Nutrition Know-How
What do calories measure?
Energy
What should you check first on a Nutrition Facts label to understand how much food the listed numbers describe?
Serving Size
What should you check at home before making a grocery list?
The refrigerator, freezer, and pantry to see what food is already available.
According to the group’s simple meal guide, what three components should you aim to include in a balanced meal?
A protein, a grain or starch, and a fruit or vegetable.
Name one common reason food gets wasted.
Examples include buying too much, forgetting what is available, poor storage, not planning meals, or buying foods that will not be eaten.
What are the three macronutrients?
Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat
Name two nutrients or other items you can compare on Nutrition Facts labels besides calories.
Any two: protein, fiber, sodium, or added sugar.
What is the correct order of these three steps: shop, plan meals, and make a grocery list?
Plan meals → make a grocery list → shop.
Name two affordable protein foods that are not meat or fish.
Examples include beans, lentils, eggs, peanut butter, tofu, yogurt, or cottage cheese.
You have leftover cooked chicken. Name two different meals you could use it in.
Examples include a sandwich, soup, pasta, quesadilla, or rice bowl.
Which macronutrient helps build and repair body tissues? Name one affordable food that provides it.
Protein. Examples include beans, eggs, lentils, tuna, peanut butter, yogurt, or tofu.
You live alone, and fresh broccoli often spoils before you finish it. You have freezer space. Which form of broccoli could reduce waste, and why?
Frozen broccoli, because you can prepare only what you need and keep the rest frozen.
A small bag of rice costs $2 and provides four servings. A larger bag costs $3 and provides ten servings. What is the cost per serving for each, and which costs less per serving?
The small bag costs 50 cents per serving. The larger bag costs 30 cents per serving. The larger bag costs less per serving.
You are making ramen. What two additions from the group could add protein and vegetables?
An egg and frozen vegetables.
You are running low on food and money. Name two food-support resources.
Any two: SNAP, food pantries, community meals, 211, community organizations
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients. Name one vitamin or mineral discussed in the group and a food that provides it.
Examples include vitamin C in oranges or broccoli; calcium in milk or yogurt; iron in beans or fortified cereal; potassium in bananas or potatoes.
Two similar canned soups have the same serving size. Soup A has 700 milligrams of sodium per serving, and Soup B has 350 milligrams. Which has less sodium, and how much less?
Soup B has 350 milligrams less sodium per serving.
A large container of yogurt costs less per serving than a small one, but you usually throw away half of the large container. Why might the smaller container be a better value for you?
You are more likely to finish it. Food that gets thrown away wastes money, even when its price per serving is lower.
You have very little energy and do not want to cook. Build a no-cook meal with a protein, a grain or starch, and a fruit or vegetable.
Examples include a peanut butter sandwich with a banana; tuna with crackers and carrots; or yogurt with oats and fruit.
You cannot shop today but have a stove, water, and these shelf-stable foods: rice, canned beans, canned tomatoes, pasta, and peanut butter. Name two different meals you could make.
Examples include rice with beans and tomatoes; pasta with beans and tomatoes; or rice with a peanut butter sauce.
Someone regularly skips meals and later feels tired, irritable, and very hungry. Explain how meal timing could contribute, and suggest an inexpensive meal or snack.
Going without food can leave the body without enough available energy and increase hunger. Examples include oatmeal with peanut butter, eggs and toast, or a peanut butter sandwich with a banana.
A package contains two servings. Each serving has 6 grams of protein and 400 milligrams of sodium. If you eat the entire package, how much protein and sodium do you consume?
12 grams of protein and 800 milligrams of sodium.
Using these practice prices, choose groceries that cost no more than $10 and provide a protein, a grain or starch, and a fruit or vegetable. Then name two different meals you could make.
One possible basket is rice, beans, tortillas, frozen vegetables, and bananas for $8. Meals could include a rice bowl with beans and vegetables, and bean-and-vegetable tacos.
You have eggs, beans, tortillas, rice, and frozen vegetables. Create three different meals using only these ingredients, and use at least one ingredient in more than one meal.
One possible answer: an egg-and-bean breakfast burrito; a rice bowl with beans and vegetables; and egg-and-vegetable fried rice. Accept other workable combinations.
Turn “I want to waste less food” into a specific goal you could complete within the next week. Include what you will do and when or how often you will do it.
Examples: “Before grocery shopping this Saturday, I will check my refrigerator and plan two meals using food I already have,” or “This week, I will use leftover vegetables in two meals.”