1. Students will understand the five food groups.
2. Students will understand the benefits of eating a diet rich in essential nutrients.
3. Students will understand how to define nutrient.

1. Illustration of the food guide pyramid.
2. Descriptions of the five food groups (provided)
3. Paper grocery or lunch bags (10)
4. Index cards (about 30)
5. Marker
6. Computers with access to the internet (for Activity 2)

Children tend to find foods that they like and stick to them.  They aren’t usually adventurous eaters. Some kids (and even adults) avoid fruits and vegetables because they think they taste bad. Kids need to realize the importance of eating a balanced diet.  There is nothing wrong with having a favorite food group.  The essential message in this lesson is that the students understand what the five food groups are and that each food group offers food with essential nutrients.  If we eat from all five food groups and limit our intake of foods from the oil and sugar groups, our health will benefit from the foods we eat.

You will need an illustration of the Food Guide Pyramid (the larger the better). If you do not have an updated illustration of the Food Guide Pyramid, please visit www.mypyramid.gov to print a copy.  There is a special Food Guide Pyramid designed for kids.  This is suitable for students through 11 years of age.

Descriptions of the five food groups (below)

Students should be given the opportunity to name the five food groups. Go over the correct definitions as a class and write the definition on the board. All definitions are from the Random House Webster’s Dictionary.

Grains

Description: Grains come from grassy plants called cereal grains. The grains are the seeds of the plants. Some examples of cereal grains are wheat, barley, oats and rice.  Foods in this group are made from the grains and include bread, pastas, tortillas, breakfast cereal and oatmeal. It is important to strive to eat whole grains.  Whole grains provide fiber and carbohydrates.

*Definition: A small, hard seed of a food plant, especially a cereal plant such as wheat or rye

Vegetables

Description: Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group.  Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned or dried; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.  Some commonly eaten vegetables are: green beans, broccoli, carrots, corn, peas, potatoes and spinach. Vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals.

*Definition: A plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, or leaf parts are used for food.

Fruits

Descriptions: Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group.  Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen or dried.  Additionally, fruits may be whole, cut-up or pureed.  Some commonly eaten fruits are: apples, bananas, strawberries, oranges, grapes, peaches and raisins.  Fruits contain a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

*Definition: The edible part of a plant developed from a flower.

*The difference between what is a fruit and what is a vegetable is often confusing and sometimes controversial.  Here are some hints to distinguishing a fruit from a vegetable:

•Fruits bear the seeds of plants. Therefore, foods with seeds are considered a fruit.

•Fruits are naturally higher in fructose (sugar) and therefore tend to be sweeter.  This is where you have to use the note above. Foods with seeds that are not very sweet are the exception to the rule; these include tomatoes, peppers, etc.

•Vegetables are any other part of the plant that does not bear the seeds. For example, carrots are actually the root of a plant.

•Fruit is the ripened ovary of a plant. Hence, the fruit carries the seeds and is the key to reproduction for the plant, very similar to humans.

Dairy

Description: The milk group contains milk and other foods that are made from milk. Milk and products made from milk are often called dairy products. In the United States, most milk and dairy products come from cows. Foods in this group include milk, yogurt and cheeses.  This group can be an important source of nutrients that build strong bones and teeth. They provide calcium and protein.

*Definition: A white liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals and serving to nourish their young.

Meat and Beans (also includes eggs)

Description: Meats provide important nutrients that help build strong muscles. Some people choose not to eat meat or have very little meat in their diet. These people can choose to eat beans or nuts that have some of the same nutrients as meats in order to get the nutrients they need from this group. This group includes meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and nuts.  Foods in the meat and beans group provide essential nutrients such as protein, fiber and iron.

*Definitions: Meat = the flesh of animals used for food

Bean= the edible seed or pod of various plants of the legume family

Egg= the ovum of a chicken

Note: A few foods are in the vegetable group and the meat and beans group.  Some examples of foods that are in both of these groups are: peas and dry beans.  Explain to the students that some foods are in more than one group because they provide the same nutrients.  For example, some foods contain the same nutrients as meats.  Foods in the vegetable group (i.e. beans) that provide the same nutrients as meats are important for people who choose not to eat meat, as they allow them to get the nutrients they need to be strong and healthy. 

* The food guide pyramid includes oils even though they are not considered a food group. There are healthy sources for oil, and there are unhealthy sources for oil. Oils should be limited.  Therefore, they are represented by a small slice on the pyramid.  Students should try to get their oils from fish and nuts rather than potato chips.

 We will only refer to the Oils group for a short explanation of why it is on the Pyramid. We want students to understand that the Pyramid outlines what someone’s total diet should look like and that the nutrient-rich foods found on the Pyramid should be eaten more than those not found on the Pyramid. 

