Teaching teenagers about nutrition and consumer skills can be difficult except when it involves pizza!  Americans eat a ton of pizza on a regular basis because it doesn’t require much time or effort and because it’s fairly easy on the wallet as well.  However, do students really know which frozen pizza is the best as far as taste and money is concerned, what’s inside their favorite frozen pizza, how it’s made or even how to make a frozen pizza healthier?  This lesson and all of its parts can be done in their entirety or can be selected in parts….it’s up to you and how much time you want to devote to this lesson and activities.

PA Standards

• 11.3.9 A  Explain how scientific and technological developments enhance our food supply (e.g., food preservation techniques, packaging and nutrient fortification).
• 11.3.6 C  Analyze factors that effect food choices.
• 11.3.12 C  Evaluate sources of food and nutrition information.
• 11.3.12 F  Evaluate the application of nutrition and meal planning principles in the selection, planning, preparation and serving of meals that meet the specific nutritional needs of individuals across their lifespan.
• 11.1.12 F  Compare and contrast the selection of goods and services by applying effective consumer strategies.

Set

• Poll students and ask them what their favorite frozen pizza is.  Create a list on the board.  Ask students to explain why they like the one they shared.  Ask if they know how frozen pizza is made and show them this clip

Materials

• Projector
• Variety of Frozen Pizza Brands
• Highlighters
• Laptops
• Healthy Frozen Pizzas & Makeover Ingredients

Activities

• Discuss with students that frozen pizza brands gets the reviews they do because of evaluations  that are done by comparing a variety of brands such as was done by consumer reports in this clip.
• Tell students that we are going to simulate a frozen pizza evaluation in our kitchens by comparing three brands of popular frozen pizzas (all the same flavor or topping like cheese). .  For the actual taste test, students will not know which brand is which; only as Pizza A, B or C.  Students will evaluate for taste first and select their favorite based on flavor and appearance only.  Then students will use the box/label information to complete the rest of the comparison chart regarding cost, ingredient information and nutrition facts.  Once the chart is complete, the students will complete some follow up questions relating to the results.
•  Continue this lesson by asking students to look at the ingredient lists on the frozen pizzas (photo copy this information) and ask them if they truly know what they are eating.  Read down through the list and highlight every ingredient that is a not a food.  Now, have them partner up and investigate what the purpose or function of each of their highlighted ingredients is and complete the “Inside Story of Frozen Pizza” project.
• Discuss their results and reactions to what they discovered about their frozen pizzas.  View this clip to see the best and worst ingredients in frozen pizzas.
• Discuss whether of not students think it’s possible to make a frozen pizza healthier and then show them this clip.
• Challenge students to create their own healthy versions of frozen pizza by making over a frozen pizza for their next lab.  Encourage them to choose at least three healthy toppings to add to their make over pizza.

Extension Activities

• For students who finish early with assignments or need enrichment work or even extra credit, have them work through the Pizza Task Cards by randomly selecting cards from a can.  Response sheets can be composition paper stapled together with task card #’s identified along with answers or these can be added to an interactive notebook.

Attachments

• Frozen Pizza Evaluation (PDF)
• The Inside Story of Frozen Pizza Ingredient Project (PDF)
• Pizza Task Cards Part I (PDF)
• Pizza Task Cards Part II (PDF)
• Blank Bar Graph Template (TPT)
• Nutrition Points System (PDF)