Eating for Life

Introduction

At a recent Taste conference, top chefs have predicted that the food trends of 2016 will consist of keeping food fresh, local and simple. Consumers are seeking fresh quality ingredients over the mass produced approach of supermarkets. Top chef, Jamie Oliver is working with schools to educate students about the joys of cooking and promote health and well-being to contribute to a healthier world. Inspiring teenagers to find the joy in cooking from scratch and preparing delicious, quick and healthy meals will shape the health and well-being of the future.

To maintain good health and well-being, it is essential to eat healthy meals. However, it is becoming increasingly challenging to prepare meals from fresh ingredients. In order to produce meals of high nutritional value, your task is to learn about the nutritional benefits of healthy food and healthy eating habits for adolescents to address inequities and promote health and well-being for future generations.

Task

Your task is to design and present a healthy menu for your end of term restaurant.

Your menu needs to reflect food choices that have nutritional value and promote health and well-being. It needs to be appealing to consumers and provide a creative and fresh approach to serving healthy food. You will need to investigate the nutritional components of food and how adolescents meet their specific nutritional needs. You will also need to provide strategies for optimising healthy food choices based on identified nutritional needs for growth, energy and health.

Remember, your menu needs to be creative, healthy and fresh!

Process

You will be working to promote a healthy lifestyle for future generations. You are here to inspire teenagers to get into the kitchen and help other teenagers make the right choices about food. Your research needs to equip teenagers with the knowledge and skills to make choices that improve and promote health and well-being. You will need to record your research in a word document and use your research to make informed choices about preparing a nutritious and delicious menu for your end of term restaurant.

1. Using the following links investigate healthy eating

Nutrition Australia

Eat for Health

Jamie Oliver's Food Foundation

Catherine Saxelby's Food Watch

Better Health Channel

Healthy Kids

2. Investigate the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating to the Healthy Living Pyramid.

What are the similarities?
What does each model recommend?
What are the differences?
Discuss which model you think is more suited to adolescents. Give reasons for your answer.

3. Research what it means to be a healthy adolescent.

Explain some of the characteristics of a healthy adolescent.
Identify factors that influence own and others food choices and intake.
What is energy imbalance?
Explain the biological, behavioural and environmental factors that are contributing to an energy imbalance.
Provide strategies to counteract energy imbalance. Give reasons for your answer.

4. Research possible healthy food options for your menu. Think about your research and plan a menu that promotes a balanced, nutritionally beneficial and appealing menu for your end of term restaurant.

Evaluation

Evaluate your menu by answering the following questions

Does the food selection on your menu reflect the components of a healthy lifestyle? Explain your answer considering:

Is the menu nutritionally balanced?
Does the nutritional value meet the specific needs of teenagers to promote growth, development and well-being?
What are the health benefits of your menu?

Are your food selections appealing? Explain your answer considering the following:

Do your menu choices contain fresh ingredients
How does your menu reflect the Healthy Living Pyramid
Does your menu provide a variety of flavours

How appealing is your menu design? Explain considering the following:

Is it easy to read?
Is your design creative?
Does the design match the food being served?
How would you present the menu?

Conclusion

You have completed your WebQuest. Now that you have the knowledge and skills to make informed choices about food and nutrition, how will you inspire other teenagers to get into the kitchen and cook? Well Done!