TASTY FOODS to help you
grow TALLER and STRONGER,
play HARDER at sports,
do BETTER in school,
and have HEALTHIER eyes,
skin, teeth, hair, muscles,
bones, and whole bodies!!
Today we are to talk about one of my favorite topics - FOOD - and
making tasty food choices!
Possible questions to get children engaged in your visit:
• How many of you like to eat?
• How many of you like to eat really delicious foods?
• How many of you want to grow taller, be stronger, play harder in a
sport, do better in school, and have healthier bodies?
EXCELLENT - we have lots of tasty things to talk about today!
1
This is MyPyramid for Kids - how many of you have seen this before?
Great - today we are going to talk about the awesome POWER FOODS
- all these foods along the base of MyPyramid.
Before we get to that, let’s talk about the most important things that
MyPyramid tells us:
• Be physically active every day. Look at all the fun things these kids are
doing! Do you see anything that YOU like to do?
• Choose healthier foods from each group. These are the POWER
FOODS along the bottom - foods with fewer calories and more nutrition
power. These are the foods we need to eat FIRST.
• Eat foods from all the food groups every day. The different colors
represent different food groups - and we’re going to talk about great
POWER choices from each group today.
• Take one step at a time. You don’t need to change everything about how
you eat and how active you are right away. Like the girl walking up the
steps, you can start with one new, smart choice at a time - I’ll give you lots
of ideas today.
• Try it, you’ll like it. Trying new foods and new ways of cooking foods can
be a really delicious adventure every day!!
2
Grain Group
WHAT?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cold cereal
Hot cereal
Bread and rolls
Pasta
Rice
Tortillas
Pasta
Pancakes
The first delicious food group we’re going to talk about is the GRAIN
group. This group is represented by the orange bar at the left side of
MyPyramid.
Here are some of the foods that are found in this group. Tell me what
tasty foods you ate yesterday from this group.
Call on children as they raise their hands, allowing as many as
possible to have a chance to share one GRAIN food they ate yesterday.
If a child names something that is not in the GRAIN group, ask them to
wait and see if they can find which group that food belongs to - as you
talk about the other food groups.
If a child names a combination food (something that has several food
groups in it, like a taco or spaghetti with sauce), ask them to name
which part is the GRAIN.
3
Grain Group
• Energy for playing, school,
and everything you do
• Helps digestion in your
stomach and intestines
WHY?
Now let’s talk about some really important things that foods in the
GRAIN group do for your body.
Foods from the GRAIN group are important because they:
• Give us energy for playing hard, for learning in school, and other
things we like to do.
• Help digestion work properly in our stomachs and intestines.
Depending on the time available, the age of the children, and other
topics you have been studying, you can continue a more detailed
discussion of:
• Energy ~ what do we need energy for? (We need energy to do
everything - learn in school, play sports, and just have fun with our
friends.)
• How does food give us energy? (Our body is able to turn the calories
in food into energy for our muscles.)
4
Grain Group
6 servings daily
• 1 oz. cereal
• 1/2 cup pasta
• 1 slice bread
HOW
MUCH?
Since we now know how important GRAINS are, let’s find out how
many servings we need from the GRAIN group every day.
Most children need about 6 servings a day - here is what makes a
GRAIN serving:
• 1 oz. cereal (about 1 cup of dry cereals like Cheerios® or
Frosted Mini-Wheats®)
• 1/2 cup pasta
• 1 slice bread
Depending on the time available:
• Have them count the number of GRAINS they ate yesterday.
• Have them talk about the GRAINS that were served at school
breakfast and/or lunch.
• Discuss where you can find the serving size information on a
Nutrition Facts panel for a GRAIN food.
5
Grain Group
• Make half of your grains
WHOLE.
• SURPRISE: Some WHOLE
wheat foods, like bread & pizza
dough, now look WHITE.
???
Here’s one of the most important facts about getting POWER from
grains:
• We need to make sure that at least half of the grains we eat are
WHOLE GRAINS.