Oils

Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, like the vegetable oils used in cooking.  Oils come from many different plants and from fish.  Some examples of oils are: canola oil, corn oil, olive oil and soybean oil. 

•Discussion:

1. Introduce the students to the illustration of the Food Guide Pyramid.
2. Explain that the purpose of the Food Guide Pyramid is to help people choose healthy foods to eat and achieve balance in their diet. Point out that there are five main sections that make up the Pyramid. These sections are the Five Food Groups that were just reviewed.
3. The Food Guide Pyramid stresses variety in your diet. Ask the students to define variety. Use the following example:

•Which meal has variety?

            Group 1: baked potato, toast, rice

            Group 2: chicken, broccoli, mashed potatoes

Group 2 has “variety”.  Each food is from a different food group.  Each food group has something special to offer our bodies. We need to eat from all groups in order to be healthy.

4. Explain to students that each group represents foods that have important kinds of nutrients.
5. Brainstorm definitions of a nutrient to see what kids already know.
6. A nutrient is a part of a food that gives your body energy and keeps your body working and healthy. Explain that it is important to eat a wide variety of different foods from all of the five food groups because different foods offer different types of nutrients.  If students ask for examples of nutrients, below are a few they may be familiar with.

·         Calcium is found in dairy foods and leafy vegetables.  It helps build strong bones and teeth.

·         Protein is found in meat and dry beans. It helps build muscles.

·         Vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits and broccoli, is needed to maintain a healthy immune system.

Read aloud to the students or have them take turns reading aloud the brief descriptions from the board or have them take notes.

7. Go through each of the food groups.  Call on a student to name a food that would belong in each of the particular food groups.
8. Display the Food Guide Pyramid again, and have students count the different sections on it. Some students may have already realized that there is an extra section that is not one of the Five Food Groups.
9. Explain that there is very small section called the Oils group. Read the Oils description.
10. There are healthy and unhealthy sources of oils. The Five Food Groups contain foods that have many nutrients.  Oils are used to cook and prepare many foods, so it is almost impossible to avoid oils completely. Therefore, health experts felt that oils should have a designated spot on the Food Guide Pyramid so that people will pay attention to their oil intake.  Oils should be consumed in a limited amount.
11. Discuss which food group a candy bar or chocolate chip cookie would belong to. Explain that foods primarily made of sugar are foods that don’t contain many nutrients other than sugar, so they are not included on the Pyramid. It is recommended that foods made primarily of sugar be eaten in limited quantities. If students ask for an example of how these foods can be bad for one’s health, you can discuss the following:

       •Foods high in sugar give us a quick burst of energy, but the energy is not enough to sustain us for a long period of time. We will “crash” after a short period of time because we need more sugar. 

      • Because sugar gets used up quicker than other nutrients, we will eat more food than is recommended over the course of the day.

      •A food that only provides us with sugar and no other nutrients does not contribute to a balanced diet and should be eaten in limited quantities. It is best to eat foods that offer us more of a variety of nutrients.  Fruit is an excellent example. Fruits contain natural sugars, but they also offer many vitamins and minerals that help us strengthen our immune system and fight disease.

Explanation of the activity:

This activity will help students determine which foods belong in which food groups.

Preparation:

You will need 10 paper grocery bags (lunch-sized or large), markers and index cards.  Use index cards to make the game cards.  Write the name of several foods (at least 5) from each food group on the cards. Write only one food per card.  Make two sets of the cards, one set for each group.  Take five of the paper bags and write the name of one of the five food groups on each bag.  Repeat this with the other five bags.  You will have bags per team.  Line the bags up at the end of the room or hallway with the food group label facing the teams. Leave a little space between each bag.

Directions:

1. Divide the students into two teams.
2. Line the teams up on the opposite side of the classroom/hallway.  The members of each team should be in a single-file line and facing the bags.
3. Designate a team leader for each team. This person will hand out the cards to the team members; he/she will not be “playing” the game.
4. When you say “Go”, the team leader will hand the top card in their stack of food cards to the person in their team’s line.  That student must then run to the correct corresponding bag at the other end of the room. 
5. After putting their card in the correct bag, the student will return to the end of the line.  The team leader will then give a card to the next person in line.
6. The game goes on until both teams have put their cards in the bag. 
7. After both teams have finished, go through the bags to make sure the cards are in the right bag, showing the students as you go through each card. If the team that finished first did not make any mistakes, they win.  If they have a food in the incorrect food group, the second team wins if they got all of their cards right.

Explanation of the activity:

This activity will help students understand how to meet dietary guidelines for the five food groups.

Directions:

Have the students log onto www.mypyramid.gov and click on the “for kids” link on the left-hand side of the page.  Students can play the My Pyramid Blast Off game.  It is an interactive game that explores food choices and meeting dietary guidelines for the five food groups.  They can also explore the five food groups in depth.