Plan a Budget Meal

Overview

Students compare food prices across two supermarkets and design a nutritious meal for four people within a fixed budget. They apply percentages, unit pricing, estimation and financial decision-making to justify choices and evaluate trade-offs.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• compare prices using unit rates and percentage differences
• apply budgeting, estimation and rounding to a realistic food-planning problem
• use a spreadsheet or calculator to model total costs
• justify a meal plan using mathematical evidence and practical considerations

Success criteria

• I can calculate and compare the unit price of similar food items.
• I can keep a meal plan within a specified budget.
• I can calculate the percentage saving or increase between supermarkets.
• I can explain why my choices represent good value and meet the brief.

Curriculum links

• Financial mathematics: using rates, percentages, discounts, totals and comparisons in practical contexts
• Mathematical modelling: defining a problem, making assumptions, applying mathematics and evaluating a solution
• Problem-solving and reasoning: interpreting information, selecting strategies and justifying decisions
• Digital literacy in mathematics: using spreadsheets or digital tools to organise data and check calculations

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook and purpose Open with the supermarket comparison hook and display two apparently similar products with different package sizes and prices. Ask: “Which is better value, and what information would you need before deciding?” Briefly introduce the challenge: plan one main meal for four people for no more than $35.

2. 5–13 minutes – Explicit teaching: comparing value Use the unit-price teaching slides to model unit price: price ÷ quantity, with units such as dollars per kilogram or cents per 100 grams. Model how to calculate a percentage difference using [ \frac{\text{difference{\text{original price\times100 ] Emphasise checking that products are comparable, including package size, brand, quality and dietary suitability.

3. 13–18 minutes – Worked example and task briefing Demonstrate one example, such as comparing 500 g of pasta for $2.80 with 750 g for $3.60. Think aloud while converting to a common unit, rounding appropriately and recording the cheaper unit price. Display the task instructions on the budgeting challenge instructions and clarify that students may not exceed $35.

4. 18–40 minutes – Group budget meal planning Arrange 15 students into five groups of three: calculator/data manager, nutrition and suitability checker, and presenter/recorder. Distribute the supermarket comparison and meal-planning worksheet. Groups use the supplied supermarket price lists, or teacher-provided current catalogues, to select ingredients for a meal serving four people. They record item, quantity, supermarket, unit price, cost used and total purchase cost. Students should compare at least four items available at both supermarkets and identify at least one percentage saving.

5. 40–50 minutes – Review, revise and justify Groups check totals, quantities and assumptions. Prompt them to consider whether the cheapest option is always the most appropriate, including nutrition, waste, dietary needs, package sizes and whether unused food remains. Groups revise their plan if necessary and prepare a 60-second justification. Use the evaluation prompts to structure peer questioning.

6. 50–57 minutes – Presentations and comparison Each group presents its meal, total cost, cost per person, supermarket choices and greatest saving. Class members listen for mathematical evidence and record one effective strategy used by another group. Invite students to challenge any unclear assumption respectfully.

7. 57–60 minutes – Individual exit reflection Return to the plenary and exit questions. Students independently answer on the bottom of the worksheet: “What was your strongest value comparison?” and “If your budget decreased by 10%, what would you change?” Collect worksheets and use responses to identify misconceptions.

Resources

• the complete budgeting lesson deck
• the supermarket comparison and meal-planning worksheet
• Teacher-prepared price lists from two supermarkets, with product name, package size and price
• Calculators or spreadsheet-enabled devices
• Whiteboard and markers
• Sample meal brief: serves four, maximum $35, includes a main carbohydrate, protein source and at least two vegetables
• Rulers or highlighters for identifying package sizes and units
• Optional nutrition and dietary information supplied by the teacher

Assessment

• Observe group calculations and questioning, focusing on unit-price conversions, percentage calculations and sensible rounding.
• Check worksheets for accurate comparisons, a total within budget, cost per person and clearly stated assumptions.
• Assess presentations informally using four criteria: mathematical accuracy, comparison evidence, practical suitability and clarity of justification.

Differentiation

• Support students with a partially completed comparison table, a unit-price formula reminder and a worked percentage example. Allow calculator or spreadsheet use and pair students strategically.
• Provide a clearly formatted price list with consistent units for students who need reduced reading or processing demands. Read the task aloud and pre-teach terms such as unit price, serving, budget, saving and assumption.
• For EAL students, provide a visual glossary and sentence starters: “The best value is… because…”, “The percentage saving is…”, and “We chose this product because…”.
• Extend confident students by requiring a cost-per-serving comparison, a 10% budget reduction scenario, or an evaluation of whether a supermarket special actually offers the best unit price.