TEACH FOR NURSES LESSON PLAN
	
Chapter 1: Nutrition and Health	

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
	
1.	Describe the effects of obesity, the aging population, the growth in ethnic and racial diversity, new food products, and genetics on nutritional needs of the population.
2.	 Define nutrition, dietetics, registered dietitian, public health nutritionist, macronutrient, and micronutrient.
3.	 State the physical characteristics of optimal nutrition.
4.	 State factors that contribute to undernutrition, overt malnutrition, and overnutrition.
5.	 Explain why public nutrition policies are needed.
6.	 Explain the meaning of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), Adequate Intake (AI), Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), and Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR).
7.	 List the key recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. 
8.	 Explain how to use the ChooseMyPlate.gov food guidance system.
9.	 Identify the food groups in the Exchange Lists for Meal Planning and the types of foods found in each.
10.	 Describe factors that affect safety of the food supply.
11.	 Describe how individuals can assess their food intake using MyPlate or using computer-assisted nutrient analysis software.

STUDENT RESOURCES
	
understand	•	Textbook Chapter 1 
•	Food Composition Table	
apply	•	Review Questions (Evolve)	
synthesize	•	Nutritrac Nutrition Analysis Software 5.0	
INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
	
before class	•	Nursing Curriculum Standards (below)	
in class	•	PowerPoint Presentations (Evolve)
•	Image Collection (Evolve)
•	Learning Activities (below)
•	Discussion Topics (below)
•	In-Class/Online Case Study (below)
•	TEACH for Nurses Lesson Plans	
after class	•	Test Bank (Evolve)
•	Download by Resource Type	
* Sold separately from textbook.

TEACHING STRATEGIES	
Content Focus	Content Highlights	Learning Activities	
NEW CHALLENGES FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Rise in Chronic Disease

Population Diversity and Chronic Disease

Lifestyle Intervention and Education

New Directions in Nutrition

Genes in Nutrition and Health

Disseminating Nutrition Information 

	Offer a comparison of US chronic disease statistics to those of several European countries. Discuss reasons for the differences, from food consumption to national health care to activity levels. 

Take a moment to recognize the ethnic diversity in your own classroom. Discuss the Focus on Culture Box, How Did Our Food Patterns Become So Diverse? Ask students if they identify with a particular religious or ethnic food pattern or if their eating habits include a mixture of different patterns.

Discuss some of the new products that have appeared in the past several years claiming to have additional health benefits. Bring some specific examples to class.

Invite a nutrigeneticist to speak to the students about the field of study and the current research.

Evaluate two different Internet sites that discuss nutrition information: one from a government agency and one from a company that sells nutrition products.	•	Activity/Online Activity: Choose a chronic disease listed in this section and research the increase in the number of chronic patients in the past 25 years. Present some prevention information that might be helpful for patients dealing with these chronic diseases.
•	Online Activity: Assign the students to investigate a new product claiming to have health benefits. Have them look at both the vitamins these products provide and other chemicals that are touted to improve health.
•	 Research Activity: Have students research scholarly journals for an article about nutrigenomics or nutrigenetics and share their findings with the class.
•	Online Activity: Have students investigate two websites that post nutritional information. Focus on a few claims on those websites and research whether these claims have been corroborated by a reputable source.	
THE SCIENCE OF NUTRITON

Working Definitions

Functions of Foods and Nutrients

Nutrient Interrelationships

Nutritional Status
	Review the important nutrition definitions found in this section. Make sure the students understand the differences among them. Invite a nutritionist to speak to the class about the challenges in the profession. 

Review the functions that macronutrients and micronutrients play in nutrition. Emphasize the importance of sufficient water intake.

Give some specific examples of nutrient interrelationships. 

Evaluate how people with optimal nutrition status are not only physically healthy but also mentally healthy and are more able to combat stress and fight infection.	•	Group Activity: Provide groups of students with week-long menus that each reflect a different type of nutritional status (e.g., overnutrition, malnutrition). Have the students evaluate the menu, identify the status, and propose simple solutions to move the menus closer to optimal nutrition.
•	Activity: Ask students to clip newspaper or magazine articles relating to nutrition and bring them to class. This is a good way to increase awareness.	
NUTRITION POLICY AND NATIONAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

Diet, Health, and Public Policy

Development of Nutrition Policy

Healthy People 2020

	Examine the progression of health care policies and programs from the 1920s to the present. Discuss the economic and social reasons for changes in policy (e.g., better living conditions, rise of the middle class)

Bring part of the Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health from 1988 for the class to read. Discuss some of the studies that were reviewed and cited for this report.

Compare the nutrition goals and objectives for Healthy People 2020 with the same information for the initiatives in 2000 and 2010. Discuss how the goals have changed for the newest version.	•	Discussion Topic: Discuss health care policy bills that may currently be in debate in the US House or Senate. Examine what issues are of concern at the present time.

•	Activity: Assign students or groups to poll friends and relatives to ask them about the types of preventive health practices they use. Discuss which of these practices could be taught to patients struggling to lead healthy lives. 	
NUTRITION GUIDES FOR FOOD SELECTION

Nutrition Standards

Dietary Guidelines

Current Dietary Status of the US Population

Dietary Guidelines for 2015–2020

Strategies for Implementation

Food Guides

	Discuss more about the EAR and for what groups it might be used. Evaluate what prompted the revisions and additions of the DRIs from 1997 through 2010.

