Teaching Nutrition in the Elementary Classroom

1. Teaching Nutrition in the Elementary Classroom

2. Why worry about nutrition? • Diet is linked with 5 of the 10 leading causes of death: • Coronary heart disease • Some types of cancer • Stroke • Type 2 diabetes • Atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries)

3. Childhood Obesity • Data from NHANES surveys (1976–1980 and 2003–2006) show that the prevalence of obesity has increased: • For children aged 2–5 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 12.4% • For those aged 6–11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5% to 17.0% • For those aged 12–19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.6% • Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults.

4. Good Nutrition • Provides students with a solid foundation for lifelong health. • Increases the odds of healthy & attentive students. • Assures optimal development and growth • Has positive effects on: • Alertness • Attention • Performance on standardized achievement tests

5. Teaching Nutrition Basics http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html

6. Food Journaling Activity • MyPyramid for Kids resources available for elementary students of all ages • Download worksheets free of charge from: http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html

7. Teaching Nutrition Basics • Using MyPyramid for Kids- teach nutrition by food groups: • Grains • Vegetables • Fruits • Milk • Meat & Beans • Oils

8. Understanding MyPyramid • Key Messages: • Make half your grains whole • Vary your veggies • Focus on fruits • Get your calcium-rich foods • Go lean with protein • Find your balance between food and fun • Fats and sugars – know your limits

9. Finding the Time • If you don’t have extra time to devote to nutrition, how do you squeeze it into an already busy school day? • Integrate with other subjects • Take advantage of lunchtime or downtime between subjects and activities.

10. Science & Health

11. Science & Health • Information about plants and farming • Use MyPyramid for Kids as a tool to introduce healthy foods. • Compare and contract foods that people eat vs. foods that animals eat, food that plants eat, food that fish eat, etc.

12. Math

13. Math • Use recipes or other measures of food to help teach fractions (1/2 pound apples, 1/3 cup milk). • Recipes can teach conversions between measurements (i.e. 16 oz = 1 lb, 3 tsp = 1 Tbsp, etc.) • Food journal activity can teach charting and percentages. • Hold a taste testing and graph results.

14. Recipe Conversion Activity • Double the Rice recipe using the recipe conversion worksheet. • What food groups are included in this recipe? • Do you think this is a healthy recipe? • Why/Why not? • Salad recipe is a good, easy recipe for younger students.

15. Recipe Conversion Answers

16. Social Studies

17. Social Studies • Prepare and taste a food from another country • Where does our food come from? • Write a report on a country or culture, highlighting popular & traditional foods.

18. Language Arts and Reading

19. Language Arts and Reading • Learn the concept of sequencing. How is that food made? • Creative writing- have students write a folk tale about a favorite, healthy food • Create a class book about food • Healthy food book reports

20. More Language Arts and Reading • Use nutrition concepts as spelling/vocabulary words (moderation, pyramid, variety, calorie). • Compare and contrast the benefits fo healthy eating with unhealthy eating. • Have students practice alphabetizing with a list of healthy foods. • Instruct students to prepare an oral report on one of the MyPyramid food groups.

21. Art and Music

22. Art and Music • Promotional posters for healthy foods • Create a MyPyramid collage • Write, design, produce, and act out a healthy habits-themed puppet show

23. Meal and Snack Time

24. Nutrition Education at Lunch or Snack Time • Healthy food discussion with students • Classroom taste tests • Be a healthy role model • Utilize non-food rewards • Lunch with students

25. What’s On Your Plate? Activity • It’s lunchtime! What’s on the menu? • Spaghetti • w/Meat Sauce • Garden Salad • Sliced Peaches • Chocolate Chip Cookie • Milk • What food groups are represented? • Which foods are you going to select? • What are the healthy benefits of these foods?

26. What’s On Your Plate? Answers • It’s lunchtime! What’s on the menu? • Spaghetti – Grains • w/Meat Sauce- Meat & Beans • Garden Salad- Vegetables (don’t forget the Salad Dressing- Oils) • Sliced Peaches- Fruits • Chocolate Chip Cookie- not in a group, counts as “extra” calories • Milk- Milk • How are these foods good for your body? Grains are carbohydrates that give you energy, meat provides protein for strong muscles and growth, vegetables & fruits contribute many nutrients (like Vitamins A, E, and C) to keep you healthy, and milk provides calcium for strong teeth & bones.

27. Time for a Taste Test! • Compare and contrast • Color • Shape • Size (measure) • Food group • Smell • Texture • TASTE!

28. Nutrition during “downtime” • Tackle short nutrition topics while standing in line OR have students answer questions in order to line up: • Can you name an orange vegetable? What important nutrient in the milk group gives us strong bones? • Talk about one of the MyPyramid food groups, then quiz students about it. • Discuss how breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day because it gives you energy in the morning. • Talk about good drink choices (water, milk, 100% juice) and not-so-good drink choices (soda pop and juice drinks with lots of added sugar).

29. Want to do More? Kansas Coordinated School Health Eat Well and Keep Moving Hearts N’ Parks National Dairy Council Go With the Whole Grain Kidnetic CATCH Kids Health in the Classroom Kids a Cookin’ Kansas Team Nutrition