Objectives
- Identify food and drink choices that are best for your body and brain.
- Use the stoplight colors, green, yellow, and red, as tools to categorize food choices as eat more, eat some, and eat less.
Lesson Plan
Introduce students to the idea that food is fuel for their bodies. “Food” refers to both what you eat and what you drink. This week’s topic uses a stoplight as a tool to help students think their food and make healthy food choices. There are no “good” foods or “bad” foods; green-light foods are to be eaten more often than yellow-light or red-light foods:
- Eat More: Green-light foods are best! They have the most nutrition for energy and growth and can be eaten anytime. Green-light foods are great fuel for your body and brain, 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. They have more fat, added sugar, and/or calories than green-light foods. Eat yellow-light foods sometimes, but not for every meal. Examples: dried fruit, veggies with sauces, flavored yogurt, granola bars, ground beef, and juice.
- Eat Less: Red-light foods have the lowest nutritional value. Stop and think about your choice and eat the red-light foods least often. Examples: chips, candy, fried foods, cakes, donuts, and soda.
Set The Stage
Ask kids to turn and talk to a partner about their favorite meal. What is it that makes it a favorite?
To use this with your students click here.
Captivate
Think About Healthy Meal Options
Students classify mealtime choices using the Eat More, Eat Some, Eat Less Food Chart.Educate
Learn About Healthy Eating Options
Present tips for healthy food choices:
- Choose whole grain foods.
- Choose baked or grilled over fried foods.
- Skip adding sugar or butter to your food.
- The fewer ingredients, the healthier the food item.
Activate
Plan Healthy Meals
Students document which foods they will choose to put on their plate at mealtime using the MyPlate Meal printable .Close the Lesson
Today we discussed healthy mealtime options and how to make healthy choices. What will you tell others about healthy mealtime choices?
Grade: K-2
Time: 20 Minutes
What You'll Need
Resources
- Think Your Mealtime Food - Slideshow
- MyPlate Meal - Printable
- Eat More, Eat Some, Eat Less Food Chart - Printable
Materials
- Markers
- Poster Board or White Board
- Slideshow
Health Education Standards
- Standard 1: Core Concepts - Eat a variety of foods within each food group every day.
- Standard 2: Analyze Influences
- Standard 4: Interpersonal Communication
- Standard 5: Decision-Making
Social and Emotional Learning Competencies
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Responsible Decision-Making