What Are Your Kids Eating?

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 simply classifying foods as good or bad, encourage children to stop and think then choose the best fuel (foods that supply nutrition and energy, rather than empty calories). For more information on healthy eating, go to ChoseMyPlate.gov.

Ask several students to share where they hung up their “How to Build a Meal" poster at home. Ask for examples of healthy eating choices they made lately or compliment choices you observed. Ask students, “How is choosing healthy foods and beverages like filling up a car at the gas station?”

Knowing the Difference Between Fruits and Vegetables

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Explain that tomatoes are fruits because they grow from flowers and contain seeds.

What about green beans? Yes, they are also a fruit. So, are pumpkins, cucumbers, and any other food that grows from flowers!

Facts About Food as Fuel

Discuss the slideshow’s key messages:

• Food gives energy to and fuels the body.
• Eat three meals during the day; having 1–2 small healthy snacks is okay.
• Choose fuels to help you be your best: protein, whole grains, fruit and veggies.

Print the "Healthy Food Hunt" Home Activity

Download the Healthy Food Hunt activity and have students use it to find healthy foods at home.

If they find healthy foods that are not pictured, they can write or draw them on the back of the page.

Over the next few days, read aloud books that celebrate healthy food and make connections to this lesson content. For example, Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell tells the story of three siblings who harvest food from their grandfather’s garden and make a delicious vegetable soup. Fruit Bowl by Mark Hoffman is a funny story about a tomato who wants a spot in the fruit bowl, and the book also includes lots of information about fruits and vegetables.