Label Legend Briefing Slides Label Legends
Agent Briefing: Lesson 01
The Mystery Food Challenge
Agent Intel:
150 Calories
6g Total Fat
1g Protein
19g Total Carbs
6g Added Sugars
What do you think this food is?
A. Apple
B. Potato Chips
C. Broccoli
D. Grilled Chicken
(The Answer: B. Potato Chips!)
The Secret Decoder
Nutrition Facts
8 servings per container
Serving size 2/3 cup (55g)
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 3g
The Nutrition Facts label is a guide found on all packaged foods in the USA.
It tells us exactly what is inside the food we eat!
Safety
Energy
Health
4 Major Targets
1
Calories
The amount of energy your body gets from a serving of this food.
2
Total Fat
Provides energy and helps your body absorb vitamins.
3
Total Carbs
Your body's main source of fuel. Includes sugars and fiber.
4
Protein
Helps build and repair your muscles and tissues.
Mission: Identification
Use your "Anatomy of a Label" worksheet to identify these key targets on a real food package!
Agent Goal: Find at least 3 facts on your package.
Label Anatomy Worksheet Anatomy of a Label
Agent Mission: Investigation 01
Name:
Date:
The Challenge
Every food package has a "Secret Decoder" called the Nutrition Facts label. Your mission is to find the key pieces of intel listed below. Draw an arrow from the word to the correct spot on the label!
1. Serving Size
2. Calories
3. Total Fat
4. Total Carbs
5. Protein
Nutrition Facts
8 servings per container
Serving size 1 cup (228g)
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 5g
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.
Agent Field Notes
Look at your real food package. What is the #1 thing you notice about the label?
Which part of the label do you think is the most important? Why?
Mystery Food Cards Hook Mystery Food Intel Cards
Teacher Resource: Lesson 01 Hook
Mission Instructions
Cut out these cards. Read the "Intelligence Data" (Nutrition Facts) to the class. Challenge your student "Agents" to guess what the food is based ONLY on the data provided!
Target Alpha
Intelligence Data:
Calories: 95
Total Fat: 0g
Total Carbs: 25g
Sugar: 19g
Protein: 0.5g
Identification (Upside Down):
MEDIUM APPLE
Target Bravo
Intelligence Data:
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 10g
Total Carbs: 15g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 2g
Identification (Upside Down):
POTATO CHIPS
Target Charlie
Intelligence Data:
Calories: 31
Total Fat: 0.3g
Total Carbs: 6g
Sugar: 1.5g
Protein: 2.5g
Identification (Upside Down):
1 CUP BROCCOLI
Target Delta
Intelligence Data:
Calories: 165
Total Fat: 3.5g
Total Carbs: 0g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 31g
Identification (Upside Down):
GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST
End of Briefing - Agent Access Only
Serving Size Slides Serving Size Math
Agent Briefing: Lesson 02
The "Bag" Trap
Just because it comes in one bag doesn't mean it's one serving.
"I ate the whole bag of chips... I only had one serving, right?"
?
Check the label!
Serving vs. Portion
Serving Size
The standard amount listed on the label. This is what all the nutrition numbers are based on.
Portion Size
The actual amount of food you choose to eat. It might be 1 serving, half a serving, or 3 servings!
The Multiplier
If 1 Serving =
150 Calories
And you eat 2 Servings...
300 Calories!
Secret Formula:
Always check how many servings are in the entire package.
Mission: Portion Patrol
Time to measure! Compare what you think is a serving to what the label actually says.
1. Measure
2. Compare
3. Calculate
Portion Patrol Lab Sheet Mission: Portion Patrol
Agent Lab Report: Investigation 02A
Agent Name:
Date:
The Mission
Does a "serving" look like what you think it does? In this lab, you will measure out a typical snack and compare it to the actual Nutrition Facts label.
Equipment Needed:
Measuring Cups
Phase 1: The Estimation
1. Pour out what you think is a normal serving of your snack into a bowl.
My Estimated Serving Size
(e.g., "1 big handful" or "1/2 cup")
Calories in my Guess
(Wait for the reveal!)
Phase 2: The Intelligence Reveal
2. Look at the Nutrition Facts label on your snack package.
Actual Serving Size
Servings per Bag
Calories per Serving
Phase 3: Tactical Analysis
Was your "guess" larger or smaller than the real serving size?
If you ate the WHOLE bag, how many total calories would you eat?
Calories
×
Servings
=
Label Math Mastery Worksheet Label Math Mastery
Training Exercise: Lesson 02B
Agent Name
Nutrition labels only tell you the numbers for ONE serving. But what happens if you eat more? Use your multiplication skills to calculate the total nutrition for each agent mission.
01
Case: Super Cereal
1 serving = 150 Calories
Agent eats: 3 Servings
Calculation Area
150
×
3
=
02
Case: Energy Bar
1 serving = 8g of Fat
Agent eats: 2 Servings
Calculation Area
8
×
2
=
03
Case: Apple Juice
1 serving = 24g of Sugar
Agent eats: 4 Servings
Calculation Area
24
×
4
=
Agent Challenge:
Think of your favorite food. How many servings of it do you actually eat at one time? Why is it important to know that number?
