The following activity is designed to get your kids reading labels and make them aware of what is in the foods they eat. Give them these questions, a clipboard, a pencil, and let them loose in the supermarket. (It’s best to do this during a slow shopping time.)

It will take about an hour to complete, so you may want to divide it up into a few smaller trips. When they have completed the hunt, discuss their findings. It will be an eye-opening experience for them.

1. Find a low-fat or low-calorie ice cream.

• Name of product:
• Serving size:
• Calories per serving:
• Percent of fat per serving:
• Does it contain hydrogenated fat?

2. Find the fat percentage in a single serving of the following items:

• Hot dog
• Veggie dog
• Plain yogurt
• Low-fat plain yogurt
• Italian salad dressing
• Ranch salad dressing
• Cheddar cheese
• Low-fat Cheddar cheese
• Which product had the most fat? Which had the least?

3. Find the calories per serving of the following items:

• Strawberry jam
• Sugar-free strawberry jam
• Whole milk
• Fat-free milk
• Sour cream
• Low-fat sour cream
• Which products have the most calories? Which have the least?

4. Pick your favorite cookie and find out:

• Name of product:
• Serving size:
• Calories per serving:
• Percent of sugar per serving:
• Does it contain hydrogenated fat?
• How many different types of sugar can you find in the ingredients? (Hint: their names end in “ose”)

5. Find a cookie with the least amount of calories.

• Name of product:
• Serving size:
• Calories per serving:
• Percent of sugar per serving:
• Does it contain hydrogenated fat?

6. Find the sodium per serving of the following products:

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Chicken noodle soup
• Ramen
• Potato chips
• Pretzels
• Are there low-sodium versions of the same products?

7. Find four cereals with at least four grams of fiber per serving.

• Name of product:
• Serving size:
• Grams of fiber per serving:
• Name of product:
• Serving size:
• Grams of fiber per serving:
• Name of product:
• Serving size:
• Grams of fiber per serving:
• Name of product:
• Serving size:
• Grams of fiber per serving:

8. Find a loaf of white bread and find out:

• Name of product:
• Calories per slice:
• Grams of fiber per slice:
• First ingredient listed:

9. Find a loaf of multi-grain bread (seven-grain, twelve-grain, etc.) and find out:

• Name of product:
• Calories per slice:
• Grams of fiber per slice:
• First ingredient listed:

10. Find the percentage of sugar per serving in the following products:

• Cola
• Ketchup
• Fat-free ranch dressing
• Ice cream sandwiches
• Jell-O
• Which product had the most sugar? Which had the least?

You can extend the scavenger hunt idea into many different arenas. Try a hunt for fruits and vegetables. A simple list will get them reading signs and identifying produce.