Teaching Basics of Good Nutrition http://www.choosemyplate.gov/information-educators.html

Only 2% of children meet all the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid; 16% do not meet any Less than 15% of school children eat the recommended servings of fruit Less than 20% eat the recommended servings of vegetables Nutrition Education

Approximately 25% eat the recommended servings of grains Only 30% eat the recommended milk group servings Only 19% of girls ages 9 to 19 meet the recommended calcium intake Nutrition Education

Why Teach Nutrition? It is included in the Wellness Policy Hungry children cannot perform well academically (Hanson et al., 2005) USDA cites studies showing increased attention span and fewer behavior problems (USDA 2003) Why Teach Nutrition?

Teaching the Basics What are the five food groups Grains Fruits Vegetables Protein Dairy Teaching the Basics

Teaching the Basics How to select healthy foods from every food group Grains: 6 servings a day Vegetables: 3 servings a day Fruit: 2 servings a day Protein: 2 servings a day Dairy: 2 servings a day Teaching the Basics

Teaching the Basics What foods are better choices from each group Baked potato vs french fries Fresh fruit vs fruit juice Skim milk vs 2% Chicken vs chicken nuggets/hot dogs Teaching the Basics

Teaching the Basics How to choose an appropriate portion Grain: ½ cup=computer mouse or 1 slice of bread Vegetables: ½ cup=an ice cream scooper for most, leafy=size of a baseball Fruit: ½ cup=size of a child’s fist Protein: 2-3 oz: deck of cards, size of palm Dairy: 1 cup milk=1 yogurt cup, sandwich slice of cheese Teaching the Basics

Teaching the Basics The importance of balancing food with activity Move at least 60 minutes a day Teaching the Basics

Some foods need to be eaten less often, but are still okay! Cakes, cookies, ice cream, meat pizza, fatty foods (hot dogs, nuggets) and meats, salt, sugary drinks Teaching the Basics