Fruit Salad

Take an assortment of fruits (fresh and canned).  It is fun to let children bring a fruit to add to the salad.  With help they can help to cut the fruit.   Here are some suggestions of fruits to use.

• banana
• apple
• pear
• peach
• strawberries
• blueberries
• grapes
• Mix it all together with canned pineapple canned in its own juice.

Food Groups: Grain

Objective: Introduce the grain food group and the importance of the vitamins, minerals and fiber attained from it.

Preparations:

• Magazines with a lot of pictures of food.
• Make a bulletin board with a large circle, divided into 4 sections to look like a plate. And a smaller circle or glass shape in the upper right hand corner to represent a glass of milk. Label each section Fruit, Vegetable, Protein, Grain and Dairy. See example of what it should look like at  http://www.choosemyplate.gov .  (You can print out the “coloring sheet” from this website and have each child make their own collage to take home.) http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/MyPlate/ColoringSheet.pdf
• Glue sticks
• Grain in various form (Wheat, crackers, flour, pasta,etc.)
• Suggested book: The Grain Group by Helen Frost
  Corn by Gail Gibbons
  

Lesson:

Read a book then discuss Grains.

• The Grain Group is an important part of our daily diet because it provides us with the important Carbohydrates and Fiber that we need.
• Carbohydrates help bodies produce energy that we need to be active.
• Fiber helps regulate digestion and can help decrease the risk of certain cancers.
• Enriched grains also contain Iron and Vitamin B. Iron carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Vitamin B helps in the use and release of energy in our body.
• It also helps maintain the health of our blood, skin, and nervous system.
• The grain group contains any food made from grain which is the seed part of plants.  Some common grains are wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, and barley. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, rice, crackers, and tortillas are foods made from grain.
• We should eat grains daily but the amount you needs depends on age and weight.
• The more whole grains the better. 

Activities:

My Plate Collage (This activity can be as a part of a lesson from each food group over several days.)

• Have children find and cut out pictures of food from the grain group from the magazines
• Have them apply glue to the back and stick it on to the grain section of the poster.

Another fun activity is to make tortillas, corn bread or wheat bread with the children. Tortillas, Cornbread and Wheat Bread recipes are also on our blog.  Here is the link to the tortilla recipe. 

Food Group: Fruit

Food Groups

Fruit

Objective:  Introduce the fruit food group and the importance of the vitamins, minerals and fiber attained from fruit.

Preparation:     

• Magazines with a lot of pictures of food.
• A bulletin board can be made with poster paper with a large circle drawn on it and divided into 4 sections to look like a plate. And a smaller circle in the upper right hand corner to represent a glass of milk. Label each section Fruit, Vegetable, Protein, Grain and Dairy. See example of what it should look like at ChooseMyPlate.gov  Hang the poster somewhere in the classroom like a bulletin board.
• Glue.
• Fruits in various form. (canned, fresh, dried, etc.)
• Print and make Fruit book.  book fruit  Have crayons ready to finish books.

• Suggested books:

  • Gregory, The Terrible Eater by Mitchel Sharmat

    Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z  by Lois Ehlert

  • The Very Hungry Caterpiller by Eric Carle

Lesson:

 Read a book then discuss Fruit.

• The fruit group is made up of all fruits.
• Fruits are the edible part of the plant that contain the seeds and the juicy part around the seed.  
• Fruit are usually juicy, colorful and sweet.
• Like vegetables, fruit have been found to help prevent many serious illnesses as well as vision loss.
• Different fruits are high in fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals such as: potassium, fiber, vitamin C, folic acid
• Fruits are low in calories so they make a sweet, filling treat.

Discussion questions:

• What are some fruits?
• What is your favorite fruit?

Activities:  

• My Plate Collage (This activity can be as a part of a lesson from each food group over several days)  You can use the coloring sheet from the government website or make a large plate and cup for a bulletin board. Have children find and cut out pictures of fruit from the magazines.  Have them apply glue to the back and stick it onto the fruit section of the poster.
• A simple book can be made with the children. The pdf is included in the preparations.     book fruit       
• Another fun activity is to make Fruit Salad with the children.  (We will have a fruit salad recipe on our blog tomorrow.)

http://phonicsbyspelling.com  

Food Groups: Dairy

Objective:   Help children recognize food from the dairy group and their nutritional importance.

