Slovenia Osnovna šola 8. razred Curriculum - Modern Food Preparation

This curriculum focuses on healthy eating habits, food preparation, and nutritional awareness. It builds upon the knowledge gained in the regular "Gospodinjstvo" (Home Economics) course. The curriculum is designed for students in grades 7, 8, and 9.

I. Ways of Eating (Načini prehranjevanja)

This elective course educates students about nutrition for health and well-being. It covers healthy eating habits, various eating styles, and nutritional needs across different life stages and situations. It is designed for 9th grade students with 32 hours of instruction.

• A. Nutritional Status: (6 hours)
• Students learn to define nutritional status in relation to health using simple methods. They learn to assess their nutritional status and plan dietary changes based on recommendations. Concepts covered include malnutrition, overnutrition, ideal body weight, relative body weight, and body mass index.
• B. Traditional and Alternative Eating Styles: (12 hours)
• This section explores various eating styles, including traditional Slovenian cuisine and alternative diets like vegetarianism, macrobiotics, and organic food diets. Students analyze national dishes, assess the positive and negative consequences of different diets, and evaluate their suitability for maintaining good health. They also prepare and evaluate a national dish based on sensory, physiological, and technological criteria.
• C. Nutrition Across Different Life Stages: (10 hours)
• Students learn about nutritional needs across different life stages, from infancy to old age, including specific needs for athletes and pregnant women. They analyze and plan family meals and evaluate school meals.
• D. Nutrition in Special Situations: (4 hours)
• This section covers nutrition in special circumstances like outdoor activities and emergencies, focusing on how to obtain food from available resources to meet basic nutritional needs.

II. Modern Food Preparation (Sodobna priprava hrane)

This elective course educates students about nutrition for health and well-being. It emphasizes safe, protective, and healthy eating habits and food preparation methods.

• A. Nutrients in Relation to Health: (8 hours)
• Students review the nutritional, biological, and energy value of food and learn about the importance of proper eating rhythms. They analyze the importance of nutrients for human health, evaluate macro and micronutrients, and connect nutrient deficiencies and excesses to health changes. Concepts covered include safe nutrition, protective nutrition, daily meals, meal timing, main meals, snacks, and supplementary meals.
• B. Food and Meal Quality: (3 hours)
• This section covers the sensory, physiological, and technological aspects of food and meal quality. Students learn criteria for evaluating food quality and practice comparative assessment. They also visit a food processing facility.
• C. Healthy Food Preparation: (20 hours)
• Students learn how food preparation methods affect nutritional value and how to prepare healthy meals while preserving nutrients. They learn various cooking techniques such as steaming, stewing, and baking without added fat or in foil. They also learn about using semi-prepared and prepared food products and apply gastronomic and culinary principles in healthy eating. They evaluate and modify recipes for healthy cooking and prepare healthy meals based on those recipes.
• D. Eating Habits: (4 hours)
• Students learn about the formation of eating habits and their impact on health. They analyze their own eating habits, identify the causes and consequences of unhealthy habits, and develop responsibility towards their health. They also discuss good eating habits.

This curriculum requires a qualified home economics teacher and a suitably equipped classroom for practical instruction.