Lesson Title:

Eating Healthy and Exercise!

Activity:

Filling Your Plate

Objectives:

Participants will:

  1. Compare and contrast “My Plate” with “My Pyramid”.
  2. Explore the purpose of each Food Group and understand how much of each group to eat per day.

Audience:

Youth Grades: K-12

Supplies Needed:

Item / Number of Item
Lesson Plan / 1/presenter
Round Tables / 3
Rectangular Tables / 5
Masking Tape / 1 roll/group
Black Yarn / 1 skein/group
Food Group Labels / 1 set/group + 1 set to label rectangular table
Hula Hoops/Lg. Round Laundry Basket / 1/group of 5-10 people
“My Plate” Handout / 1/individual
Food Models / Daily Requirements of each food group needed
Food Group Fact Cards / 1/rectangular table
Protein Taste (e.g., nuts) / 1/individual serving size
Grain Taste (e.g., whole wheat crackers) / 1/individual serving size
Fruit Taste (e.g., raisins) / 1/individual serving size
Vegetable Taste (e.g., mini carrots) / 1/individual serving size
Dairy Taste (e.g., cubed cheese) / 1/individual serving size
Baskets / 1/group
Scissors / 1/group
Plastic Table Cloth/Crepe Paper / 1 Red, Green, Purple, Brown/Tan, Blue
8” Plates / 10
Duct tape / 1 roll/group

Time Required:15-20 minutes for set-up and 30 minutes for each group to complete the activity.

Set-Up

  1. Prepare supply baskets for each group containing:
  2. “My Plate” Handouts / person
  3. 1 roll of tape
  4. 1 skein of yarn
  5. Scissors
  6. 1 set of Food Groups Labels (Protein, Grain, Fruit, Vegetable, Dairy)
  7. 1 Hula Hoop/large round laundry basket

Set up Food Group Tables

  1. Cover each table with colored plastic table cloth (color that represents food group)
  2. Food Models
  3. Food Tasters
  4. Food Group Fact Cards

Procedure:

  1. Break participants into groups and send them to a round table to empty out their basket.
  2. Explain the “My Plate” concept versus “My Pyramid”.
  3. Easier for families to visualize a balanced meals (containing all daily food requirements)
  4. Daily food requirements have NOT changed.
  5. Concept built on an 8” dinner plate to reduce overeating. (No fair stacking food too high!)
  6. My Plate focuses on variety of food items within each food group.
  7. Physical activities are the same for each model…60 minutes daily for children and youth and 2 ½ hours weekly for adults.
  8. Helps youth focus on everyday foods as compared to occasional choice, empty calorie foods (e.g., pizza, cheese, chips, cookies, etc.)
  9. Challenge the groups to turn their supplies into their own empty “My Plate” that they will fill with a daily requirement of each food group.
  10. Give the groups a specific time limit to finish the task.
  11. Discuss what their “Plate” should look like. (use mini-poster as an example)
  12. Next explain that the groups will be exploring each Food Group by examining the 5 colored tables in the front of the room.
  13. At each table they will learn the needed information to collect the daily requirements for each Food Group to “Fill their Plate”. (explanation included on food cards provided)
  14. While exploring each Food Group, they will have the opportunity to taste a food item from that group. Everyone should try the food item.
  15. Once the group has explored a Food Group, they need to return to their “Plate” to place their food models in the correct section.
  16. Groups will continue to explore Food Groups until they have “Filled their Plate”.
  17. Discuss the activity they just completed. (See questions below.)

Discussion Questions

  1. How is “My Plate” similar to “My Pyramid”?
  2. How are the two models different?
  3. Did any of the recommended amounts of each food group surprise you?
  4. Which of these recommendations do you believe is easiest to follow? Which are the hardest? Why?
  5. What is one change that you will make in your diet to have a “My Plate” that more closely follows the recommendations?

References/Resources:

United States Department of Agriculture:

Activity adapted from Healthy Kids Challenge, Walk Through The Pyramid with Awesome Balance to meet the Challenge.

Lesson Title:

Eating Healthy and Exercise!

Activity:

Breaking Bones

Objectives:

Participants will:

  1. Understand thateating three servings of dairy and staying active builds strong bones.
  2. Gain an understanding for the importance of getting 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

Audience:

Youth Grades: K-12

Supplies Needed:

Item / Number of Item
Lesson Plan / 1
Chicken Bone activity instructions / 1
Round Tables / 4
Cones (or duct tape/masking tape) / 8
PVC Pipe / 8
PVC Connectors / 4
Dairy Food Models (milk, cheese, yogurt) / 1 of each
Station Signs / 1 Milk, Cheese, Dairy, Bones
Chicken bone / 1 regular bone washed and dried
Chicken bone / 1 soaking in jar with bleach
Chicken bone / 1 soaking in jar with vinegar

Time Required:10-15 minutes for set-up and 30 minutes for each group to complete the activity.