Materials:

• Several pictures of food from all food groups.
• You may want to refer to other food group lessons on this blog or on the government food website. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/dairy.html 
• Suggested book:  The Milk Maker by Gail Gibbons 

Lesson:

Read the book then discuss dairy foods:

• Dairy foods come from the milk of cows or goats.  
• Milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese are from the dairy group.  
• We need two to three servings a day. Serving size would be one cup of milk, one cup of yogurt, or 1/3 of a cup shredded or one sliced cheese.
• Dairy is a good source of protein and calcium. Calcium is a mineral that we need in a lot of. Calcium helps muscle contraction and the nervous system. 
• Some people have a food allergy to dairy. Soy, almond and rice milk that have calcium added are part of the dairy food group. 

 

Activity:   Sort food groups

• Make a place for each food group on a table with the children sitting around the table.
• Show children pictures of food one at a time.
• Ask is this from the dairy group?
• What group is it from?
• Place the picture in the place for that food.
• Continue until all food groups have several in each pile.

Check our website for phonics products. http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Food Groups: Vegetables

Vegetables

Objective: Help children begin to recognize vegetables and the importance of the vegetables.

Materials:

• Cut vegetables from magazines.
• Poster paper with a large circle drawn on it and divided into 4 sections to look like a plate. And a smaller circle in the upper right hand corner to represent a glass of milk. Label each section Fruit, Vegetable, Protein and Grain and Dairy. See example of what it should look like at ChooseMyPlate.gov (you can print out the “coloring sheet” from this website and have each child make their own collage to take home. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/print-materials-ordering.html ) Hang the poster in the classroom.
• Glue
• Vegetables in various form (canned, fresh, frozen, etc.)
• Suggested books:
  • Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
  • Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
  • The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbins
  • Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

Lesson:

Read a book then discuss vegetables:

• Vegetables come from plants.
• Vegetables can be roots such as potatoes and carrots, stems such as asparagus and celery, leaves such as lettuce and spinach, or flowers such as broccoli.
• Vegetables as are often low in calories.
• Vegetables, like fruits, have been found to help prevent many serious illnesses and vision loss.
• Vegetables are high in fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid.

Discussion questions:

• What are some vegetables?
• What is your favorite vegetables?

Activities:

My Plate Collage (This activity can be part of a lesson for each food group over several days.)

• Have children find and cut out pictures of vegetables from the magazines.
• Have them apply glue to the back and stick it on to the vegetables section of the poster.

Optional:  The children can draw the pictures.

Print out the “coloring sheet” from the ChooseMyPlate.gov website and have each child make their own collage to take home.

Another fun activity is to make a Vegetable Tray or Vegetable Soup with the children. Find our recipe for ranch dip on this blog.

Check out our website for products for teaching children.  http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/ 

 

 

Eating Healthy / Food Groups

Eating Healthy / Food Groups

Objective: Children will learn about nutrition and food groups.

Materials:

• Paper plates

• Markers, crayons or colored pencils.

• Magazines with a large variety of pictures of food.

• Simple pictures of foods from each food group (protein, fruit, vegetables, grain and dairy).

• Scissors

• Cardstock

• Suggested book:

  • Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z  by Lois Ehlert

Preparation:

• Make a “plate” by cutting a large circle. Draw lines dividing it into four parts (as shown in picture). Label each of the food groups in each section: fruit; vegetables; grain; protein. Make a glass representing the milk or just make a smaller circle, label it “dairy”. Put them on the bulletin board.

• Draw lines on paper plates dividing them and labeling each section in the same manner as above.

• Draw and label with “dairy” a picture of a glass of milk (or a smaller circle) printed on cardstock.  (You may want to print several on one sheet.)

Lesson:

• Read the book(s) then discuss while showing pictures.
  • Discuss each of the food groups and some of the foods that fit into each category.
  • Discuss sweets and foods that are unhealthy and should be avoided or limited.
• Have the children sort the pictures into the 5 different food groups.

Activities: 

My plate bulletin board

• Have the children find and cut out pictures of a food from each group in the magazines, then glue them to the large plate on bulletin board.

My plate

• Have the children draw a food from each group on their paper plate.
• Write what the children drew under their drawing.
• Have the children cut out the milk, then staple the “milk” to the top right edge of the plate.

More info, tips, and resources can be found at www.choosemyplate.gov

Note:  This lesson can be taught in 6 lessons, one for each food group and a review on the 6^th day.  Work on the bulletin board plate each day with each food group, then on the review day do the paper plate activity. 

It is also fun to have a food experience with each food group.  Some ideas are to have the children bring something to add to the fruit salad, nut cups, vegetable soup or tray, etc.