LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION

MODULE EIGHT NUTRITION

The adolescent period represents a time of extremely rapid growth and development accompanied by
an increased need for energy and nutrients. If an adequate diet is not consumed during the
adolescent years, the body will not have the required building materials with which to reach its full
potential for growth and development. Growth deficiencies caused by an inadequate diet in
adolescence cannot be reversed later in adult life. In addition, an inadequate diet may prevent an
adolescent from participating and succeeding in school, athletic, and social activities to the fullest
extent.
Total Time: One hour
Learning Objective: To tell the importance of eating right kind of food for good health

Activity 1: Eating Wisely

Time: 60 minutes
Learning Objective:

To identify the food groups

Define nutritious food

To tell the importance of eating right kind of food for good health

To understand that they need to eat adequate amount and right kind of food to take care of
their fast growing needs

Materials Needed: Chart papers, markers, written flip chart or PPT

Techniques used: Group work, Presentation, discussion
Life skills learned: Self-awareness, Critical thinking, Effective Communication, Decision Making
Process:
1. Ask them which is your favorite car ? You will get multiple responses including big cars like
Mercedes. Now ask them how does a car run? The answer would be petrol, diesel etc.
2. Now ask them how does our body run? They would answer food. Tell them that todays
session is on food. Ask them why do we eat food every day?
Expected responses:

To fill ourselves

To live

To relieve hunger

To get energy to do work

Note to the Facilitators:

Tell them eating is important not only for filling ourselves. It should also perform various
other functions. Tell them that they had learnt earlier that they are growing very fast, they
need to eat the right kind of food in the right amounts. It also means choosing wisely from a
variety of food available. You can take 2 minutes to recapitulate what they had learnt in
growing up sessions.
3. Divide the participants in three groups and give them three topics to work on Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner
4.

Breakfast group will write what do they eat during the breakfast and what they want to eat.
Likewise the other two groups (Lunch and Dinner) will write for their meal

5. Invite the group to present their work and generate discussion accordingly
6. Inform them about GO, GROW and GLOW food. GO for ENERGY- Carbohydrate and Fat,
GROW for GROWTH- Protein, Calcium, GLOW for APPEARANCE - Minerals, Vitamins
7. Give more information through PPT or written flip charts (Annexure 1)
Key messages:

Both boys and girls require adequate and good quality food during adolescence since their
bodies undergo continuous and rapid growth and development.
Because of their gender and social conditioning, girls are more vulnerable to poor nutritional
states leading to anaemia, reduced physical and mental performance and maternal morbidity
and mortality later.
Quality and quantity of food consumed by adolescents during this phase will help them
throughout their lives.

ANNEXURE FOR MODULE 8: NUTRITION

ANNEXURE 1

EATING RIGHT TO STAY HEALTHY

The main food your family eats usually provides most-but not all- of the bodys energy and other
nutritional needs. By adding helper foods to the main food you can make low cost nutritious meals.
You do not have to eat all the foods listed here to be healthy. Eat the main foods you are
accustomed to, and add whatever helper foods are available in your area. Try to include helper
foods from each group, as often as possible.
GO FOODS
(energy helpers)
Examples:
Fats
Vegetable oils, butter, ghee, lard
Foods Rich in Fats
Coconut, olives, fatty meat
Nuts*
Groundnuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews
Oil Seeds*
Pumpkin, melon, sesame, sunflower
Sugars
Sugar, honey, molasses, sugar cane, jaggery

REMEMBER: Feeding children enough and

feeding them often (3-5 times a day) is
usually more important than the types of
food you feed them.

*Note: Nuts and oil seeds are also valuable as bodybuilding helpers.
MAIN FOODS
(Foods you eat everyday)
Examples:
Cereals and Grains
Wheat, maize, rice, millet, sorghum
Starchy Roots
Cassava, potatoes, taro
Starchy Fruits
Banana, plantain, breadfruit
*Note: Main foods are cheap sources of energy. The cereals
also provide some protein, iron and vitamins at low cost.

GROW FOODS
(proteins or body-building helpers)

GLOW FOODS
(vitamins and minerals
or protective helpers)

Examples:
Legumes
Beans, peas, lentils
Nuts
Groundnuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews
Oil Seeds
Pumpkin, melon, sesame, sunflower
Animal Products
Milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, fish, chicken, meat

Examples:
Vegetables
Dark green leafy plants, tomatoes,
carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, peppers
Fruits
Mangoes, oranges, papayas