Set-Up

  1. Create a starting line.
  2. Place the stations approximately 7 to 10 feet away from the starting line.
  3. Prepare the Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, and Bones stations.
  4. Set out Food Models.
  5. Set out “Bones” (PVC parts).
  6. Set up Chicken Bone Display (3 chicken bones with labels)

Optional: Obtain three chicken bones. Place one in a jar of vinegar and another bone in a jar of bleach 1-2 days before the event leave the last bone out to dry at room temperature once cleaned with water. The chicken bone in vinegar will become soft and flexible because the calcium dissolves from the bone demonstrating the importance of calcium in the diet. The chicken bone in the bleach will become quite brittle,demonstrating that when protein is not incorporated in the diet, protein breaks down and decreases the durability of your bones.

Procedure:

  1. Divide into four teams.
  2. When the game leader says, “start”, the first player in each line RUNS to the bone station and breaks apart the “bone” (PVC pipe pieces) and places it back down.
  3. The player pretends to have a broken leg and HOPS to cheese station, pretends to eat cheese, and says, “Oh yum! Calcium!”
  4. The player then HOPS to the yogurt station, pretends to eat yogurt and says, “That’s delicious!”
  5. The player then HOPS to the milk station and pretends to drink the milk and must “moo” like a cow.
  6. After going through all the stations, the player LIMPS back to the bone station and puts the broken bone back together (because eating all the calcium helped make the bone stronger).
  7. The player then RUNS back to the starting line and does two jumping jacks and two toe touches before tagging the next teammate to start.
  8. After the groups finish the challenge of reconstructing their bones with calcium. Discuss the “Chicken Bone Display”.
  9. Bones are built on two very important chemical groups:
  10. Mineral - calcium phosphate (calcium and phosphorus)
  11. Proteins – elastin and collagen

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some other food items we can eat to get calcium besides milk, yogurt and cheese?
  2. What calcium rich foods can be eaten if you are lactose intolerant? (green leafy vegetables, sprouts, calcium set tofu, beans and seafood [for the lax vegetarian])
  3. What disease can affect us if we don’t get enough calcium?
  4. Why is it important to get exercise on a daily basis? What do you do to exercise every day?

References/Resources:

The Nutrition Source: Calcium and Milk: What’s Best for Your Bones and Health? Harvard School of Public Health.Retrieved from:

Dairy Dazzling Calcium Carnival 3-A-Day Dairy Fun. 2004. National Dairy Council, Midwest Dairy Council and Dairy Max. Healthy Kids Challenge.

Firm, But Flexible: Chicken Bone Lab. 2001. University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Lesson Title:

Eating Healthy and Exercise!

Activity:

Meal Balancing Buffet

Objectives:

Participants will statethe importance of food serving sizes.

Audience:

Youth Grades: K-12

Supplies Needed:

Item / Number of Item
Lesson Plan / 1
Bushel Baskets or Plastic Tubs / 5
Food Group Labels / 1 set
Activity Cards / 20
Fun Music / 1 cd
Music Playing Device / 1

Time Required:5 minutes for set-up and 15 minutes for each group to complete the activity.

Set-Up

  1. Select 20 activities that the youth can perform.
  2. Divide them into 5 Bushel baskets (or plastic tubs) labeled Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Dairy, and Protein.

Procedure:

  1. Divide into four groups.
  2. In the Meal Balancing Buffet,the entire group will create and perform a mini-routine from the buffet of activities.
  3. Think of a routine as a “complete meal.” Go to the buffet and select 1 item from each basket, then put them together to form a complete meal. Your meal will consist of 1 grain, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit,1 dairy, and 1 protein.
  4. Begin by selecting an activity from the Grains pile (don’t take the card with you since othersmay want that card), then go back to your mat and practice that skill.
  5. When ready, select a skill from the Vegetables pile. Repeat the 1st skill, then add on the2nd skill.
  6. Continue by moving to the Fruits, then the Milk, then the Meats/Beans piles to add onuntil you reach 5 skills total.
  7. Give the group a specific amount of time to be ready to perform.
  8. Finally, practice the activities until your group can perform them smoothly and perform them for the rest of the group.

Unhealthy Equation

All-you-can-eat buffets + a lack ofexercise = TROUBLE!

However, buffets don’t have to bea caloric disaster. Go for the greens, avoid the fried stuff, and keep theportion sizes small (or at least withinthe boundaries of the 8 inch plate). If you do indulge inbuffet-bliss, please remember to take along walk or participate in some physical activity afterwards.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How many of you like to eat at a buffet? Why or why not?
  2. How do you typically feel after eating at a buffet?
  3. Which food groups do you enjoy including in your meal? Which are more challenging for you to include?
  4. The next time you visit a buffet, what can you do to eat a more healthy meal?
  5. After you enjoy the buffet, what can you do to get some physical activity?
  6. How can you encourage others to do the same?

References/Resources:

Adapted from Stunts and Tumbling Buffet. SPARKS: Sports, Play, Active, Recreation, for KidS.

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