Food Labels Today

Overview

In this lesson (lesson 5 of 10), tamariki explore real food packaging and learn how to find ingredients and simple nutrition information. They practise making a “healthy choice” decision using label information, with teacher guidance.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify ingredients on a food label and notice that ingredients tell what a food is made from.
• WALT find and talk about simple nutrition facts (such as sugar, salt, or “per serve”) on a label.
• WALT compare two packaged foods and explain which choice is healthier and why.

Success criteria

• I can point to where ingredients are written on a label.
• I can say one ingredient I can see on the label.
• I can match a simple nutrition symbol or number (like sugar/salt or “per serve”) to what it tells me.
• I can explain (with help) why one food is a better choice than another using label information.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Science — Biological Science / Food chains: Identifying simple nutritional relationships between animals and plants using basic food chains (food choices support healthy bodies and diets).
• Te Mātaiaho Science — Biological Science / Food chains: Using everyday examples to identify nutritional relationships and make simple choices based on what foods contain.
• Science and key competencies (Te Whāriki/learning foundations in action for early learners): using observations, asking questions, and communicating ideas with peers and the teacher.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Greeting and set-up

• Teacher shows two cleaned, safe-to-handle food packages (teacher-chosen, not opened) and asks: “What do you notice on the front label?”
• Students share one observation each (e.g., “picture of fruit”, “words”, “numbers”), teacher records key words on the board.

2. 4–10 min · Mini teach: Ingredients page

• Teacher points to an “Ingredients” section on a package and models finding it: “Ingredients tell us what the food is made from.”
• Students do a “find and touch” activity: in pairs, they locate the ingredients area on their package and name one word/ingredient they can see (or teacher reads to them).

3. 10–16 min · Mini teach: Nutrition facts (simple version)

• Teacher explains in child-friendly language: “Nutrition facts help us understand what is inside, like sugar or salt, and they often say ‘per serve’.”
• Teacher demonstrates with a label containing one clear number or symbol (choose labels with simple, visible info), then asks: “Is there a lot or a little? What clue helps you?”
• Students practise pointing to the nutrition area and repeating the key phrase: “Per serve.”

4. 16–24 min · Guided compare (healthy vs. not so healthy)

• Teacher displays two foods side-by-side (e.g., yoghurt vs. sugary snack, or crackers vs. chocolate), and reminds students: “We decide using the label information, not just the picture.”
• In groups of three, students complete a quick sorting task:
• Sort each food into “everyday choice” or “sometimes choice”.
• Choose one reason using a label clue the teacher provided (e.g., lower sugar, lower salt, or fewer “treat” ingredients).
• Teacher circulates, prompting with sentence starters: “I chose ___ because the label shows ___.”

5. 24–28 min · Share and reasoning

• Teacher invites two or three groups to explain their choices using the sentence starter.
• Students respond to one question from the teacher: “What did you look for on the label to make that choice?”

6. 28–30 min · Exit check

• Teacher gives a quick oral exit ticket: each student answers one question:
• “Where do ingredients go on a label?”
• or “What does ‘per serve’ tell us?”
• Teacher notes who can locate ingredients and who needs more support with nutrition facts.

Resources

• 2–4 clean packaged foods with visible ingredients and a simple nutrition section (no allergens handled by students if possible)
• Student-safe label cards or print-outs (for students who struggle to see small text)
• Large label example (teacher model package or printed enlarged label)
• Sorting mats or poster paper with “Everyday choice” and “Sometimes choice”
• Crayons/markers and a simple recording sheet: draw the food + tick a box “Ingredients found” / “Nutrition checked”
• Sentence starter strips: “I chose ___ because ___”
• Visual cue cards: “Ingredients”, “Nutrition facts”, “Per serve”
• Hand wipes/sanitiser and wipes for classroom hygiene

Assessment

• Teacher observation checklist during “find and touch” (Can the student locate “ingredients”?)
• Teacher listens for simple explanations during sorting (Does the student use a label clue, such as sugar/salt/per serve?)
• Oral exit ticket at 28–30 minutes (Can the student describe where ingredients are or what “per serve” means?)

Differentiation

• Support:
• Use enlarged label print-outs and clear visual cue cards (“Ingredients” highlighted, nutrition area circled).
• Provide sentence starter strips and model 1–2 example responses before students begin.
• Teacher reads difficult text; students point and choose rather than read independently.
• Challenge/extension for those ready:
• Ask students to name two ingredients (or one ingredient and one nutrition clue).
• Encourage students to compare two foods using “I notice…”
• EAL support:
• Repeated key phrases: “Ingredients”, “Nutrition facts”, “Per serve”.
• Allow first attempts as pointing/gesturing; teacher confirms the correct word.
• SEN support:
• Reduce choices during sorting (use only two foods per group when needed).
• Provide a tactile task: matching “ingredients” and “nutrition” labels to the correct section.