Grade Levels: K-3

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for
teaching about food groups. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Food
Groups topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and
more.

Classroom Activities for Teaching About Food Groups

Food Groups
Together as a class, create a food groups mural or collage. Help students create the sections for
each food group. Then have students draw or cut out and paste pictures of different foods in each
group. Encourage students to think of different kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy
products. Remind them that a varied diet leads to the consumption of different vitamins and
minerals. Also have students draw pictures or paste pictures of people exercising. This will
remind them that regular exercise is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet.
What’s on the Menu?

Have students work in small groups to create menus. They can draw pictures and describe the
meals in words. Remind them that their meals should be balanced! Half of each meal should be
made up of fruits and vegetables. Have students share their menus and drawings with the whole
class. As a fun activity, have students swap menus and make the meals at home or bring them to
class. You could also integrate math skills into the activity by having students add prices to their
menus and calculate the cost of ordering different combinations of foods from one another’s
menus.

Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About Food

Groups
Cooking with Kids

One of the best ways to promote healthy eating is to cook with your child. Together you can
prepare a healthy meal, such as a salad, sandwich, and fruit wedges. You can give your child
simple tasks such as washing and peeling fruits and vegetables, shaking salad dressing, taking
ingredients out of the refrigerator or pantry, or making a sandwich. As you cook together, discuss
the importance of eating well and have your child identify the food group that each ingredient
belongs to and explain why the food is nutritious. Encourage your child to identify whether the
plate is balanced and if it has the recommended proportion of each food group.
The Junk in Junk Food

Making healthy choices is an important part of good nutrition. Present different junk food
options to your child such as potato chips, candy, chocolate, pizza, hamburgers, and soda.
Explain why junk food is bad for us: it contains few nutrients and is often high in salt and fat,
which can lead to health problems in the future. Have your child brainstorm healthier options for
each kind of food. What can your child drink instead of soda? What can your child eat for a
snack instead of candy? Write down a list of healthy options and have your child refer to it when
helping you plan and prepare meals.

ET UP AND PREPARE
Time required: One 40-minute class

DIRECTIONS

1. Teach your students the six food groups in the Food Pyramid

a. The Grains Group is made up of foods like bread, cereal, pasta, and rice, and
should be the majority of what you eat throughout the day. These foods are
packed with complex carbohydrates and vitamin B-complex (folate) which help
you to stay energized and build muscle. There are two major kinds of grains,
refined grains and whole grains. Pick whole grains, like oatmeal and whole wheat
bread, instead of refined grains, like white bread and white rice. They're high in
fiber and processed more quickly by your body.
b. The Vegetables Group is made up of foods like broccoli, lettuce, carrots,
asparagus, and spinach, which are high in vitamins, minerals, and the fiber you
need to digest your food properly. You should have five servings of vegetables a
day!
c. The Fruits Group, like apples, bananas, strawberries, and plums, are your
number one source for vitamins A and C. They’re also high in potassium and
fiber, which help you digest your food. Have four servings a day!
d. The Dairy Group contains foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt, and is a great
source of vitamin D, vitamin A, protein, and calcium. These vitamins help keep
your eyes, skin, teeth, and bones healthy and strong. Go for two to three servings
a day!
e. The Meat, Fish, Beans, and Nuts Group gives you lots of protein! Foods like
peanuts, garbanzo beans, salmon and steak are full of iron and vitamin-B
complex, which you need to keep your muscles strong! You should have two to
three servings a day!
f. The Fats, Oils and Sweets Group should be a tiny fraction of what you eat each
day. Foods full of butter and sugar are high in calories, but a small dose of fats
help your body absorb essential vitamins.

2. Share Reproducible 5, What Did You Eat Today? Have students fill in the empty food
pyramid with foods they've consumed today. Ask them to use the information they just
learned on the food groups to place the foods they've eaten today in the proper section.
Once they've finished, ask them to review their pyramid. Are they missing any food
groups? Have they eaten the recommended number of servings per day? Explain why
junk food is bad for us: it contains few nutrients and is often high in salt and fat, which
can lead to health problems in the future. Have your child brainstorm healthier options
for Have them record their findings in the space provided.
 3. Distribute Reproducible 6: Go, Slow, No! Chart for Healthy Eating. Explain to students
that now that they're experts on the food groups, they should be able to identify which
foods are the healthiest to eat, and which foods to avoid. Remind them that "Go" foods
are foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains that are high in essential nutrients.
"Slow" foods are processed more slowly by the body because they contain some sugars,
oils, and fats. Explain to students that "slow" foods are like nuts and refined grains like
pasta. "No!" foods are the foods to watch out for because they’re high in fat. Pastries and
candy fall in this category.
4. For healthy classroom snacks, check out Reproducible 7: Snacks for All Seasons
Try these quick and healthy classroom recipes, one for each month of the school year!
Unlike other snacks that are high in sugar and packed with calories, these recipes are full
of protein, fiber, and the vitamins your students need. And, they're fun to make!

