Display of the Month: Sugar

Set Up Your Display!Let's start a new tradition, shall we? Today I want to usher in a brand-new series -- the Nutrition Education Store Display of the Month! Each month, we'll take a look at a new way to display the most important information about a key topic. And, we'll do it in a way that will engage your clients and make your lessons memorable. What do you think? Are you intrigued? For the first display, I want to focus on sugar. Here's what I think will come together to make the best option... The Materials: The Activities:
  • Guess how many lollipops would go into a large soda from a fast food chain.
  • Discuss the impact of added sugars on health.
Let's talk details! Set up your display area with a table. For an extra aesthetic bonus, cover your table with a plain white tablecloth. Put any chairs you might need behind the table (this comes in handy if you're manning a booth at a wellness fair -- it's less necessary for a single presentation). On the table, arrange the sugar test tubes wherever you see fit. Add a cardboard easel to hold up a poster for easy viewing, then place the Are You Drinking Candy? poster on top of that easel. Find a spot for the prizes you'll be handing out -- in this case bookmarks and stickers that encourage water consumption over sugary drinks. For the last part of the tablescape, grab a large empty cup from a fast food chain of your choosing and keep it within easy reach. You may also want to have a handful or two of small lollipops. Next to your table, place the Beverage banner on its stand in a place that's easy for all your participants to see. Once you're all set up, you can proceed to the activities. For the first activity, hold up the large soda container. Ask people to guess how many teaspoons of sugar go into a sugary drink that would fit in this container. Since most lollipops also contain a teaspoon of sugar, you can ask your participants to guess how many lollipops would equal the amount of sugar in one large soda instead. Poll the group, then reveal the answer: on average, a large soda from a fast food chain contains 51 grams of sugar. That's 12 and 3/4 teaspoons of sugar! (Or, if you're using lollipops, that's 12 and 3/4's lollipops worth of sugar). Hand out prizes to the people whose guesses were closest to that total. For the second activity, it's time to talk about the impact of added sugars on health. Introduce information from MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, explaining why moderation is so important when it comes to added sugars. It may also be useful to bring in some of these additional resources... Additional Resources: Here are a few blog posts with great handouts, charts, and information about sugar. And there you have it! The first-ever display of the month! What do you think? Oh, and here's a closer look at a few of the resources we highlighted in today's post. Remember, at the Nutrition Education Store, we're here to help you look your very best, right now!
Sugar Test Tubes
Handout: Are You Drinking Candy?
Water Bookmarks
PS: Here's a free PDF handout that you can also incorporate into your display! Sugar Reduction Handout