Historically, USDA has provided consumers with dietary guidance dating back more than 100 years.

The new MyPyramid is the most updated form of federal nutrition guidance for consumers, <CLICK> And, MyPyramid for Kids represents the first adaptation directly targetted to children ages 6-11.

MyPyramid for Kids is the child-friendly version of the new MyPyramid Food Guidance System released by USDA in April 2005. The colorful, kid-friendly graphic and tagline, “Eat Right. Exercise. Have Fun.” were developed for and tested with elementary school-aged children.

Children 6-11 years old Increase recognition of MyPyramid Motivate children Make healthy food choices Be physically active daily MyPyramid for Kids was developed for children 6-11 years old to increase their recognition of MyPyramid and to help motivate them to make healthy food choices and be physically active every day. The target age, children 6-11, was chosen because most people learn about nutrition in elementary school.

MyPyramid for Kids presents all of the MyPyramid concepts in an appealing way to attract children’s attention and encourage them to learn more. The graphic includes illustrations of children involved in a variety of physical activities, shows healthy foods from each food group that will appeal to children, and includes child-friendly messages.

Be physically active every day MyPyramid for Kids encourages children to “Eat Right. Exercise and Have Fun.” They key messages of MyPyramid for Kids are: Be physically active every day The child climbing the steps reminds children to do something active every day, like running, walking the dog, playing, swimming, biking or climbing lots of stairs.

Choose healthier foods from each group Choose healthier foods from each food group Every food group has foods that you should eat more often than others. These foods would be at the bottom of MyPyramid where the strips are widest. Foods in each group that you should eat less often would be at the top of each strip. For example, in the grain group – whole wheat bread would be at the bottom and doughnuts would be at the top.

Eat more from some food groups than others The different size stripes suggest how much food you should choose from each group. Choose more foods from the food groups with the widest stripes.

Every color every day Every color every day The colors orange, green, red, yellow, blue and purple represent the five different food groups plus oils. Remember to eat food from every food group every day.

Make choices that are right for you The MyPyramid.gov web site gives everyone in the family personal ideas on how to eat better and exercise more.

Take one step at a time Take one step at a time You do not need to change overnight what you eat and how you exercise. Just start with one new, good thing, and add a new one every day.

MyPyramid for Kids Materials Poster Tips for Families flyer Classroom lesson plans and activity sheets Computer game MyPyramid for Kids materials include a 2-sided color poster Tips for Families flyer Classroom materials Interactive computer game

The MyPyramid for Kids poster is: Colorful and child-friendly Shows various forms of physical activity from play, sports and ordinary activities like household chores and walking the dog Includes the over-arching food group messages from MyPyramid such as vary your veggies and focus on fruits Includes child-friendly sub-messages such as “Fruits are nature’s sweet treats – sweet and delicious” and “It’s nutty but true. Nuts, seeds, peas, and beans are all great sources of protein.” Has a specific message about the oils group. “Oils are not a food group, but you need some for good health. Get your oils from fish, nuts, and liquid oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, and canola oil.”

The reverse side is a simplified version without the food group messages. Teachers may find it more appropriate for children in the lower grades such as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. It could also be posted in the school cafeteria because it is easier to read from a distance than the more detailed poster.

Tips for Families (Front) Tips for Families Flyer Is an 8 1/2 ½” x 11” flyer for parents that will be made available to elementary schools for distribution to parents. The front of the flyer contains the simplified MyPyramid for Kids graphic.

Tips for Families (Back) (Tips for Families flyer) And, 7 healthy eating and 7 physical activity messages on the back. The messages complement the MyPyramid for Kids slogan on the front, “Eat Right. Exercise. Have Fun.” The goal is for parents to post the flyer on the refrigerator or home bulletin board to remind families to have fun while incorporating the eat right and exercise tips into the family routine.

