Clean-up the kitchen area together.	Self-assessment sheet, cleaning materials	Oral feedback or pictorial self-assessment for learners with writing challenges.
Extension: Students suggest “next step” recipes or modifications to improve the healthiness or taste further.

Assessment

Formative assessment through observation of practical skills, safety and hygiene adherence.
Class discussion and pair work provide evidence of understanding food groups and nutrients.
Self-assessment sheet reflection checks student comprehension.
Option to collect food card worksheets for marking nutrient identification.

Differentiation Strategies

Use paired and group work to support diverse learners.
Provide step-by-step instructions with visuals for dyslexia-friendly accessibility.
Vocabulary lists with definitions and pictorial supports.
Hands-on demonstration supports kinaesthetic learners.
Verbal questioning scaffolds understanding.
Advanced learners extend by exploring nutrient substitutions and recipe modification.

Additional Notes for Teachers

Reinforce cultural inclusivity by discussing a range of foods common to Australian and multicultural diets.
Relate food safety to current hygiene standards, especially important in practical food lessons.
Use this lesson as a springboard to incorporate sustainability themes in later lessons about food sourcing or waste minimisation.
Ensure adequate PPE and hygiene procedures are followed by all students.

This lesson closely aligns with the Australian Curriculum’s focus on design, technologies, food preparation skills, and healthy eating using a practical and investigative approach suitable for Year 10 students.
The integration of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and macronutrient roles provides clear, curriculum-aligned learning outcomes while hands-on preparation maximises student engagement and skills development.

Teaching Instructions