The unit is organized around a series of questions.
To introduce the unit the children will complete a food survey in which they will keep a diary of all the foods they eat and drink for up to a week (see the example of a food diary in Appendix
A
). The purpose here is to provide an honest look at what students eat prior to our discussions.
It is usually a good idea to utilize a poem or story to introduce students into the beginning of a new area of study. My suggestion is
D.W. the Picky Eater
by Marc Brown. Arthur the aardvark’s sister D.W. is a picky eater. When the family leaves her home while they go out to dinner, D.W. figures out that she may be missing something by being so picky. This story can easily lead to a discussion of different foods - likes and dislikes - a perfect introduction to the food diary and the unit. The idea of doing the food diary at the beginning of the unit is to insure that the students give an honest account of what they typically eat. To wait may result in students making up a diary that reflects what they think the teacher wants them to be eating.
All animals need food to stay alive. Usually the food animals eat is influenced by where they live and what food sources are available. Their size and shape also influence their food choices. Bears eat fish, berries, and whatever scraps of food they can find. Tigers have pointed teeth and can rip into the flesh of other animals they eat. The tall giraffe can reach into the trees and find leaves and other vegetation to consume.
Human beings are also influenced by these same circumstances. Most of the food consumed by the people of the world comes from plants or animals. However humans have a wide variety of foods based on the way the food is prepared and changed by processing. Plants supply most of the food people eat. While the African, Asian and Latin-American countries eat more than 2/3 of their diet from plants, the Australian, European, North American and part of South America eat a good proportion of their diet from meat. Still more than half of their diet also comes from plants. The most important foods obtained from plants are grains, fruits and vegetables. Other foods from plants include spices; nuts, herbs, coffee, tea and cocoa.
Another major influence on what people in the world eat is religion. Many religions have strict dietary habits, which also play an important part in determining the popularity of certain food items. Hindus do not eat beef because cattle are considered sacred animals. In fact some Hindus can eat no meat at all. Orthodox Jews do not eat pork, shellfish and certain other foods. There are also strict laws governing the killing, storing and preparation of food. Some religions groups set aside days or times of fasting and feasting. Muslims may not eat or drink from dawn to sunset during Ramadan and they celebrate its conclusion with a feast. Many Christians fast during Lent, but on Fat Tuesday (the day before Lent begins) feasting occurs with worldwide celebrations throughout the Christian world - one of the most famous being Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Of course at the end of Lent there is the celebration and feasting of Easter Sunday after 40 days of abstinence and reflection.
Throughout the world people eat a variety of foods based on the customs, cultures and regions they live in. The traditional dishes are usually based on locally produced foods and usually the dishes of a certain culture will include many of the same ingredients. For example in the United States the different regions of the country may all eat chicken but there are unique ways of preparing the chicken that are distinctive to each region. There is Southern fried chicken, and barbecued chicken from places like Texas.
Within the United States alone a variety of foods are eaten. New Haven has an array of cultures represented in the population from the Irish, Jewish, and Italian to Puerto Ricans, Mexican, Native American, and numerous island nations of the Caribbean. We have people from a variety of Asian countries as well as South America. Not only is our student population varied but so is the staff. Children have the opportunity to deal with people from many backgrounds. This can be helpful in having students do research on the diversity of foods served in the community. One of the suggested activities would be to have a tasting party for students to sample ethnic foods from the divergent backgrounds in the community.
Perhaps the biggest influence on the eating habits of most students and their families is advertising. Most of us would not like to admit and usually don’t realize how influenced we are by corporate logos, and jingles. Children at this age are already consumers targeted by advertisers. They are in the stores with their parents when they shop and have a major influence on the choices they make. Twenty-five years ago the only direct marketing done to children was by Disney, McDonald’s, candy makers, breakfast food manufacturers, and toy makers.1
Today, phone companies, oil companies, auto companies, clothing manufacturers, and restaurant chains target children. This expansion of child directed advertising began in the 1980s. Since many parents spent less time with their children due to their work schedules they began to feel guilty and spending on children rose. The 1980s have been called “the decade of the child consumer.” 2
Other businessmen beside Ray Kroc of McDonald’s and Walt Disney realized that a consumer’s brand loyalty could begin as early as age 2. In fact many children recognize a brand logo before they learn to recognize their own names. There was the recent Joe Camel ad campaign in which studies found 6 year olds easily identified the cigarette cartoon character. Children also liked the Taco Bell talking Chihuahua but their favorite commercials were for Budweiser.3 These popular commercials could already be predisposing a new generation of future beer drinkers to drink Bud. I would have students save packaging from their favorite foods and collect the slogans and jingles that we hear on commercials. The class could also keep track of logos and brand names they are familiar with.
Most of my students come to school daily with extra money to purchase snacks and, of course, they are already fast food junkies. In 1993 some of the schools in Colorado Springs began a nationwide trend when they began putting advertisements for soda and fast foods in the schools and on school buses.4 Now there are many fast food producers serving lunches to students in the schools. The American School Food Service Association estimates that about 30% of the public high schools in the United States offer branded fast foods. Schools have gone along with this as a way to find funds to finance new programs without putting a larger financial burden on local taxpayers.5
It is not hard to figure out why the fast food industry has such a strangle hold on the stomachs of America when one looks at the money spent by the industry in advertising. Below is a list of the money spent on direct media advertising by some of the major fast food corporations:
|
McDonald’s
|
627.2 million dollars
|
|
Burger King
|
403.6 million dollars
|
|
Taco Bell
|
206.5 million dollars
|
|
Coke & Diet Coke
|
174.4 million dollars
|
|
Wrigley’s Gum
|
117 million dollars
|
|
M&M Candies
|
80 million dollars6
|
Seventy percent of food advertising is for convenience food, candy, snacks, soft drinks and desserts. Only 2.2% is spent on advertising for fruits and vegetables, grains or beans.7
Another interesting group of statistics is that of the continuing fueling of the fast food market. In 1998 11,037 new foods were produced as follows:
|
Product Category
|
Number of new products
|
-
|
Candy, gum, snacks
|
2,065
|
|
Condiments
|
1,994
|
|
Beverages
|
1,547
|
|
Bakery foods
|
1,178
|
|
Dairy foods
|
940
|
|
Processed meats
|
728
|
|
Entrees prepared
|
678
|
|
Fruits and Vegetables
|
378
|
|
Soups
|
299
|
|
Desserts
|
117
|
|
Pet Foods
|
105
|
|
Breakfast cereal
|
84
|
|
Baby foods
|
35 8
|
The National Advertising Bureau says that the typical American eater visits a fast food restaurant 9 times a month.9 One third of all food dollars in the United States are spent on meals away from home.10 This type of eating pattern has hurt the tradition of certain foods at certain times of the year or certain meals on certain days of the week. Now every member of the family can mix and match whatever they feel like eating and the family does not have to eat together from a regionally influenced menu.
