Food Science

School Residency Program

Food Chemistry
Format: Residency
Grade Level: 9-12

Overview: Participants learn the basic chemistry of food: calories and their relation to energy; macronutrients – fats, carbohydrates, proteins – and their uses in the food industry and in our bodies; vitamins and the role they play in our health. Participants use indicators to test for the presence of nutrients in food substances. Participants combine substances and observe resulting changes in texture or composition.

Big Ideas:
• We get our energy from food. The chemical structure of the macronutrients found in food -- fats, carbohydrates, proteins -- determine both the texture and flavor of the food you eat and the way in which your body makes use of the food.
• Calories are a measure of how much energy is available in food sources. You require a certain level of calories in order to keep functioning well every day. Eat more than this amount, and you could gain weight.
• Vitamin C and other vitamins are an important part of a nutritious diet.
• Substances in food are detected using indicator solutions. The molecules in the food interact with the molecules in the indicator solution in a way that can be detected, often through a change in color.

Sessions:
1. Explanation of Food Science and Introduction to Food Labels
2. Calories
3. Fats, Part 1
4. Fats, Part 2
5. Carbohydrates, Part 1
6. Carbohydrates, Part 2
7. Proteins
8. Vitamin C
9. Food Analysis Mystery
10. Putting it all together