Sugar and Nutrients Slides Sugar Detective
Agent Briefing: Lesson 03
How much is a Gram?
Nutrition labels measure sugar in Grams (g). But it's hard to visualize a gram!
4 grams = 1 Teaspoon
This is the key to decoding sugar!
36g
Total Sugar
The 5-20 Rule
How to read % Daily Value (%DV)
5%
5% or less is LOW
Good for things like Salt and Saturated Fat.
20%
20% or more is HIGH
Good for things like Fiber, Vitamin D, and Calcium.
Agent Targets
Seek Out
Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals
Look for 20% DV or higher!
Limit
Added Sugars, Sodium, Saturated Fat
Look for 5% DV or lower!
Mission: Sugar Reveal
We are going to measure out physical teaspoons of sugar to match the grams on different beverage labels.
Math Intel: Grams ÷ 4 = Teaspoons
Grams to Teaspoons Lab Sheet Mission: Sugar Reveal
Agent Lab Report: Investigation 03A
Agent Name:
Date:
The Secret Formula
Sugar is listed in grams , but we use teaspoons at home. To see how much sugar is really in your drink, use this agent code:
Total Grams of Sugar ÷ 4 = Total Teaspoons
Sugar Lab
Target Intelligence Data
Drink Name Sugar Grams Division (÷ 4) Teaspoons of Sugar Soda (12 oz) 39g 39 ÷ 4 = Apple Juice (8 oz) 24g 24 ÷ 4 = Energy Drink 52g 52 ÷ 4 = Agent Choice:
Visual Intelligence
Choose one drink from your table above and draw the teaspoons of sugar below.
DRAW DRINK BOTTLE HERE
==
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
Spoon
"Seeing the sugar makes it much easier to understand why labels are so important!"
Ingredient Investigation Slides Ingredient Investigation
Agent Briefing: Lesson 04
The Order of Intel
Ingredients are listed in order by WEIGHT.
The Big Three Rule:
The first 3 ingredients make up most of the food. If sugar is in the top 3, that food is mostly sugar!
Example: Cereal
1. Whole Grain Wheat
Sugar is #2!
Hidden Identities
Sugar uses many different "Code Names"
The Syrup Squad
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Maple Syrup, Malt Syrup
The "Ose" Gang
Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Lactose, Maltose, Sucrose
The Nature Fakes
Cane Juice, Honey, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Molasses
Allergen Defense
The Big 9
Milk, Eggs, Fish, Shellfish, Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Wheat, Soy, and Sesame.
Companies MUST list these clearly at the bottom of the ingredients.
Look for:
"CONTAINS: MILK, WHEAT"
Mission: Decoder
Can you find the hidden ingredients and allergens in a real list?
Begin Investigation
Secret Code Challenge Worksheet Secret Code Challenge
Agent Mission: Investigation 04A
Agent ID:
Date:
Ingredients are the "secret code" of a food label. Use your detective skills to find the first three ingredients and any "hidden" names for sugar or allergens.
1
Case File: Breakfast O's
Intelligence Report (Ingredients):
WHOLE GRAIN OATS, CORN STARCH, SUGAR, SALT, TRIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, VITAMIN E.
CONTAINS: NO ALLERGENS LISTED.
The "Big Three" (First 3 Ingredients):
Is Sugar in the "Big Three"?
YES
NO
2
Case File: Choco-Blast Cookies
Intelligence Report (Ingredients):
ENRICHED FLOUR, SUGAR, VEGETABLE OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, COCOA, DEXTROSE, BAKING SODA, SOY LECITHIN.
CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY.
Circle all the "Code Names" for Sugar in this list:
Sugar Vegetable Oil Dextrose Cocoa High Fructose Corn Syrup
Allergen Warning Found:
Detective Debrief:
Why is it important for someone with a food allergy to read the ingredients and not just the Nutrition Facts panel?
Snack Showdown Slides Snack Showdown
Final Mission: Lesson 05
The Ultimate Battle
Today, you are the Lead Health Investigator.
"Two snacks enter the showdown... only ONE can be chosen for the mission!"
Snack A
Snack B
Comparison Protocol
01
Calories & Servings
Check the math! How much are you actually eating?
02
Sugar & Nutrients
Use the 5-20 rule. High in fiber? Low in added sugar?
03
The Ingredients
Check the "Big Three". Any hidden sugars or allergens?
Agent Verdict
Evidence Based Reasoning
It's not enough to just pick a snack. You must PROVE why it's better.
"I chose Snack B because it has 10g less sugar and fiber is the first ingredient!"
Mission Start
Grab your Snack Showdown Scorecard and start your investigation!
Go Agents, Go!
Snack Showdown Scorecard Final Snack Showdown Scorecard
Final Mission: Investigation 05A
Lead Investigator:
Date:
Compare two different snacks. Fill in the intel for each one, then decide which one is the healthier choice for an agent on the go!
VS
Target Feature
Snack A Name:
Snack B Name:
Serving Size
Calories
Total Sugar (g)
Dietary Fiber (%DV)
First Ingredient
The Agent's Verdict
The Winner is:
SNACK A
SNACK B
Justify your choice with 2 pieces of Evidence:
1. I chose this snack because:
2. Another reason is:
Certified Label Legend Mission Complete
