Food for Thought

1. Food for Thought By: Belinda Epstein and Pnina Klinger Submitted to: Limor Elharar

2. Food for Thought This unit is designed to teach healthy eating habits to pupils in an interactive group activity. It is aimed for English speaking pupils in grades 5-6 or to ESL pupils in grades 7-9. By the end of the unit, pupils should be able to reflect on their eating habits and make changes in order to accommodate a healthier lifestyle.

3. Introduction Have you ever heard the saying:  "You are what you eat"? Surely, you already know that what you eat is very important and definitely has a great influence on your life. Your body needs many kinds of food to help you feel well and be healthy. That's why it's a good idea to make sure that you have several servings a day from each of the six food groups.

4. In this unit you will learn about different food groups and why they are important to incorporate in to your daily diet.  By the end of the unit, you will: 1)    Be able to identify what food group different foods fit in to. 2)   Know what properties each food group has that helps the body grow and develop.

5. Task After learning and researching different food groups it will be your task to: • Decide how much of each food group is necessary to build a healthy diet.  • Then, as a group, you will be responsible for building a food pyramid (or another visual diagram) that has all food groups represented in order of importance.  This is called proportional representation.  The food group we eat the most of must take up a larger section of the pyramid/diagram and the food we need the least of must take up a smaller section of the pyramid/diagram. 

6. Finally, once you have built your diagram, you must be able to explain it's structure to the rest of the class.  Good luck!  Have fun!

7. To begin with ….. Please fill in the charts on the computer screen. If you prefer to copy and paste the chart in to word then that is acceptable as well. Remember to save your work. When you are finished, please email your saved work to your teacher. Please work on this unit in groups of 6 pupils.  Each pupil must choose DIFFERENT food group to research.  Next

8. The food groups are: 1)  Carbohydrates- fills you up and gives you energy. 2) Vegetables- make you strong and help you see in the dark. 3) Fruit- delicious and nutritious. 4) Meat- you can eat it raw or well done. 5) Dairy- low- fat or full fat, that is the question? 6) Fatsandoils- keep away from too much of these! Next

9. 1. Reading Now that you have chosen which food group you would like to research, it is your task to first read about your food group and then fill in the chart on the next slide. Please complete this section of the unit alone. Each person choose one food group to read 1)    Carbohydrates 2)   Vegetables 3)Fruit 4) Meat 5) Dairy 6)   Fats and oils

10. 2. Fill in the chart

11. 3. Next, come back as a group come back as a group and share your information.  Together, your task is to fill in chart 2 (on the next slide), a chart in which you compare your research and learn about all the food groups.

12. Chart 2

13. 4. building your pyramid Now you are responsible for building your pyramid (or another diagram) according to the following: • The food group which has the most recommended amount of servings per day is at the bottom of the pyramid. • The next level is divided between the two major food groups which provide our bodies with the highest quantity of vitamins and minerals. • The third level is divided between the two major food groups that provide the body with protein. • The top of the pyramid is the least essential food group (or otherwise known as the most delicious!)

14. 5. add pictures For each level of the pyramid please add 4-5 pictures or photos of examples of food from this food group.  

15. Carbohydrates • The biggest food group is the carbohydrates group. • Carbohydrates give us the energy we need to play, learn, sleep and keep our bodies running 24-7! • Carbohydrate foods come from many different grain plants: wheat, oats, rye, barley and rice. Carbohydrates provide our bodies with B vitamins, some calcium, iron and fibre. You need 5-9 servings of this group every day. Foods in this category include bread: white, wheat, rye, buns, rolls, muffins, bagels cereals: hot and cold rice: all kinds pasta: spaghetti, macaroni, noodles tortillas crackers pancakes Back

16. Vegetables Is it easier for you to see in the dark or the daylight? For most people it's easier in the daylight! Foods in the Vegetable Group give us vitamin A that helps us see in the dark. Vitamin A also helps to keep our skin healthy. Vegetables also give you more vitamins and fiber to keep your energy levels high! You need 4 or 5 servings of these every day. Some foods in the Vegetable Group are:broccoli cauliflower corn peas green beans lettuce mushrooms celery carrots white potatoes and sweet potatoes juices made from vegetables: tomato juice, carrot juice Back

17. Fruit Fruit Group foods provide vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin C helps our body heal cuts and bruises and fight infections and vitamin A helps us see in the dark and helps keep our skin healthy.  You need 2 or 3 servings every day Some of the foods in the fruit group are:apples, oranges, bananas, pears, grapes, kiwi, berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, melons: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and papaya. Back

18. Dairy Did you know your body has 206 bones that are alive and growing? Believe it or not, you'll eventually have 32 permanent teeth! Milk Group foods provide calcium that helps build strong bones and teeth. They also provide other important nutrients, including protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, and B vitamins. Calcium helps: • strengthen bones, which are growing stronger and longer • stop bleeding if you get cut or bruised • muscles contract and relax  At least three servings a day are recommended. Examples of dairy food- milk flavored milk like strawberry, banana, chocolate, yogurt, cheese, pudding and frozen yogurt. Back

19. Meat Stand up and take a step. You just used 54 muscles! Your muscles hold your bones together and make them move. Meat Group foods help build strong muscles. Foods in this group provide protein and iron. Iron is important because it: • carries oxygen to all parts of your body • helps prevent infections and anemia that can make you feel tired • helps your body make energy to get you through busy days  You need a half to 2 servings from this group each day. Build muscles with these Meat Group foods:beef, chicken, turkey, fish, dried beans and peas, peanut butter, eggs and nuts. Back

20. Fats and Oils Items in this group may contain a lot of fat or sugar and aren't as healthy as the foods we've discussed so far. For that reason, it's recommended that you limit your intake of them. Foods in this category include soda, butter, margarine, candy and processed snack foods. Back