1. A Balanced Diet: The Food Pyramid
A health lesson for a 3rd grade classroom

2. Covered TEKS: 115.5 Health Education, Grade 3
( b) Knowledge and skills
(1) Health Behaviors. The student explains ways to enhance and maintain health throughout the lifespan.
The student is expected to:
(D) describe food combinations in a balanced diet
such as a food pyramid.

3. Questions: Essential Question:
1) How does what you eat effect your health? How could your eating habits now effect your future?
Unit Questions:
1) What are the basic food groups essential for good health?
2) How much do you need of each daily?

4. Lesson Objective:
At the end of this unit, students should understand the basics of good nutrition according to the food pyramid. They should be able to apply this knowledge to their lives by planning a healthy snack. Also, the students should come away with an understanding of how nutrition effects their health and their lives.

5. Group 1: Grains 6 – 11 servings a day
Serving size is 1 cup cereal, ½ cup cooked pasta or rice, or 1 slice of bread.
Examples: sandwich bread, spaghetti, pancakes, rice, etc.

6. Group 2: Vegetables 3 – 5 servings a day
Serving size is ½ cup, or about the size of the bulb part of a light bulb.
Examples: carrots, broccoli, green beans, baked potato, salad (lettuce)

7. Group 3: Fruits 2 – 4 servings a day
Serving size is 1 medium piece of fruit, or about the size of a baseball.
Examples: apple, banana, orange, strawberries, peach, applesauce, watermelon, grapes

8. Group 4: Dairy 2 – 3 serving a day
Serving size is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, or 1 ounce of cheese, about the size of two dominos.
Examples: a glass of milk, a yogurt cup, string cheese, milk on your cereal

9. Group 5: Protein 2 – 3 servings a day
Serving size is 3 ounces of meat, chicken, or fish, (or about the size of the palm of a woman’s hand), ½ cup beans, or 1 egg.
Examples: scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets, beans, ham or turkey lunchmeat

10. Group 6: Fats, Oils, and Sweets
Don’t eat very much of these!
Serving size is 1 tablespoon of salad dressing, 1 teaspoon of sugar, or 1 pat of butter
Example: candy, cookies, fried foods, ice cream, ranch dip

11. References:
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) 2005 food pyramid.
web.mit.edu/.../sportsmedicine/wcrfoodpyr.html
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Serving Sizes: Approximations to Other Items