Ways for Kids to Set Nutritious Food Goals

The lessons in this unit help kids to understand that food is fuel. Food is what you eat and drink to give your body energy to move and think. Rather than classifying foods as good or bad, encourage children to stop and think, then choose the best fuel (i.e., foods that supply nutrition and energy).

You can extend a lesson with videos from the fit video series, What Food Does for Your Body. Each video highlights a food group or category and serves as a great resource to introduce or review the benefits of eating a variety of foods. See the Extend the Lesson section of this page for a list of videos. 

For more information on nutritious eating, go to MyPlate.gov.

Ask students to share whether they tried out their snack ideas from the last lesson. Has anyone come up with a fun and nutritious snack recipe? Did anyone plan ahead for a nutritious snack or help their family plan ahead for a nutritious meal?

To use this with your students click here.

Show What You Know About Nutritious Snacks

Choose the more nutritious fuel displayed on each slide of the slideshow.

Choose a Nutritious Snack

Review key points:

• Food gives you energy to grow and think.
• Choose foods with the fewest ingredients—these are often the most nutritious! For example, choose an apple over chips or choose water over a soft drink.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and make water or milk your first beverage choice.

Check for understanding: How do you think your food?

Healthy Choices

Students complete the I Spy a Healthy Picnic printable. While students are doing the activity, lead a discussion about asking for help with food choices. Do they ever need help? Who do they talk to? What do they say?

Challenge students to make nutritious snack choices. For example, snack on fruits or vegetables instead of cookies or chips and drink water or milk instead of soda, juice, or sports drinks.

Keep encouraging students to share nutritious snack and meal ideas when they find them and highlight ones you find, such as a fun dip for veggies or a fruit that comes into season. After snack and lunch breaks at school, comment on how you and your students are fueled up and ready for what’s next in the day.

Teacher note: You can extend this unit with the Nutrition Activity Packet. These activity pages will help your students learn more about how our bodies use energy, where energy comes from, and how much we really need.