Session: 1 of 11

Nutrition; Food Guide Pyramid; Food Assistance Programs

Introduction:
Nutrition during pregnancy is essential to a healthy mom and baby. The requirements of daily
intake quickly changes during pregnancy. This will require more protein, iron, calcium and folic acid than
before pregnancy. The calorie intake will increase as well, but this does not mean that one should eat
for two. Balanced meals will be the best for both mom and baby (NIH 2014). This means that food label
reading is essential due to the fact that this is how one will know what they are consuming. Young
mothers also may struggle finding the funds to support a healthy diet, this lesson is also designed to
inform these young mothers of the resources that are available for them to use to better themselves
and their child (USDA 2014).
Goals:
1. Clients will increase their knowledge on healthy nutrition.
2. Clients will value the importance of eating healthy.
3. Clients will learn to read a food guide pyramid.
4. Clients will be able to identify the best food assistance programs.
Objectives:
1. At the conclusion of the session, clients will be able to identify a carbohydrate, fat and protein on an
in class group discussion.
2. At the conclusion of the session, clients will be able to list three things they should consume and three
things they should not on an in class assignment.
3. At the conclusion of the session, clients will be able to identify the main parts of a food guide pyramid
on an in class assignment.
4. At the conclusion of the session, clients will record the best food assistance program and describe so
honestly on an in class opinion intention survey.
Initiation:
At the beginning of the session I will ask the students to write down 5 things they think they
know about nutrition. After about five minutes I will ask a few students to volunteer their knowledge
and describe why this pertains to todays session.

Content Outline:
Content

Method

Time

Materials

I. Initiation

Class Brainstorming/
Group Discussion

5 min.

Paper and pens

II. Why Nutrition is Important

a. Reasons
b. Potential Health Risks

Lecture

5 min.

PowerPoint

III. Nutrient Groups

Lecture
a. Protein
i. Function
a. Calories per gram
b. Carbohydrate
i. Function
a. Simple
b. Complex
c. Calories per gram
c. Fats
i. Function
a. Saturated
b. Unsaturated
c. Calories per gram
d. Vitamins
i. Function
a. Water soluble
b. Fat soluble
e. Minerals
i. Function
a. Types
f. Water
i. Function
a. Amount body needs
b. Major outputs

20 min.

PowerPoint

IV. Calories
a. Function
b. Types
i. Empty
c. Daily amount needed

Lecture

7 min.

PowerPoint

VI. Food Guide Pyramid

a. Identifying the parts
i. Grains
ii. Vegetables
iii. Fruits
iv. Oils
v. Milk
vi. Meat and beans

Lecture/Group

10 min

PowerPoint/
Handout

10 min

PowerPoint

VII. Food Assistance Programs Lecture

a. Definition

b. Types
i. Food Stamps
ii. WIC
iii. School Meals
VIII. Conclusion
a. What did you learn?

Group Discussion

3 min

Activity from
Beginning

Content Core:
I. Initiation
Hand out paper and pens to students
Tell students they have 3 minutes to write down things they may know about nutrition.
Choose a few volunteers to elaborate on their knowledge.
Have a short group discussion on the topic.
II. Why is Nutrition Important?
Reasons: Explain to mothers that nutrition is not only important for them, but for their babys as
well. If you dont eat right it can affect many other aspects of your body.
Potential Health Risks: Avoiding food borne illness such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis that can
cause birth defects or miscarriage.
o Listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the
bacterium Listeria monocytogenes , is an important public health problem in the United
States. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and
adults with weakened immune systems
Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience fever and other nonspecific symptoms, such as fatigue and aches. However, infections during
pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or lifethreatening infection of the newborn
o Toxoplasmosis is considered to be a leading cause of death attributed to foodborne
illness in the United States. More than 60 million men, women, and children in the U.S.
carry the Toxoplasma parasite, but very few have symptoms because the immune
system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness.
Women newly infected with Toxoplasma during pregnancy and anyone with a
compromised immune system should be aware that toxoplasmosis can have
severe consequences.
III. Nutrient Groups
Protein
Function: Involved in the making, growth, and repair of body tissue
Calories per gram: 4
Carbohydrate
Function: Provide energy for brain, nerves and spinal cord.
Simple: (Sugars) Made of 1 or 2 sugars- simple for the body to break down
Complex: (Starches) Made of many sugars- complex for body to break down, Healthy and high in
fiber.
Calories per gram: 4

