- Objectives
- Students will learn about healthy eating habits.
- Students will learn about the 6 basic food groups
and how they appear on the food pyramid.
- Students will learn how different foods help their
bodies grow in different ways.
- Students will learn how fruits and vegetables grow.
- Introduction
- Vocabulary:
- Nutrition - is the science
that deals with food and how the body uses it.
- Calcium - is needed for bone
development and growth. It is found in milk, yogurt, fish with
bones and some dark green vegetables, such as broccoli.
- Iron - helps the body produce
energy. It is found in red meat, poultry, fish and beans.
- Vitamin C - keeps gums healthy
and protects against infection. Carrots, spinach, and other
fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin A and C.
- Vitamin A - is important for
good vision and healthy skin.
- Carbohydrates - provide quick
energy.
- Fiber - helps to absorb sugars
and cholesterol and helps to remove wastes.
- Food pyramid - a general guide
that lets you choose a healthy diet that is right for you (numbers
for 2-6 year olds).
- Grains - (6 servings) Provide
complex carbohydrates and important source of energy. They
also provide B vitamins, minerals and fiber.
- Meats - (2 servings) Animal foods
are excellent sources of protein, iron, and zinc, as are
beans, nuts and seeds.
- Milk - (2 servings) Richest sources
of Calcium. They also provide protein and vitamins.
- Fruits - (2 servings) Rich source
of vitamins, mostly vitamin C. They are low in fat and calories.
- Vegetables - (3 servings) Provide
vitamins (especially A and C), excellent sources of fiber
and are naturaly low in fat.
- Fats - (use sparingly) These foods
provide calories, but little else nutritionally.
- Program
- Sort through foods and have students try to identify
the food by name.
- Discuss foods with the students and classify the
foods into the six major food groups, discussing reasons for each
choice.
- Use the food for a sorting game. Divide the group
into two teams. Each team shuld have 6 containers, one for each
food group. Divide the food into two piles (make sure there are
the same number of food items in each pile.) Now have each team
work to sort the foods into the different categories. Points can
be given for speed and accuracy.
- As a group, discuss all the foods in a given food
group. Do they have the same nutritional value? (Example: milk,
chocolate milk, and ice cream). Why or why not? What differs? Sugar,
fat, calorie content. In the grains, chocolate cake, white bread,
brown rice? Fiber differs greatly, and also fat and calories.
- Talk about portion size. hamburger vs. Big Mac.
Ice cream -- what does 1/2 cup (the recommended serving size) look
like compared to a double scoop ice cream cone? A tablespoon of
ketchup vs. a big blob.
- Have students design a meal from the different
foods, and tell if they think it is a balanced meal and why.
- Garden Game: Game ideas are given in the flyer.
- Regardless of the game, it is important that students
recognize that different fruits and vegetables grow by different
methods.
- General
Thought Questions:
- Which food, an apple or a candy bar, is better
and healthier for your body? Why?
- What are some other foods in the grain group? Meat?
Milk? Fruits? Vegetables? Fats?
- Why are some of the foods in the grain group nutritious?
Meat? Milk? Fruits? Vegetables? Fats?
- What is your favorite food group? Why?
- What if anything, do you consider before deciding
what you want to or should eat?
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