Fats and Health

Overview

In this lesson, students explore how different dietary fats affect health, linking food choices to wider wellbeing. They will practise identifying which fats are healthier options and which to limit.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand the roles of fats in the body, including energy supply and nutrient absorption.
• Students will compare saturated, unsaturated (including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), and trans fats in terms of health impact.
• Students will identify healthy vs unhealthy fats in common food products and ingredients.
• Students will use evidence and food labels to justify dietary choices.

Success criteria

• I can name the main types of dietary fats and describe how they affect health.
• I can sort foods into healthier vs less healthy fat choices using ingredient information.
• I can explain, in my own words, why limiting certain fats supports health.
• I can justify my choices using simple nutrition evidence (e.g., ingredient order and fat type).

Curriculum links

• Food and nutrition knowledge applied to everyday choices (designing informed choices for health).
• Understanding how diet and lifestyle affect short- and long-term health.
• Interpreting and using information from food labels and ingredients.
• Making reasoned decisions using evidence about health.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 — Starter: Quick sort prompt Show 6 food items (e.g., butter, olive oil, crisps, nuts, cheese, fried fast food). Students predict which contain “more healthy fats” vs “limit” fats and give a one-sentence reason.

2. 5–12 — Mini-teach: What fats do Explain key functions of dietary fat: energy, satiety, insulation, and helping absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Emphasise that “fat” is not automatically unhealthy; the type matters.

3. 12–28 — Unhealthy vs healthy fat types Teacher models a simple comparison:

• Saturated fat: often linked with higher LDL cholesterol when eaten in excess; aim to limit.
• Unsaturated fat (mono-/polyunsaturated): generally healthier choices and can support heart health when replacing saturated fats.
• Trans fat: should be avoided; linked with worse cardiovascular outcomes. Use dyslexia-friendly, short paragraphs on slides and read aloud the key points. Include time for students to ask questions.

4. 28–42 — Label investigation in groups Provide each student/group with sample ingredient lists and Nutrition/Facts panels for 4–5 foods (printed). Students highlight clues for fat type (e.g., “hydrogenated oils” for trans fats; “saturated fat” listed; “oil” types like rapeseed/olive as unsaturated sources). Students complete a 2-column task: “Healthy fat choice” vs “Limit/less healthy,” with a justification sentence for each.

5. 42–50 — Guided practice: “Best choice” challenge Present three scenarios (e.g., choosing lunch for energy, snack choices for the week, cooking fats at home). Students select the best option from a set and explain using “because” statements tied to fat type.

6. 50–56 — Formative check: Exit ticket Students answer:

• Define one healthy and one unhealthy fat type.
• Choose one food from a short list and state whether it is a healthy fat choice or one to limit, with one reason.

7. 56–60 — Review and tidy reflection Teacher reviews common misconceptions (e.g., “low-fat always healthier” or “all fats are bad”). Students reflect in one sentence: “Today I changed my thinking about…”

Resources

• Printed sample food labels/ingredient lists for 4–5 foods per student or per pair
• Food item cards for the starter sort (6 items)
• Dyslexia-friendly slide deck with short bullet points and teacher read-aloud notes
• Highlighters or coloured pens (2 colours: “healthy choice” / “limit”)
• Student worksheet with a two-column sorting table and justification lines
• Scenario cards for the “Best choice” challenge
• Exit ticket slips
• Timer and whiteboard/flipchart for grouping responses

Assessment

• Teacher observes during the group label investigation, checking that students correctly distinguish saturated vs unsaturated vs trans fats.
• Exit ticket checks understanding of definitions and ability to justify healthy vs less healthy fat choices.
• Scenario challenge provides a spoken/written justification measure (reasoning, not just selection).

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for justifications (e.g., “I chose this because it contains…” / “I would limit this because…”). Offer a simplified label template with fat-type cues pre-highlighted.
• Support: Pair students strategically (one confident reader/one careful checker) and allow oral responses to be recorded by the teacher or partner.
• Extension: Students analyse ingredient-order clues more deeply (e.g., “fat/oil named near the start suggests higher presence”) and compare two “similar” foods to decide which is the better fat choice.
• EAL/SEN: Provide visual icons for fat types (saturated = “limit”, unsaturated = “choose”) and allow bilingual support if available. Reduce reading load by using teacher read-aloud and shorter label excerpts.

Extension (optional)

• Create a “7-day fat swap plan” where students propose 3 substitutions (e.g., replacing butter with olive oil where appropriate) and write a short rationale for each change, focusing on fat type rather than only “fat amount.”