https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/sbp-materials

ServiceLearningUnitPlan13LESSON FOUR: NCSCOS: Healthy

Living: 4.06DistinguishbetweenhealthyandunhealthyeatingpatternsEnglish
Language:
2.01Usemetacognitivestrategiestocomprehendtextandtoclarifymeaningofvoca
bulary(e.g.,rereadthetext,consultothersources,askforhelp,paraphrase,question
).2.03Readavarietyoftexts,including:fiction(legends,novels,folklore,scienceficti
on).nonfiction(autobiographies,informationalbooks,diaries,journals).poetry(c
oncrete,haiku).drama(skits,plays).Essential Question: How can the food
pyramid help me to determine which foods are healthy and which foods are
unhealthy? What daily habits contribute to a healthy person? Activator:
Provide each group with the food pyramid drawn on poster paper. (Sample
on page 120) Provide each student with a copy of the following poem. Have
students work as a group to fill in the food pyramid by using examples and
directions from the poem. (4th Grade Health Book, page 118, teacher’s
manual) On the Food Guide Pyramid you start low, With Bread, cereal,
pasta, and rice, you know. These carbohydrates form the base Of a diet that
helps you run a race. Then move up to fresh, sweet fruits And vegetables,
such as leaves and roots. For minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates Eat
broccoli, carrots, bananas, grapes.

ServiceLearningUnitPlan14Next up are meat, poultry, eggs, beans,

and nuts, With protein for cells and for healing cuts. And also dairy group,
eat it up, please, Milk, yogurt, mild products, and all kinds of cheese. At the
tip of the top are the fats, oils, and sweets. The point is to eat very few of
these treats! Student Engagement: 1.The teacher provides students with a
variety of food items named on index cards 2.Students sort through the
cards between healthy vs. unhealthy. 3.Teacher will introduce the daily food
log to students to complete for the next two weeks. Students can have
choice in recording their food log with their physical log in any format. For
example, it could be a table format, or free journal writing. Sorting Activity:
Directions: Place the number cards at the top to make three columns. Place the meal
categories (breakfast, lunch, dinner) on the side to create rows. Using the Food Pyramid,
determine how healthy each meal is. Place the healthiest meal under number one, the meal
that is somewhat healthy under number 2 and the least healthy meal under number 3.
Cards to be made: OneTwoThree 1/2 cup of Rice Krispies granola bar Glass of milk Breakfast
3 strawberries juice box Glazed donut 1 cup of Strawberry yogurt 1 cup of peach yogurt 2
slices of whole wheat bread 2 slices of white bread 2 slices of white bread 2 slices of turkey
with Tuna fish with 1/2 cup 3 slices of ham lettuce and tomato of mayonnaise 1 slice of
melted cheese Lunch 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise 3 slices of bacon 1 glass of milk 1 glass of
milk 1 can of soda 1 orange 2 chocolate chip cookies 2 creme-filled cupcakes Taco with
ground turkey 2 slices of Pizza Macaroni and Cheese with lettuce, tomato and cheese Small
bowl of salad with Mashed potatoes Raw carrots with ranch dip tomatoes and carrots 2
pieces of bread with butter Dinner Water or milk Water or milk 1 can of soda Strawberries
with whipped 2 slices of apple pie Bowl of ice-cream Snack Apple slices Nuts (Trail Mix)
Large chocolate chip cookie

On the Food Guide Pyramid you start low,

With Bread, cereal, pasta, and rice, you know.
These carbohydrates form the base
Of a diet that helps you run a race.
Then move up to fresh, sweet fruits
And vegetables, such as leaves and roots.
For minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates
Eat broccoli, carrots, bananas, grapes.
Next up are meat, poultry, eggs, beans, and nuts,
With protein for cells and for healing cuts.
And also dairy group, eat it up, please,
Milk, yogurt, mild products, and all kinds of cheese.
At the tip of the top are the fats, oils, and sweets.
The point is to eat very few of these treats!
“Essential Vitamins are the ones that our bodies can not make itself.  We must get these vitamins from
foods!  This is why it’s so important to eat foods that have essential vitamins.  These include:”

Essential Purpose Which Foods Have it?