Fat
Function: Most energy packed nutrient.
Saturated: animal products, solid cholesterol, heart unhealthy
o An animal product is any material derived from the body of an animal. Examples are fat,
flesh, blood, milk, eggs
Unsaturated: plant sources, liquid, no cholesterol, heart healthy. Polyunsaturated and
Monounsaturated. Monounsaturated is the best for the heart.
o Nuts, vegetable oils, and fish are sources of unsaturated fats.
Calories per gram: 9
Vitamins
Function: Organic compounds, things that the human body cannot make. Assist with chemical
processes. Without these the body cannot function well.
Water soluble: Able to dissolve in water. Body will use what it can and disposes excess.
Fat soluble: Can be stored in cells if you get more than you need.
Minerals
Function: Inorganic compounds (not carbon based metals). Serve specific function in the body or
help with chemical processes.
Calcium: builds strong bones and teeth
Phosphorus: found in most food types, helps with calcium absorption.
Potassium: Major electrolyte. Speeds up kidney failure.
Sodium: Electrolyte assists with nerve transmission for muscular contraction. Keeps water in the
body.
Water
Function: Most important nutrient.
Body needs 2-3 liters per day.
Four major outputs: Sweating, urination, defecation, breathing.

IV. Calories
Definition: A unit of energy. One pound of body fat is equivalent to 3500 calories.
Types: Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins
Empty: calories from solid fats and/or added sugars. Solid fats and added sugars add calories to
the food but few or no nutrients. For this reason, the calories from solid fats and added sugars in
a food are often called empty calories.
Daily amount needed: Different for everyone. Male 2000-3000 per day Female 1200-2500 per
day. For most pregnant woman, the right amount of calories is: About 1,800 calories per day
during the first trimester. About 2,200 calories per day during the second trimester.
VI. Food Guide Pyramid
Identifying the parts: Introducing the essentials to the food guide pyramid.
Pass out a hand out of the food guide pyramid.
Serving is about a handful which can range from c. to 1 c or 1 slice of bread of a bagel.
Grains: 6- 11 servings of rice or pasta, bread or bagel, high in fiber, complex carbohydrate, high
in some vitamins and minerals, low in fat, low in protein and water.
Vegetables: 3-5 servings of cooked or leafy, juice, high in fiber, high in complex carbohydrates,
high in vitamins and minerals, high in water, low in fat, low in protein.

Fruit: 2-4 servings of cooked or leafy, juice, high in fiber, high in complex carbohydrates, high in
vitamins and minerals, high in water, low in fat, no protein.
Oils: Eat sparingly. No recommended amount.
Milk: 2-3 servings of milk or yogurt, cheese, high in protein, high in fat, high in vitamins and
minerals, water varys, low in fiber, low in complex carbohydrates.
Meat and Beans: 2-3 servings of meat, one egg, 2 Tbsp of peanut butter, high in protein, high in
fat, high in vitamins and minerals, low in water, low in fiber, low in carbohydrates.

VII. Food Assistance Programs:

Food Stamps: SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) offers nutrition assistance to
millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to
communities. SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net. The Food and
Nutrition Service works with State agencies, nutrition educators, and neighborhood and faithbased organizations to ensure that those eligible for nutrition assistance can make informed
decisions about applying for the program and can access benefits.
WIC: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition
education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women,
and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.
School Meals: The Food and Nutrition Service administers several programs that provide healthy
food to children including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program,
the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program, and the Special Milk Program. Administered by State agencies, each of
these programs helps fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools,
child care centers, and after-school programs for providing healthy meals to children.
Opinion intention survey will be conducted and collected.
VIII. Conclusion
What did you learn: Review the facts that were shared in the beginning and see what was true
and what was false.
Conclude the session.
Culmination:
At the end of the session I will ask the students if anyone has any questions. We will also revisit
the activity we did at the initiation and review which statements were true and which were false. If they
were false we will correct them. I will also let them know what we will be discussing in the next session.
Anticipated Problems and Possible Solutions:
A possible problem that could arise is that the technology might not work. If this happens the
information will have to be transmitted to the students from a white board or orally. There also may not
be enough time to cover everything in the PowerPoint. If this occurs we may have to either use part of
the next class period or cut some of the information out. Another problem we may run into is
participation. If this occurs I will stress that although this program is voluntary students will benefit from
participating in group discussions and may learn from others.

Evaluation:
I will evaluate the students during the brain storming activity in the beginning to see what they
have learned previous to this program. The students will also be filling out a handout covering the food
guide pyramid. I will check these for completion but they will be for students to take away from the
session and learn from. At the end of the program an opinion intention survey will be conducted as well
as a knowledge assessment.