Nutrients Deep Dive

Overview

Lesson 5 of 8 focuses on the “nutrition and health” principles by identifying key nutrients and linking each to its function. Students will practise reading nutrition labels, evaluate their daily intake, and plan nutrient-rich improvements, building towards cooking and feeding themselves and others a healthy, varied diet.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify 6 key nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber) and describe their functions
• interpret a nutrition label using RDA-style information and portion size
• evaluate whether a sample day provides balanced nutrition (strengths and gaps)
• plan nutrient-rich meal ideas that address missing nutrients

Success criteria

• I can match nutrients to their correct functions (e.g., protein → growth and repair).
• I can read a food label and explain what the label means for my portion.
• I can assess a sample daily diet and name at least 2 nutrient strengths and 1 improvement.
• I can suggest specific changes to create a more nutrient-rich day.

Curriculum links

• Nutrition and health: understand and apply the principles of nutrition and health.
• Cooking and healthy eating: cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so they can feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet (practising nutrition choices now to guide future cooking).
• Ingredient characteristics: understand the characteristics of ingredients by using their nutrition information.
• Cooking techniques and adaptations (preparation for future lessons): use awareness of taste/texture/smell later, guided by nutrition decisions today.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter: nutrient recall

• Teacher displays the Key Questions: “Which nutrients do you know?” and a 6-column chart (blank).
• Students quick-write and then pair-share one nutrient and one guessed function; teacher captures answers on the board using key language.

2. 5–15 min · Direct teach: nutrient functions

• Teacher uses a simple “Nutrient → Function” model and explicitly addresses: protein, vitamins, and nutrient deficiencies.
• Students complete a 6-card matching task: they place each nutrient under the correct function and check against teacher model; quick teacher questioning: “What does protein do?” “Why do we need vitamins?”

3. 15–25 min · Label reading mini-workshop

• Teacher demonstrates how to read a label: serving size/portion, calories (if present), and key nutrients; explains RDA as “a reference target,” not a personal guarantee.
• Students work in pairs on a simplified nutrition label sheet: they highlight the nutrients present, circle likely “high” sources, and write one sentence stem each:
• “This food label shows…”
• “A deficiency in… causes…”

4. 25–35 min · Evaluate a daily diet

• Teacher provides a “sample day” (3–5 foods) plus a nutrient checklist (protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber).
• Students use the checklist to score gaps (e.g., “low fiber” or “missing vitamins/minerals”) and write two bullet improvements for the day, using stem:
• “A deficiency in… causes…”
• Teacher circulates for formative checks: correctness of nutrient-function matches and accuracy of label interpretation.

5. 35–45 min · Plan a nutrient-rich improvement

• Teacher sets the task: choose 1 meal/snack to improve and propose changes that add missing nutrients.
• Students produce a short “nutrient-rich plan” (2–3 swaps) and explain why each swap helps (link to functions). They finish with an oral “teach-back” to their partner.

Resources

• Nutrient-function matching cards (Tiered: standard, simplified, and extra support sets)
• Simplified nutrition label printouts (with portion size and selected nutrients highlighted)
• “Sample day” cards (3–5 foods) with a nutrient checklist grid
• Sentence stem strips:
• “Protein helps our body to…”
• “This food label shows…”
• “A deficiency in… causes…”
• Highlighters/pencils and a board/slide with the 6-nutrient table
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options: audio recordings of label explanations and a larger-font word bank strip
• Timer and model example for evaluation + plan

Assessment

• During matching: teacher listens for correct nutrient-function language and misconceptions (quick verbal checks).
• During label reading: teacher checks that students use portion size and can identify at least 3 nutrients from the label.
• Plenary judgement: teacher asks one pair to share their top improvement and explains the linked function; optionally collect a 1-minute exit ticket: “One nutrient my plan adds is… because…”

Differentiation

• Support (SEND/Tier 3): use nutrient-function cards with images/icons; provide simplified labels with fewer fields; offer sentence starter completion frames (choose-from-a-list words for “causes…”).
• Support (Tier 2): partially completed matching table (only 2–3 functions missing); label-reading checklist with “tick if present” prompts.
• Core (Tier 1): full matching and standard label sheet with selected nutrients.
• Extension (Tier 4): calculate a daily nutritional requirement using given values or reference targets from the sheet and justify food choices for sports nutrition (e.g., higher protein and carbs for training, plus micronutrients for recovery).
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options: provide audio for the label walkthrough; use consistent colour-coding (nutrients in the same colours across cards); allow students to respond verbally or via cut-and-stick.
• EAL: sentence stems with word banks for key terms (nutrients, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, deficiency, RDA, metabolism).

Differentiation

(If your school prefers one combined section, you may merge this with the earlier differentiation block.)

Extension (optional)

• Students calculate daily targets from the provided label/reference info and propose a “sports-day meal plan” with at least:
• one protein-rich choice and one fiber/vegetable choice
• an explanation linked to functions (e.g., “Protein helps our body to…”; “Fiber helps…”)

Plenary (embedded in 35–45 min)

• Teacher prompts: “Which nutrient is most important and why?” Students must defend with function language and one example from the label or sample day.