The food you choose is the only food you will eat for the rest of your life. Choose wisely.
Not saved yet
Intro
Welcome to the Island
The government has chosen you for a lifelong experiment. You will be placed on an island, and you can never leave. You may bring anyone you want with you, and they will stay for the rest of their lives too.
The island has everything you need — shelter, fresh water, every pot, pan, stove and cooking tool, and all the spices and seasonings you could ever want. All free. Everything you need to have a great life is there…
…except food.
Every single day a helicopter flies over the island and drops a pallet of food by parachute. It holds the exact amount of food you need — you will never run out. But it can only ever hold 15 foods, and once you choose them, those 15 foods will never change.
With your group, you will choose your 15 foods. Then you'll find out exactly what is in them, plan your first 3 days of island meals, and see what that food does to your body over time.
Why this matters off the island: most people already eat a small number of foods over and over. A handful of foods make up most of what you eat. If you know those foods — their calories, protein, fat, carbs and fiber — you can control your weight and your health.
Step 1
Pack the Pallet
Your group gets one list to give the government. Whatever you write here is what falls from the sky — every day, forever. Spices and seasonings are free, so don't waste a spot on salt or ketchup.
Choose exactly 13 natural foods and 2 combination foods.
Natural food = close to how it grows or is raised: fruit, vegetables, rice, oats, milk, eggs, beans, chicken, beef, fish. Combination food = several ingredients already made into one food: pizza, a burrito, lasagna, chicken noodle soup, a cheeseburger. Be specific: "chicken breast," not "meat." "Whole milk," not "dairy."
Step 2
Read the Labels
The first pallet lands. Every box and bag has a label. These 15 foods are now your entire diet — so you need to know exactly what is in them.
For each food, pick a serving size and enter its calories, protein, carbs, fat and fiber for one serving.
Where to look: the Nutrition Facts label on the package, the restaurant's website, or USDA FoodData Central (search the food, then pick a serving size). Check your work: protein × 4 + carbs × 4 + fat × 9 should land close to the calories. If it doesn't, the site will tell you to look again.
0 / 15 checked
Step 3
Your First 3 Days
You've unpacked the pallet. Now you have to actually live on it. Plan your first 3 days on the island: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack every day — made only from your 15 foods. One rule from the island cook: no repeats. You're going to be here for life, so you'd better learn to mix it up. All 12 meals must be different.
Build each meal from dishes you can cook 🍳 and/or plain foods, and choose how many servings (½ = 0.5). The totals add up for you. A meal counts as a repeat if it uses the exact same dishes and foods as another meal.
0 / 12 meals
Step 4
What's Really on the Pallet
After 3 days, the island researchers look at what you actually ate. You picked 15 foods… but did you really eat all 15 the same amount?
Step 5
Energy In vs. Energy Out
The researchers want to know: if you ate like this every day for life, what would happen to your body? Energy in is your food. Energy out is what your body burns just staying alive (BMR) plus what you burn moving around.
Your numbers are only seen by you and Mr. Dopp. This is a science estimate, not a grade on your body.
⚖️ Balance check: before you can take the test, your 3-day menu has to land between losing 10 lb and gaining 10 lb in one year. If it doesn't, go back to Step 3 and adjust your meals.
Step 6
Do You Know Your Food?
Before the researchers leave, they test you. If this were your whole diet for life, you should know it by heart. Every question is about your own 15 foods and your own meals.
Finish
Island Report
🏆
Island Certificate
📸 Turn it in: take a screenshot of your whole certificate and upload it to the Weight Control Quest assignment in Schoology. Chromebook: Ctrl + Shift + Show windows (the □|| key), then drag around the certificate. Windows: Win + Shift + S. Mac: Cmd + Shift + 4. Phone/iPad: power + volume up.