Objectives
- Identify nutritious snack choices.
- Use the stoplight colors (green, yellow, and red) as tools to categorize food choices as "eat more," "eat some," and "eat less."
Info to Know
Talk with students about the idea that food is fuel for their bodies. “Food” refers to what you eat and what you drink. The lessons in this unit use a stoplight as a tool to help students think about their food choices:
- Eat More: Green-light foods have the most nutrition for energy and growth, so eat them often! Examples: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, milk, and water.
- Eat Some: Yellow-light foods do not keep you fueled up the way green-light foods do, so eat them sometimes. Examples: canned or dried fruit, veggies with sauces, white bread or pasta, peanut butter, and juice.
- Eat Less: Red-light foods are the least nutritious. It's okay to have a red-light food once in a while. Stop and think about your choice and eat the red-light foods least often. Examples: chips, candy, fried foods, cakes, donuts, and soda.
It's important that kids understand that some foods provide you with more nutrition than others. Check out the Eat More Eat Some Eat Less Food Chart for examples. For more information about the nutritional benefits of foods and different food groups, read Food is Fuel.
Set The Stage
Have kids turn and talk about their favorite nutritious snack foods. Don't forget nutritious drink choices!
To use this with your students click here.
Captivate
Teach Kids to Identify Nutritious Snack Choices
Students view the slideshow and complete the Healthy Foods Coloring Pages to discover which food and drink choices provide the most and least health benefits.
Educate
Learn About Nutritious Snack Options
When making a snack choice, remember that nutritious snacks usually have a short ingredient list, like fruit, vegetables, water, and milk!
Check for understanding: Which green-light snack choices are your favorites?
Activate
Have Kids Make Healthy Snack Choices
Students identify green-light, yellow-light, and red-light food choices. Use the Eat More, Eat Some, Eat Less Food Chart to help identify and classify snack choices.
Close the Lesson
Today we identified nutritious snack options and categorized them into green-light, yellow-light, and red-light choices. Next we will learn about nutritious meal options.
Grade: 3-5
Time: 20 Minutes
What You'll Need
Resources
- Think Your Snack Food - Slideshow
- Eat More, Eat Some, Eat Less Food Chart - Printable
- Healthy Foods Coloring Pages - Printable
Materials
- Slideshow
- Poster Board or White Board
- Markers
Health Education Standards
- Standard 1: Core Concepts–Eat a variety of foods within each food group every day.
- Standard 4: Interpersonal Communication
- Standard 5: Decision-Making
- Standard 7: Practice Health-Enhancing Behaviors
Social and Emotional Learning Competencies
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Responsible Decision-Making
Extend the Lesson
- Play the fitGame, Red Food, Green Food.
- Play the fitGame, MyPlate in Motion, to help kids learn about nutritious foods and food groups.
- Read this article to learn how to Make Healthy Eating Easy.
- Get kids thinking about their beverage choices by watching the video, Sugar in Your Soft Drinks.