Lesson
Let’s introduce the idea of checking ingredient lists and encourage students to set personal healthy food and drink 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, rather than empty calories).
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 healthy eating, go to ChoseMyPlate.gov.
Ask students to share whether they tried out their snack ideas from the last lesson. Has anyone come up with a fun and healthy new snack recipe? Did anyone plan ahead for a healthy snack or help their family plan ahead for a healthy meal?
To use this with your students click here.
Show What You Know About Healthy Snacks
Choose the best fuel displayed on the slideshow.
Share the Differences Between Healthy and Unhealthy Snacks
Review key points:
Check for understanding: How do you think your food?
Illustrate Your Healthy Choices
Students create a poster to show others their healthy food choices. Download My Fuel to use as the poster template. While students are creating their posters, 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 healthy snack choices. For example, snack on fruits or vegetables instead of cookies or chips. Drink water or milk instead of soda, juice, or sports drinks.
Keep encouraging students to share healthy 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 times at school, comment on how you or students are fueled up and ready for what’s next in the day.
Grade: K-2
Time: 20 Minutes
This chart shows different food options for each category. Kids are encouraged to eat green-light foods most often.
Get PrintableOur lessons and resources can be used from home, anytime through the year-here's how!
Get PrintableReplay the stoplight game. This time, rather than a color, a food choice is given. Kids respond with green, yellow, or red actions.
Start SlideshowKids classify snack choices as green-light, yellow-light, or red-light foods.
Start SlideshowJust like roads have signs, so does your food. Learn about reading food labels with this slideshow!
Start SlideshowRead a story about two characters. One takes the time to do a fit-check and the other does not. See the differences in their outcomes.
Start Slideshow