Themes

Cook a $5 Meal

Themes | 4G

  • Make sure that the “Wow!” moments of the project are clear in the beginning of the Summary
  • Make sure you list all the required materials
  • Make sure that the Financial Literacy skills that will be developed and assessed are clear
  • Make sure you explain and justify the deliverable

Summary:

Let’s eat well spending only 5 dollars? Students will research the most traditional recipes with their families, including the ingredients and how they are prepared. They will also learn about food groups and their nutritional values. But if we want to cook in a healthy and affordable way, they also need to know the price of food and its portions, so that they can then invite their families to make a meal.

Learning goals:

  • To understand the concept of budget, planning and making smart decisions about their budget.
  • To promote awareness of healthy eating habits.
  • To realize that healthy food can also be tasty and affordable.

Skills and Standards:

Skills:

  • Financial Literacy – Compare prices and research opportunities at different stores.
  • Financial Literacy – Read recipes and understand their ingredients and quantities.
  • Financial Literacy – Prepare a shopping list.
  • SDG #2 – Know the nutritional value of food and simple and economical ways to eat well.
  • WEF Skill 2 – Realize that making mistakes is part of the process and that learning can occur in these moments. Recognize that it is important to ask for help.

Standards:

  • Cog Skills – Demonstrate active listening and openness to diverse perspectives. Use roles and norms to support collegial discussions and completion of group work.
  • ELA | Reading – Compare and contrast first and secondhand accounts of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
  • Math – Understand a fraction a/b with a > 1 as a sum of fractions 1/b. a. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts referring to the same whole.
  • Math – Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole and having like denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem.
  • Math – Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table.
  • Habits of success – Believing that I can do something successfully.

Deliverables

  • A cookbook with students’ recipes.
  • A family event to eat the recipes that will be prepared by the students under $5.

Milestones

  • Milestone 1: What does your family like to eat?
  • Milestone 2: Knowing what food to eat well and be healthy.
  • Milestone 3: How much does food cost and how much does it cost to eat well?
  • Milestone 4: Let’s cook!
  • Milestone 5: Can I eat better?

Planning suggestions:

Milestone 1

  • Research – students ask family members about their favorite dishes, when they eat them, the ingredients and how they are prepared.
  • Share – time for students to share recipes, comment on whether similar recipes or festive dishes have appeared

 

Milestone 2

  • Brainstorm – what is a healthy meal? What are the ingredients?

 

Milestone 3

  • Pick a recipe – each group chooses the recipe they want to make. The students evaluate if it is a healthy recipe and then if they can make it with only 5 dollars.
  • On-site or online survey – research from students how much each ingredient costs to make the recipe. They discuss the quantities and portions and whether they can cook with the budget available to them.

 

Milestone 4

  • Cookbook – each group can write the recipe highlighting the nutritional groups, portions and how much money is needed for cooking.
  • Hands on – with the help of the cafeteria staff, each group can cook their own recipe

 

Milestone 5

  • Reflection – students reflect on the healthiest and most affordable choices so that the recipe fits into the budget

Golden Tips:

  • Show students the difference between ultra-processed and fresh ingredients – tomato sauce could be an option. At this point, you can compare the costs, ingredients and the nutritional value of the two options.
  • The project wall can help to make visible the food groups, what is healthy and what we should avoid eating often.
Back to Themes