Fun with Food

Activity 1

• Ask the students to tell the class what their favorite foods are and why.

• Ask them to share a story about eating their favorite food with their family or friends.

• Have the class share a story about a food or special recipe that is unique to their
family’s celebrations.

Activity 2

• Plan a menu for a day! Split the class into 5 groups. Each group is responsible for planning breakfast, lunch, after-school snack, dinner, or bedtime snack. MyPyramid for Kids is a resource. Then, each group tells the teacher their meal or snack and she writes it on the board.

• Together the class decides if they are getting enough servings from each group in the MyPyramid food guide. If not, the class can think of ways to get what they need. See the chart on the next page, and also go online to www. MyPyramid.gov to determine serving amounts for other ages. Amounts for teen boys increase as they get older, while those for teen-age girls remain constant from age 14-18. Children should be encouraged to be physically active as well.

MyPyramid for Kids Food Guide

Grains

Start smart with breakfast. Look for whole grain cereals. Make sure the first word is “whole”(like “whole wheat”).  For an 1,800 calorie diet, you need the amount below.  Eat 6 oz. every day; at least half should be whole.

Vegetables

Color your plate with all kinds of great-tasting veggies: try broccoli, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes.  For an 1,800 calorie diet you need the amount below.  Eat 2½ cups every day.

Fruits

Fruits are nature’s treats- sweet and delicious. Go easy on juice and make sure it’s 100%.  For an 1,800 calorie diet you need the amount below.  Eat 1½ cups every day.

Milk

Move to the milk group to get your calcium builds strong bones.  For an 1,800 calorie diet you need the amount below.  Get 3 cups every day; for kids ages 2 to 8, it’s 2 cups.

Meat & Beans

Eat lean or lowfat lean, chicken, turkey and fish. Remember nuts, seeds, peas, and beans, too.  For an 1,800 calorie diet you need the amount below.  Eat 5 oz. every day.

Suggested Resources:

MyPyramid or Kids: www.mypyramid.gov/kids

MyPyramid for Kids Worksheet and Coloring pages

MyPyramid Blast Off Game - an interactive computer game for children 6 to11 years old

Tips for Families handout

USDA Team Nutrition lesson plans:

http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/popularevents.html

Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, PBS http://pbskids.org/lunchlab

USDA Food Nutrition Information Center Resource Lists: www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/resource_lists.shtml

Nutrition Explorations, National Dairy Council: www.nutritionexplorations.org

How to teach Nutrition to Kids, 3^rd edition, by Connie Liaks Evers, MS, RD. 24 Carrot Press, 2006