Nutrition

flat = = =__Food Pyramid__=


 * Purpose:** To educate students, and get them thinking and making intentional choices, about eating healthy.


 * Lesson:** You can check out this [|"my pyramid" website], which has various charts, posters, and "worksheets for kids" you can work from, or you can check out this "kids health" website, which has links for nutrition/food pyramid, staying healthy/avoiding illness, exercise/physical fitness, etc., or you can find/use others you like better. Nico also has some Nutrition/Food Pyramid resources (hard copy) from the course reader for the Health & Physical Education class he teaches at St. Mary's which you can look through, and copy, if you want.

In whatever way works best for your teaching style, here are some good questions 1-2 lessons on nutrition can address:


 * Do students understand the food pyramid, and what are the essential components of a healthy diet?
 * Do students understand how to read labels on food packages and what information is important?
 * Can students effectively analyze their actual "typical breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack" in terms of food pyramid, calories, nutrients, etc.?
 * Can students track their eating for a week in a methodical and objective way?

So whether you have students track their meals for a week and then share results, and/or have them bring in packaged food labels for analysis, and/or just look at the food pyramid and better understand its most essential principles, the idea is to make sure students can be more "intentional" and thoughtful about the choices they make.


 * Additional notes:**


 * Because "food" carries with it risks of disordered attitudes, feelings, and behaviors, it's important to include messages such as:

- Food is "fuel" for the body, just like gas is fuel for a car. Healthy eating is about __health__, not about appearance.

- "Moderation" is a key concept. Things like sugar and oil aren't "bad" or "evil"-- it's when you eat too __much__ of them, and/or when you neglect __other__ important foods, that you can get into trouble. Balance is an important part of healthy eating.


 * Add your own additional notes:**