Standards

Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

• A nutrition program that promotes making healthy choices around the five food groups

• Health benefits of each food group and the nutrients associated with each food group

• How to read food labels

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

• What is a balanced diet?

• How many servings of vegetables and fruits do I need a day?

• What are the power foods?

• What is the difference between power foods and extra foods?

• Are their healthy foods found in fast food restaurants?

• Is the food pyramid found in Egypt?

Standard 2: National Health Standards on Nutrition:
Indicator: Making healthy choices around nutrition.

Lessons

Elementary Schools
The Facts on the Food Guide Pyramid – This presentation provides a thorough review of the importance of nutrition and how we use the Food Guide Pyramid as a tool to help us make healthy choices. Students will have the chance to view a video focusing on basic nutrition, utilize food models to make healthy choices, and complete a number of valuable nutrition-related activity worksheets.

Target Audience: Kindergarten through 5th Grades
Length: 30 minutes (includes optional video)
Type of Presentation: Video, overheads, group discussion, educational worksheets

All About Nutrients – Students will have the opportunity to learn what nutrients are, which six nutrients are essential for the body, what foods to get them from, and how the body uses those nutrients to help us function and stay healthy. The nutrition-related worksheets included with this lesson encourage students to make the connection between healthy eating and healthy bodies!

Target Audience: 3rd through 5th Grades
Length: 30 minutes
Type of Presentation: Group discussion, overheads, handouts, educational worksheets

Carbohydrate Café – This lesson will help to inform students about what carbohydrates are, how our bodies use carbohydrates, and how to choose healthy carbohydrates. Visual aids help to simplify the topic and participants will even have the chance to prepare their own healthy carbohydrate-based snack!

Target Audience: 2nd through 5th Grades
Length: 15 minutes
Type of Presentation: PowerPoint presentation, handouts, hands-on activity

Positive Power of Fruits and Vegetables – During this presentation participants will learn all about the benefits of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. They will learn how many servings they should eat and how to add color to every meal of the day. To encourage students to increase their own fruit and vegetable intake, they will be provided with worksheets to help them track their consumption and a 5-A-Day the Color Way certificate!

Target Audience: 2nd through 5th Grades
Length: 30 minutes
Type of Presentation: Overheads, group brainstorming/discussion, educational worksheets

Label Reading for Better Eating – Participants will have the opportunity to dissect a nutrition facts label. They will gain knowledge related to what to get enough of and what to get less of. After this lesson students will realize what an important tool a food label can be to help us make healthy decisions.

Target Audience: 4th and 5th Grades and Middle School
Length: 30 minutes
Type of Presentation: PowerPoint, handouts, group discussion