Trees Work for a Healthier Me Activity 1—Food and a Healthy Diet

Food and a Healthy Diet Find this website from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find out what a healthy diet looks like. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ This is Steps 1-3 for Activity 1—there are two websites referenced for Activity 1. Students may have their own laptops or devices and are able to bring up this website themselves OR you may choose to display it on the classroom Smartboard or project on a screen. The teacher in the classroom can help you with this. Students will need to use the website OR you may choose to navigate it for them over the projector. Students may either bring up this website, https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ or you project it, but the graphic here is the plate that they will be looking at. Question: Which part(s) of the plate come from plants? Answers may include—vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds Question: Which part(s) of the plate come from trees? Answers may include—fruits and nuts

Let’s Investigate… How many fruits should you eat each day? What are the health benefits of fruit? How many ounces of protein, that includes nuts, should you eat each day? Take a look at the Nuts & Seeds Gallery to see pictures of each type of nut from trees. According to the choosemyplate.gov website, both boys and girls at this age should eat 1½ cups of fruit per day, which translates to a small banana or apple, or a small container of applesauce for one cup. Fruits provide vitamins, fiber, folic acid and potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure, so fruits are good to keep our hearts healthy and also to protect against some types of cancer. These are the short answers for the first two questions above. For more information, specifics and examples, see the directions below. Click on “Fruit” on the plate. Along the left hand side of Fruit, Click on “All about the fruit group” to see servings and sizes. You’ll have to next click on the table header “Daily Fruit Table” and also “Cup of Fruit Table” to get drop down tables with information. Click on the left hand table again to click “Nutrients & Health Benefits” for more information. For Nuts and Seeds, they fall into the Protein group—once again, “All about the Protein Group” along the left hand side has the Daily Proteins Food Table and Ounce Equivalents of Protein Foods Table with drop down tables. The Nutrients & Health Benefits on the left hand side gives the specifics about health benefits. Answer: Children in this age group should have 5 ounces of protein each day, with one tablespoon of almond butter equaling 1 ounce. The health benefits are thought to be mostly for the prevention of heart disease. When looking at the Choose My Plate, plate and clicking on the Protein section, click on Nuts & Seeds to see the Nuts & Seeds Gallery and see what each one looks like.

Let’s Make a List… Write down as many foods that you know that come from TREES. Your challenge—can you think of others that haven’t been discussed yet today? Compare your list with a partner/group OR we can make a list as a class. Do students know that spices come from trees? Cinnamon (or cassia, as we commonly use in the US) come from the bark of trees (see Background section for more information) This would be a good place to insert this information. Answers will vary, although there will be many examples given that have already been discussed.

Let’s Focus on Missouri Trees Use the following website to identify trees from Missouri that produce food products https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field- guide/search?f%5B0%5D=field_fg_types%3A5591 Do you see any trees on your list that are native to Missouri, meaning that they grow in Missouri without being planted on purpose? If so, which ones? Do you have any trees planted in your yard that produce food products for you or other animals? This website by the Missouri Department of Conservation has a fork and knife next to those tree and shrub species that produce edible products. Point out a few that might be of interest to students and ones that may not come up in previous discussion. Black walnuts are a big crop in Missouri and important for the rest of the US and the world. Missouri is the leading producer of black walnut.

Let’s Wrap it Up! Has anyone tasted a food from a Missouri tree like a black walnut or a paw paw?  Finally, here is your last assignment: Pick any two foods or food products that come from trees. Identify the health benefits of these foods. You may use the Choose My Plate website or the Missouri Department of Conservation website or another resource, approved by your teacher. Write down the two foods and health benefits on the same page as your other work.