Discuss how nurses, as vested community members, can join with community leaders to promote good nutrition and physical well-being.

Compare and contrast the three eating patterns suggested by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. Examine how the main cultural groups in your area could change their diets to accommodate these patterns.  

Bring up the MyPlate food guide website in class and review the options shown there. Have the students write down what they had for dinner last night and turn it in anonymously. Review several of the papers in class and discuss whether the meals reflect good choices and what adjustments, if any, could be made for a healthier meal.	•	 Discussion Topic: As a class, discuss local or national media or community-based campaigns to improve dietary habits. Are they aware of any such programs? Do they believe they have influenced their food choices or activity levels in any way?
•	Community Activity: Have students visit a community facility where food is served (e.g., school, senior center) and see what health promotion material is available there or posted for the consumers to see. 
•	Discussion Topic: Discuss what changes in your home food environment would have to occur in order to adopt a healthier lifestyle.  
•	Research Activity: Have students compare the differences between US nutrient standards as set out in the DRIs and United Nations standards for developing countries. Discuss findings in class.	
A SAFE AND HEALTHY FOOD SUPPLY

	Discuss the most common foodborne illness reported in the United States, its usual origin, and its signs, symptoms, and treatments.	•	Online Activity: Have students access the Nutrition Evidence Library (NEL) and choose a nutrition research study to evaluate. Write a one-page summary about the article and your opinion of its worth to the general public.
•	Activity: Ask the students to rate several restaurants that they frequent on their cleanliness, food handling procedures, and menu choices. Discuss the restaurants’ reputations for offering nutritional foods and any reports of foodborne illnesses.  	
PERSONAL PERCEPTIONS OF FOOD

What Do I Usually Eat?

Nutritional Analysis by Nutrients and Energy Values	Discuss with the students their typical weekend food pattern. Evaluate food choices and how they were influenced by the social and physical environment and the people present.

Give a brief review of the nutritional analysis found on the Evolve website.	•	Activity: Have the students use the nutritional analysis on the Evolve site to review the dietary intake of a family member. Evaluate your findings and present them to the class along with a plan of correction. Discuss the plan of correction with the family member and discuss his or her reaction with the class.	

IN-CLASS / ONLINE CASE STUDY
	
Abdul grew up in India and has come to America for college. He lived with an Indian family during his freshman year, but then he moved into an apartment with three other students, all from different countries. They all study very hard and do not want to take time to cook, so he eats mostly convenience food. He has found some Indian convenience foods; they aren’t as good as home cooking, but he does enjoy the familiar taste. He is acquiring a taste for American food and pizza and often eats fast food for lunch because it is inexpensive and quick to eat.

1.	 What concerns would you have about Abdul’s eating habits?

Correct Answer:
Traditional Indian dishes are high in grains, legumes, and vegetables. As Abdul eats more convenience foods and American fast foods, his intake of grains, legumes, and vegetables will decrease and his intake of fat and sodium will increase. He is at risk for becoming overweight and developing high blood pressure, and he may have inadequate intakes of micronutrients.

Cognitive Level: Application

2.	 What practical changes could Abdul make to make his eating habits more consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

He and his roommates could take turns cooking dinners for each other; they could each cook one or two different meals from their country of origin, which would increase the variety of foods that they eat without each of them having to cook every evening. They could freeze portions of leftovers for convenient meals on other days. Abdul could look for pre-prepared Indian meals that are made with grains, legumes, and vegetables and are lower in fat. When he does eat fast food, he could choose sandwiches or salads rather than fried foods. And he could keep a supply of easy-to-eat fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, tangerines, and mini carrots to help him feel satisfied with smaller portions of pre-prepared foods.

Cognitive Level: Application

NURSING CURRICULUM STANDARDS

QSEN / NLN COMPETENCIES	
•	Patient-Centered Care/Human Flourishing
o	Personal Perceptions of Food
•	Evidence-Based Practice/Spirit of Inquiry
o	Evidence-Based Practice Box: How Do I Use It?

NURSING CONCEPTS	
The following conceptual themes and specific concepts match those presented in Giddens, J. R. (2017). Concepts for nursing practice (2nd ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier. The specific exemplars chosen and listed below for each concept have been tailored specifically to correspond to the Schlenker textbook.

A full Concept-Based Curriculum Map covering the entire book can be found in the “Download by Resource Type” folder on Evolve.

Health Care Recipient Concepts
THEME: Personal Preferences
•	Concept: Culture
o	Exemplar: Population Density and Chronic Disease
o	Exemplar: Personal Perceptions of Food

Health and Illness Concepts
THEME: Homeostasis and Regulation
•	Concept: Nutrition
o	Exemplar: New Directions in Nutrition
o	Exemplar: The Science of Nutrition
o	Exemplar: Nutrition Policy and National Health Problems

Professional Nursing and Health Care Concepts
THEME: Care Competencies
•	Concept: Evidence 
o	Exemplar: Evidence-Based Practice Box: How Do I Use It?

BSN ESSENTIALS	
•	Essential III: Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice
o	Evidence-Based Practice Box: How Do I Use It?

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN THE BOOK
	
Note: Answers to these questions can be found on Evolve site. Click here.