We are what we Eat Take out a piece of paper and answer the following questions about your favorite meal. What is your favorite meal? Does it have a name? What specific foods and beverages are part of your favorite meal? Why is it your favorite meal? (is there a specific memory around meal, when it is served or who prepare it?) How would you describe it to someone? (think about taste, colors, texture, what it looks like)

We are what we Eat What do you think it means to eat healthy? What does one need to eat to be healthy?

MyPlate

Vegetable Group In subgroups based on their nutrient content. 1.Dark-Green: Should eat more of these 2.Red and Orange: Should eat more of these 3.Beans and Peas 4.Starchy 5.Other Can you think of some vegetables from these subgroups?

Dark-Green: broccoli, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce. Red and Orange: tomato, carrots, sweet potato. Beans and Peas: black beans, soybeans, lentils, split peas-also good sources of protein! Starchy: potatoes, corn, green peas. Other: avocado, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, celery

Fruits Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the Fruit Group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.

Grains A Grain is any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain. What are some examples of Grains? There are Whole Grains and Refined Grains

Grains 1.Whole Grains: contain the entire grain kernel: bran, germ and endosperm. Whole grains include foods such as 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, whole-wheat tortillas, and whole grain cereal. 2.Refined Grains: have been through a mill to remove the bran and germ of the grain. This process removes some nutrients we need for good health. White bread, corn bread, regular pasta, white rice, cornflakes, puffed rice cereal, pretzels, crackers, and cookies. MyPlate encourages us to eat more Whole Grains.

Protein All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Foods Group.

Dairy All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Most Dairy Group choices should be fat-free or low-fat. Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group. Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not.

We are what we Eat Think about the favorite meal you wrote about earlier. – Are all five food groups represented? On the back of your sheet of paper create a healthier favorite meal by making simple substitutions that are more in line with MyPlate. – Maybe try a new vegetable or whole-grain substitution.

Nutrients Get out a sheet of paper and pencil. Write what your own definition of a “healthy” food is. – Why do you think healthy foods can benefit you?

Nutrients Nutrient: is something found in foods that helps us grow, have energy and stay healthy. – Different Nutrients do different things for our bodies and help us be healthy. – Nutrients can give us energy, build our muscles, strengthen and grow our bones. – Foods are categorized into different food groups based upon nutrients they contain. – Eating different foods from all five food groups helps us get all the nutrients we need to grow, play hard, and be healthy.

Nutrients There are six different nutrients. 1.Carbohydrates 2.Proteins 3.Fats 4.Vitamins 5.Minerals 6.Water

Power Up Poetry Write your group number on the back of your index cards. You will complete 3 cards. 1’s: write a short creative sentence or phrase about what you need and like to do each day. 2’s: identify a nutrient and what it does for the body. Example: Vitamins: Vitamin A helps me see at night 3’s: provide one example per card of one of the food groups and add a descriptive word or adjective to each food in the food group. Example: Vegetables: crunchy carrots 4’s: are challenged to come up with a creative phrase describing an eating occasion. Example: Power Lunch, Sports snack. 5’s: come up with how and where they can get a variety of foods from a food group. Example: asking mom and dad.