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Teaching Nutrition in Middle School and High School Classrooms. 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). A Dangerous Trend.
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Teaching Nutrition in Middle School and High School Classrooms
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)
A Dangerous Trend • Eating and overweight statistics • 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% • Data from the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System showed that, of students in grades 9-12: • Only 21% ate fruits & vegetables 5 or more times per day • 11.8% did not eat for 24 hours or more to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight
Good Nutrition • Increases the odds of healthy and attentive students. • Provides students with a solid foundation for lifelong wellness • Research shows that good nutrition not only assures optimal development and growth, but also has positive effects on alertness and attention, performance on standardized achievement tests, and enhances other skills important for academic success. (Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1993. Evaluation of the School Breakfast Pilot Program: Summary of findings from the first year of implementation. USDA, 2002).
Teaching Nutrition Basics www.mypyramid.gov
Food Journaling Activity • How does your intake compare to the recommendations? • Free worksheet available from MyPyramid.gov • An easy way to get older students to think more critically about what they are eating.
Teaching Nutrition Basics • Using MyPyramid, teach nutrition by food groups: • Grains • Vegetables • Fruits • Milk • Meat & Beans • Oils • Focus on eating a variety of foods, cutting back on packaged snacks & drinks that are high in sugar and/or fat, and balancing food intake with physical activity.
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
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 mealtime
Science and Health • Grow a garden • Nutrition in biology class • Explore how unhealthy foods can affect the body • Calorie discussion and activity
Calorie Activity • Definition of a calorie • How many calories are in some fast foods? • How much activity does it take to burn half the calories you consume?
Math Classes • Double or halve a recipe to practice conversions between measurements (8 oz = ½ lb, 1 cup = 16 Tbsp). • Food label calculations • Statistics students can hold a cafeteria taste test and evaluate the results
Geography, Social Studies and History • Compare cultural food trends to the United States’ MyPyramid model. • Our global economy: food production • Research how foods were prepared, preserved and stored in the past.
English and Writing Classes • Teach different writing styles: • Persuasive • Informative • Descriptive • Impromptu/extemporaneous
English and Writing Classes (Continued) • Compare and contrast a healthy diet with an unhealthy diet • Instruct students to prepare an oral report on a current nutrition topic
Art and Music Classes • Posters, photos, and displays to promote healthy food choices • Design signage for healthy food choices in the cafeteria • Healthy skit or short play for elementary students • Have students write jingles (similar to a short song that advertises a product on the radio or TV) related to nutrition and set them to music.
Nutrition Education at Mealtime • Tour the school kitchen and cafeteria • New food taste tests • Breakfast and lunch lines • Vending machines • Salad bars • Healthy meal and snack preparation • Give students a voice
Classroom Resources • Kansas Coordinated School Health • School Health Index • Planet Health • Hearts N’ Parks • National Dairy Council • Nutrition Essentials • CATCH • Kansas Team Nutrition