MyPlate

Essential Question:

What does the word nutrients mean?

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to…

Identify what foods to eat more of and explain that nutrients in food help us grow and stay healthy.

Name at least three reasons why it is important to eat foods from all five food groups for a healthy diet.

Apply their knowledge of healthy foods and food groups to create a healthy meal or snack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjwuzOCuM24

What are nutrients?

•something found in food that your body uses to grow and stay healthy•different nutrients do different things for our bodies and help us be healthy

Nutrients are good for me Some help me do and some help me be Some help me run and jump and grow Others keep me feeling like a pro Nutrients are good for me Some help me do and some help me be Working all together to keep me healthy Those five food groups we learned about They’ve got nutrients we need To do things at our peak To be more healthy

Some help give our skin a healthy glow Some help keep us from catching colds And others strengthen bones and muscles So round those bases we can hustle That candy, cookies, soda, ice cream Sometimes we eat too much They don’t have as many nutrients No, they don’t have quite the touch So, how about we substitute The sweet stuff with a piece of fruit Because fruit’s got the stuff we’re talking

about So many nutrients — there is no doubt

What were some of the tips you came up with to make healthy food choices? How can you make a nutritious meal?

By making healthy choices from all five food groups, we are more likely to get the nutrients we need to help us do what we want and need to do, better.

Mixing things up — meaning eating different types of foods within each food group — is also important.

Different foods give us different nutrients. Most people need to eat more dark-green, red, and

orange vegetables; beans and peas; whole grains; and low-fat milk and other milk products.

Snack of Champions

1. Imagine they are all professional chefs2. Your challenge is to create a fun and healthy

Snack of Champions for members of the U.S. Olympic team!

3. You will have to create a recipe for a snack that will not only be healthy and nutritious, but will taste good too.

Paint Your Plate: Health Benefits

• Blue/Purple• Benefits: This dark color presents against heart disease by

preventing clot formation, and maintains healthy blood pressure• Examples: Blueberries, blackberries, prunes, eggplant, blue

potatoes, purple tomatoes, plums, purple onions

Paint Your Plate

• Red• Benefits: These foods contain powerful antioxidants that

ward off some forms of cancer, and protect against heart attacks• Examples: Tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, red

peppers, guava, cranberries, strawberries• Hint: Heating up tomatoes helps your body absorb even more

of their nutrients

Paint Your Plate

• Greeno Benefits• Dark green foods contain powerful antioxidants and help your body

remove cancer-causing toxins. • They are also heart healthy and aid in regulating blood pressure

o Examples: Broccoli, kale, spinach, collard greens, brussels sprouts, cabbage, green beans, kiwi

Paint Your PlateOrange• Benefits: These foods are important for skin and bone health,

and help maintain normal blood sugar• Examples: Oranges, tangerines, carrots, cantaloupe,

pumpkins, sweet potatoes, apricots, orange peppers

Paint Your Plate• Yellow• Benefits: These foods are essential to protect your vision and

help keep your immune system healthy• Examples: Yellow squash, corn, avocados, endive, banana,

lemons

Snack of Champions

• I will divide you into teams of four.•Professional athletes need healthy meals with

nutrients, just like you do, so they can have the energy and strength to perform well. •What else do you think is important in order to create

a healthy snack?Creating a snack using foods from different food groups

helps makes a snack with lots of different nutrients. It also makes your snack more interesting and fun.

Snack of Champions

1. Each team will use healthy foods to create a recipe for its “Snack of Champions.”

2. You also need to come up with a creative name for your snack.

3. Finally, it must be able to explain why you chose the foods that it did.

4. Remember…What will you call your Snack of Champions?Write out your healthy snack recipe. First, list all the ingredients.

Then explain the steps that are needed to make it.Explain why you chose these foods for your snack recipe. What

benefits will they give an athlete?

Sample Snack of Champions: PB Power Fruit-wich

(Makes 1 sandwich) 1 slice whole-wheat bread 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) peanut butter 1/4 apple or banana, thinly sliced (Optional) 2 Tbsp sliced or grated carrot Low-fat milk

1. Spread 2 Tbsp peanut butter on bread 2. Place fruit slices on top 3. (Optional) Top with grated or sliced carrot4. Drink this snack with low-fat milk.