Classroom Materials Introduce MyPyramid concepts Developed for 3 grade levels Level 1 (grades 1 – 2) Level 2 (grades 3 – 4) Level 3 (grades 5 – 6) The classroom materials: Introduce MyPyramid concepts through age-appropriate activities. The materials are offered in three grade levels: Level 1 for first and second grades; Level 2 for third and fourth grades; and Level 3 for fifth and sixth grades. The lessons can be taught with minimal preparation, teach the basics of healthy eating and physical activity in a lively way that engages students, and includes a link with the National School Lunch Program.

Lesson Components Snapshot of lessons Topic Objective Individual activity Group activity Lunchroom link All three levels of classroom lesson plans start with a snapshot of what’s covered in the lessons: topic, objective, individual student activity, group activity and lunch room link.

A Close Look at MyPyramid for Kids is also included to provide the teacher with a step-by-step explanation of the key concepts of the MyPyramid for Kids graphic.

Each lesson begins with lesson highlights including: Objectives, Curriculum connection such as links to math, science and language arts, Skills students will develop (categorization, analyzing information, understanding symbols, conceptualizing complex things, reading and following directions, graphing, recording data, listening comprehension, writing, setting goals, understanding scientific inquiry, math computation, reading charts and labels), Materials needed, and How to get started with step-by-step instructions.

Level 1 Each level includes some general MyPyramid information and then highlights one or two of the food groups with more detailed information. The handouts are reproducible and are listed on the table of contents. Level 1 lessons include: Exploring MyPyramid discussion about what’s on the poster Eating Smart with MyPyramid students learn about all of the MyPyramid food groups Vary Your Veggies and Focus on Fruits students make a diary of the fruits and veggies they eat over a week

Activity Sheets Here’s an example of one of the activity sheets. For Level 1, students would color the stripes to match the colors of MyPyramid for Kids and then draw pictures of smart food choices from each food group.

Another activity sheet has students select the correct foods in each of the food groups.

Level 2 Level 2 includes: MyPyramid for Kids a story-like conversation with Pyramid Pal introduces students to the MyPyramid for Kids concepts in a fun way Food Math students create a menu which must include the right amount of food from all the food groups Vary Your Veggies and Focus on Fruits students learn about goal-setting as they discuss ways they can eat more fruits and vegetables

Level 3 Level 3 lessons include: Getting the Most Nutrition from Your Foods an in-depth discussion of each of the food groups Eating Out and Eating In: Go lean with protein discussion about foods in the meat and beans group and fats in these foods Get Your Calcium-Rich Foods discussion about calcium-rich foods while leaning to read food labels

Devised to bring the new MyPyramid Food Guidance System to life for kids, MyPyramid Blast Off computer game is a fun, interactive way for elementary grade students to learn about the food groups, making healthy food choices and staying active.

Students enter their first name to personalize game play and their gender and age so the calorie level can be determined.

The game mission is for students to: Meet their daily calorie and food group requirements, Consume at least three meals or two meals and a snack, Avoid too many foods high in solid fats and added sugars.

And select 60 minutes of physical activity.

Game play consists of dragging food and activity selections onto the MyPyramid rocket ship where briefing cards tell players about their choices.

Like your fuel choice? Click on “Add to Your Fuel Tank,” and continue until all your tanks are full.

Now click “Blast Off” and see if you have the right balance of fuel (food and physical activity) to reach Planet Power.

The game is not as easy as it might seem to be successful. Students may not take off, take off and not make it to Planet Power, or make it all the way to Planet Power.

Next, read your mission report at the end of the game Next, read your mission report at the end of the game. The report details whether requirements were met: In each food group, For physical activity, and Whether meals and snacks were selected.

Students who successfully reach Planet Power can print a personalized certificate of achievement. They can also print the menu that got them to Planet Power.

Play: School Home Online CD-ROM The game can be played at school or at home. It’s available on the internet to play online or download, and available on CD-ROM.

Questions?

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DIVISION OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH LITERACY SOURCE: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WWW.MYPYRAMID.GOV PRESENTATION PERMITTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOM USE