Vitamins:
A Keeps our eyes, skin, teeth, Yellow and orange foods like carrots.
and bones healthy!
B Converts food into energy! Meats, nuts, fish, dairy
C Heals wounds, fights bugs! Citrus fruits
D Essential for strong bones and Milk, Dairy and The SUN!
teeth!
E Keeps our Heart Healthy and Nuts, avocados, pumpkin
arteries clean.
K Keeps our blood healthy and Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage,
clotting properly eggs.
https://www.superhealthykids.com/parenting/teaching-kids-the-abc-rsquo-s-of-essential-vitamins/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0T3EP4NEpI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fagLa_46HkY

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/kids/healthy-games/13-interactive-food-pyramid-five-food-groups

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv
%3DO0T3EP4NEpI&psig=AOvVaw3pXsQXDsJyvP41ZPbFlrrk&ust=1583617799293000&source=images&c
d=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCJDt8JTqhugCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAN

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/kids/healthy-games/13-interactive-food-pyramid-five-food-groups

https://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-3

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/nutrition-education-printables/450-my-plate-activity-fit-exercise-
physically-active-kidž

 Subject: Health/Nutrition/Computer skills

 Duration: 20-30 minutes
 Grades: 3-5
 Ages: 8-13
 Reading Levels: Intermediate
 Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: Basic knowledge of the My Plate or Food Pyramid,
Hand-eye coordination
 
 

Meal Planner Lesson Plan

Balanced Meal
 
Topic/task Objective Domain and Level
Student will select foods to place on
their  Affective – Responding
plate/tray.
Reinforce the food 
groups Students will determine what food
  group Cognitive – Evaluation
 
 
 each food belongs to.
 
Students will combine foods to create
Cognitive -
a
Comprehension
balanced meal.
Students will explain what makes a Cognitive -
Promote balanced meal balanced meal. Comprehension
choices
  Student will determine identify food 
  changes required to make a balanced Cognitive – Evaluation
meal.
Students will listen to Kevin’s healthy
Promote healthy nutrition
messages message about each of the food groups Affective – Receiving
and calories.
Students will explore virtual scenes to
Promote the enjoyment of
nutrition find  Cognitive – Evaluation
hidden food.
 
Kevin’s Build-a-Meal Game:

This game is based on the USDA MyPyramid Guidelines. Students will need to select their
gender, age and activity level to play this game. The game will automatically compute the
calories and number of servings from each food group required for this student to have a
balanced diet.
 
Once the student has entered in the required information, the student will be taken to a meal
planning screen with squares designated for breakfast, lunch dinner and two snacks.
 
The student will then begin to select food items from three virtual scenes: a kitchen, a school
cafeteria and a grocery store.
 
Using their mouse, they can click and drag food items onto their tray. The child will see a
horizontal bar at the bottom of their screen that represents the energy or calories their body needs
for one full day. As they select their food items, the associated servings and calories will
automatically be filled in for them. If the student selects too many high calorie foods and goes
over their calorie needs, the bar will begin to turn red.
 
There are no calculations required to play this game. Food groups servings are color coded and
each box represents one serving of that particular food group. By scrolling over selected food
items shown at the bottom of the screen, students can learn the amount, food group(s) and
calories of a particular food item.
 
The challenge is to find the right combination of foods that meets their calorie requirement and
gives them enough servings from each of the food groups.
 
Once the student has created their meal plan for the day, the game will evaluate their meal and
give advice on how to make it a balanced healthy meal if needed. There are over 160 food
choices for the student to choose from. There is an optional “HELP” audio feature to guide the
student.
 
Materials:

Computer and Internet access, the latest Flash and Shockwave players installed, download free
from Adobe
 
Teaching Tips: Have the student review the Interactive Food Pyramid or My Plate.
It may be also helpful for the 4th and 5th grade students to review the following vocabulary
words in the Nutrition Dictionary: 
Calorie, Serving Size, Daily Recommendations, Food Pyramid, Low Physical Activity, Medium
Physical Activity, High Physical Activity
 
Procedure:

1. Have the students list their favorite meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time.
2. Put the students in small groups and have them select two meals and list all the food
groups found in those meals. Have the group list the number of food groups found in
each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks).
3. Discuss any incorrect placements, explaining why that selection belongs to one or more
specific food groups.
4. Guide the students to Kevin's Build-a-Meal Game where they will see a where they will
create a customized meal plan that is balanced with the right amount of servings from
each of the food groups and within their caloric requirements.

 
Assessment:

Have the student track their daily meals for one week using our meal tracking sheet.

Printable - Write in Food Daily Tracking Sheet

Printable - Write In Food Weekly Journal

Back to Page for Lesson Plan For Balanced Meal Games

Back to Main Page for Nutrition Lesson Plan Page

https://www.brainpop.com/games/chefsolusbuildameal/?
fbclid=IwAR0ie9iIT7n0XeYkluvu0rEFrnLoaSaUuqNR8NF9fwH9nJOmKALsMK5778s

https://www.superhealthykids.com/parenting/tools-for-teaching

https://www.brainpop.com/games/chefsolusbuildameal/?
fbclid=IwAR0ie9iIT7n0XeYkluvu0rEFrnLoaSaUuqNR8NF9fwH9nJOmKALsMK5778s

https://www.superhealthykids.com/parenting/tools-for-teaching/