Using AI to learn about nutrition

Activity: Show photos of three popular items (e.g., a Big Mac, a Large Baja Blast, and a Chipotle Burrito).
Competition: Students vote on which has the most calories/sodium.
The Twist: Reveal the answers using FastFoodNutrition.org. The student closest to the real number gets a "Nutrition Point

The Concept: Introduce the ethical use of AI. Explain that AI can summarize data, but it can also "hallucinate" (make up fake numbers).
The Rule: In this class, AI can help you write and analyze, but you must verify every number against the "Source of Truth" (FastFoodNutrition.org).

Vocabulary Focus: Sodium, Saturated Fat, Carbohydrates, Serving Size, Daily Value (DV).
AI Tooling: Show students how to use an AI (like Gemini or ChatGPT) to compare two items.

Bad Prompt: "Which is healthier, Taco Bell or McDonald's?" (Too vague, invites bias).
Good Prompt: "Compare the sodium and protein of a McDonald's Quarter Pounder and a Taco Bell Bean Burrito. Present it in a table."
Ethics Check: Explain why we don't ask AI "What should I eat?" (AI is not a doctor/nutritionist).
 

The Task: Students work in pairs. Their goal is to find the "Worst Offender" (the unhealthiest meal) at a specific restaurant on the website and then use AI to "Hack" it into a healthier version.
Step A: Use FastFoodNutrition.org to find a meal with over 1,500 calories.
Step B: Ask AI: "I am at [Restaurant]. I want to eat [Item], but I want to reduce the calories by 30%. What modifications (removals/substitutions) should I make?"
Step C (The Ethical Step): Students must go back to the website and manually calculate if the AI's "Hack" actually works.

Activity: Each pair presents their "Before and After" meal to the "Health Board" (the rest of the class).
Scoring: Points are awarded for:

Clarity: Good use of comparative adjectives (e.g., "The burrito is lower in fat than the burger").
Accuracy: Did they catch any mistakes the AI made?
Creativity: Is the new meal actually something someone would want to eat?

Handout the AI chart to students and ask them to fill in the chart about when AI was right and when it was wrong.

Discussion: Ask the students: "Was the AI always right about the numbers?" and "Why is it dangerous to trust AI for health advice without checking a primary source?"
Real-world Task: For homework, students must look up their favorite fast-food treat and find one "Healthy Swap" they will actually try next time they are at a drive-thru.