Asynchronous Academy

Nutrition & Healthy Eating - Part 2

Department
PHYS-ED

Micronutrients

While macronutrients provide the fuel, Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are the "spark plugs" that keep your body’s systems running. From bone strength to immune function, these tiny nutrients are essential for long-term health.

Watch and Reflect:

  • Watch this video on vitamins and minerals.
  • Identify three specific micronutrients that are particularly important for someone with your level of physical activity.

Food Deserts

Eating well isn't just about choice; it’s about access. A "Food Desert" is an area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food.

Read and Analyze:

Environmental Redesign

Even if you don't control the grocery budget in your house, you can still "nudge" your environment to make healthy choices easier. This is about Redesigning your Space to reduce friction.

Reflect and Plan:

  • Think about your kitchen or bedroom. What makes it "hard" to eat well right now?
  • The Redesign: Choose one area to change. This could be:
    • Moving healthy snacks to eye-level in the pantry.
    • Asking to keep "trigger" junk foods in an opaque container or a hard-to-reach shelf.
    • Pre-filling a water bottle at night so it’s ready in the morning.
  • Goal: How will this specific change make it easier for you to achieve your eating goals?

Your Personal Fitness Cookbook

Now it’s time to curate a menu that works for you. You are going to start building a personal cookbook tailored to your specific fitness goals.

Task:

  1. Research: Spend 30 minutes browsing recipes that align with your macronutrient and micronutrient needs.
  2. Submit: Create and submit a Google Doc featuring your favorite recipe.
  3. Justification: Include a sentence or two explaining exactly how this meal helps you reach your fitness goals (e.g., "High protein for muscle recovery" or "Rich in Iron and Vitamin C for energy").

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤
    Pre-Submission Self-Assessment Google Doc
  • 📤

    Google Doc Cookbook

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Understand the vital role of micronutrients in maintaining long-term health and physical performance

  • 🎯

    Analyze how environmental factors and food access (food deserts) influence dietary habits

  • 🎯

    Apply nutritional knowledge to select recipes and modify physical spaces to support healthy eating

Success Criteria

I can:

  • ✅

    Explain how specific vitamins and minerals contribute to my overall health and fitness goals

    Expectations Covered: C2.1
  • ✅

    Analyze the impact of food deserts on community health and personal food access

    Expectations Covered: C3.1
  • ✅

    Select and justify a recipe that meets my specific macronutrient and micronutrient needs

    Expectations Covered: C2.1
  • ✅

    Redesign a physical area of my life to remove barriers to healthy eating and promote better habits

    Expectations Covered: C3.1