Nutrition Multigenre

Content area literacy can mean a lot of different things in health and physical education. In a health classroom it can include learning to read and understand food labels, scholarly articles, research studies, etc. Traditionally, physical education does not include much reading, however, things like exercise programing, as well as rules of sports can be literature helpful to physical education.

It is important to include literature in all content areas, as it aids in student comprehension. However, it may be more important in health and physical education for multiple reasons. One being that physical education is more hands on than any other content area, it may be beneficial to include literature for those who are not hands on learners. Another reason to include reading and writing would be to improve cross content learning. This has many positive effects, including increasing student learning, as well as improving relationships with other teachers.

Challenges health and physical educators may face when attempting to include more reading and writing in their lessons can be difficult. Some colleagues may see physical education as less critical than other subject areas. However, with millions dying each year because of preventable disease, health and physical education is incredibly critical. Furthermore, including literature in our curriculum displays a level of professionalism and brings accountability to our programs.

I thought this assignment was a great way of prompting us to research and show ways we can incorporate literature into our classrooms. Especially, in our case as physical educators, where reading and writing is far less common than other subjects. Making this assignment more essential to us, as we may not get as much training and experience as teachers in other content areas.

While this information wasn’t very complex or elaborate, it is important, especially for individuals just starting to track or manage calories. The recommendations are very general but are a simple and convenient starting place for those looking to improve their weight management. Also, as highlighted in the fat loss pyramid, calories are the most important factor regarding weight management.

I thought a grocery list would be a great genre because it is one of the simplest bits of writing people do all the time. However, while it my be simple, it is far from unimportant. A grocery list dictates what food will be assessable to you and can make or break good nutrition. Because most of the people reading this will be college students, I made my grocery list both health and budget or oriented. While at first glance, the list may seem rather bland, the internet is a great source for delicious and nutritious recipes centered around these foods.

Graphs are a fantastic way to get an idea and information across quickly. I specifically chose to do the pyramid style graph because it allowed the reader to see a quick glance of it and get a general understanding, However, if interested the reader could probe further into the smaller text. The information in the genre is important because all too often people trying to lose fat focus mainly on exercise, when in reality exercise is just a tool to assist in a calorie deficit that comes from their diet. Furthermore, factors like sleep have been shown to have more of an impact on weight loss than exercise. Although, mostly due to a caloric deficit being easier to maintain with a good sleep schedule.

Food labels are mandated by the government because they provide important information to people concerning portions and energy balance. I chose to analyze one of the many types of food labels that are intentionally misleading, cooking spray. Using sprays are an excellent way to cut down on total fat intake. However, people tend to underestimate how much they use. Thinking that because it says zero, it is zero. I thought this would be an informative way to display an ongoing issue in our food system.

I chose to do a recipe as a genre because it is one of the most practical types of information regarding nutrition. Telling people what to eat is one thing, but giving them a way to eat healthy food that actually tastes good is much more useful. Far too often, people abandon healthy eating because it becomes to monotonous, dishes like this allow people some novelty in their diet, without getting off track. This is a great recipe because it is delicious, simple, and inexpensive. Furthermore, sweet potatoes are a great source of beta carotene, potassium, and fiber.

The importance nutrition has on each one of us cannot be overstated. What an individual consumes impacts how they feel, function, and develop. In our country, millions of people die a year due to preventable disease. Because of this, I believe it is my colleague’s and I’s responsibility to educate our students on the effects of diet on their everyday life and future. Therefore, I curated my multigenre around genres that lends itself to best displaying information regarding nutrition and weight management. I hope you enjoy, thank you for reading.

-Best regards, Donald

Lose Weight                          Maintain Weight                         Gain Weight

BW x 10-12                             BW x 13-15                           BW x 15-17+

*general recommendations, everyone’s metabolic rates and energy requirements are different. Adjust based on how your weight fluctuates.

Grains                                        Frozen

-oats                                            -berries

-whole wheat pasta                      -vegetables

-brown rice                                  -low/fat free potatoes

Protein                                      Condiments

-chicken breast/thighs                -tomato sauce

-eggs                                           -whole grain mustard

-lentils                                         -hot sauce

-beans                                         -salsa

-chickpeas                                   -vinegar

Produce

-bananas

-sweet potatoes

-cucumber

-lettuce

-carrots

-celery

-onions