Test Your Fast Food Knowledge

Gr 7 Up—Using a quiz format, this program provides an eye-opening look at the nutritional pitfalls of some favorite fast foods. Covering burgers, sandwiches, salads, and soft drinks, the young adult hosts pose multiple-choice questions about calories, trans fats, sodium, and sugar content of specific menu items at restaurants such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, Subway, Dairy Queen, and more. While there are no pause prompts after each question, teachers could easily stop for class input before the answers are delivered. Using each question as a topic introduction, the hosts show food images and supporting fact graphics, and relay facts about toppings, portion size, sodium, cooking methods, and amount of exercise required to burn the calories for some fast foods. Students are alerted to giveaway fat descriptors such as "crispy," and "crunchy," but may be surprised about fat in creamy salad dressings and tuna sandwiches, and hidden sugar in a hamburger bun or fruit juice drink. Rather than avoiding fast food restaurants, sensible options are offered such as piling on vegetable toppings, learning nutritional content online ahead of time, and choosing healthier sides. The interactive approach is engaging, and footage of teens in typical environments, such as the mall or with friends, adds to the message about making smart food.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia Junior/Senior High School, NY