Pizza: The Perfect Food?

Background:
    Is pizza the perfect food? On a yearly bases, every man, women and child consume an average of 46 slices of pizza or about 23 pounds of pizza. On a daily average, approximately 100 acres of pizza are eaten daily.  The foods we eat play an important role in our health and body development.  Each ingredient has nutritional components our bodies utilize.  Eaten alone, the ingredients may lack important vitamin and minerals.  But, when combine together, the ingredient complement and provide a balance meal.  How does eating pizza contribute to our well-being?  How much nutritional value can eating pizza add to our diet?


Learning Objective:
Students will identify the vitamin, mineral and nutritional benefits of pizza ingredients.

Materials:
    Food Pyramid
    Resources/ Internet


1. What are some ways our bodies grow?  Draw a food pyramid on the board or use a transparency.  Can eating a slice a pizza provide a balance and nutritious meal?

2. Review the ingredient list for pizza. If students are familiar with the food pyramid, have them sort the ingredients for pizza into the appropriate food groups. Ask the students what is a food group. Which group has the most ingredients? What does each food group offer nutritionally?

3. Have students choose 3 ingredients and research the nutritional benefit. A paragraph should be written about each ingredient supporting their findings. What nutrient does each ingredient provide for our well-being?

Resources:

Flour Advisory Board, “Flour Power”. http//www.fabflour.co.uk/flourpower.asp
(15 November 2003)

Kids Health for Kids, “ The Food Guide Pyramid” htpp:kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.htlm  (17 November 2003)

Ismail, Mumtaz Khalid, Bwarchi: health and nutrition, “the Facts of Tomato”, http://www.bawarchi.com/health/tomato.html (17 November 2003)

SJS Distributors, “All you ever Wanted to Know About Tomatoes, Vegetables and Nutrition”, (17 November 2003)

Dairy Council of CA, “Make your very own pizza- nutrition”, http://dairycouncilofca.org/activities/pizza_nutr.htm , (17 November 2003)

The food Guide Pyramid, http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/food-pyramid/main.htm, (17 November 2003)