Possible ways to discuss WHOLE GRAINS:
• Who knows what makes a GRAIN WHOLE?
• What WHOLE GRAINS do you like to eat? (Children may be the most
familiar with WHOLE GRAIN CEREALS.)
• Where can you find out if a food has WHOLE GRAINS in it?
Here’s a SURPRISING fact about GRAINS: You can’t always tell if a
GRAIN is WHOLE by the color, because there is now a white WHOLE
WHEAT flour used to make bread, cereal, and pizza dough.
Does anyone know another WHOLE GRAIN that is white? (Oatmeal)
6
Grain Group
How do
YOU
enjoy
GRAINS
???
I love to eat foods from the GRAIN group - sometimes they are
crunchy, sometimes they are chewy. One of my favorite GRAINS is
____________________________.
Some of you might like GRAINS like the bagel or pizza crust shown
here.
What GRAINS do you like to eat best?
Open up the discussion of WHAT GRAIN foods the children enjoy and WHERE they can find more WHOLE GRAINS.
Make the discussion as SPECIFIC as possible and reinforce POSITIVE
choices:
• What a great idea! A bowl of WHOLE GRAIN cereal, like _______
________, with lowfat milk makes an awesome breakfast. Do you ever
like to put fruit into your cereal?
7
Vegetable Group
WHAT?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lettuce
Tomato
Carrots
Peppers
Peas
Corn
Spinach
Beans
The next food group we’re going to talk about is the VEGGIE group.
This group is represented by the green bar of MyPyramid.
Does this mean that all VEGETABLES are green? No - here are some
of the different colored foods found in this group. Tell me what tasty
foods you ate yesterday from this group.
Call on children as they raise their hands, allowing as many as
possible to have a chance to share one VEGGIE they ate yesterday.
If a child names something that is not in the VEGGIE group, ask them
to wait and see if they can find which group that food belongs to - as
you talk about the other food groups.
If a child names a combination food (something that has several food
groups in it, like a taco or spaghetti with sauce), ask them to name
which part is the VEGETABLE.
8
Vegetable Group
• Help your eyes see well in
the dark
• Help keep your skin
looking healthy
WHY?
There are some really important things that foods in the VEGGIE group
do for your body.
Foods from the VEGGIE group are important because they:
• Help our eyes see well in the dark.
• Help keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.
Depending on the time available, the age of the children, and other
topics you have been studying, you can continue a discussion of the
topics introduced in the grain group:
• Energy ~ do we get energy from VEGETABLES too? (Yes, but they do
not provide as much energy as foods in the GRAIN group.
VEGETABLES do not have as many calories as grains foods.)
9
Vegetable Group
5 servings daily
• 1/2 cup veggies
• 1 cup leafy
greens
HOW
MUCH?
Now that we know why we need to eat VEGGIES, let’s take a look at
how many servings we need from the VEGETABLE group every day.
Most children need about 5 servings a day - here is what makes a
serving:
• 1/2 cup of cooked or raw VEGETABLES
• 1 cup of leafy greens, like lettuce in a salad
Depending on the time available:
• Have them count the number of VEGGIES they ate yesterday.
• Have them talk about the VEGETABLES that were served at school
lunch.
10
Vegetable Group
• VARY your vegetable colors, texture, and flavors.
• SURPRISE: Some of the
things that we call VEGGIES
are really FRUITS!
???
Here’s one of the most important facts about getting POWER from
VEGETABLES:
• We need to make sure that we VARY our VEGETABLES - and eat lots
of different colors, textures, and flavors.
Possible ways to discuss VARIETY in VEGETABLES:
• How many colors of VEGGIES can we name?
• What is the strangest VEGETABLE you ever ate?
• Where can you find VEGETABLES in the grocery store? (Produce
department, canned food aisle, frozen food cases, etc.)
Here’s a SURPRISING fact about VEGGIES: Some of the things that we
call VEGETABLES are actually fruits. In the plant world, a fruit is
technically anything that contains a seed.
Can anyone name a VEGETABLE that is actually a fruit? (Tomatoes,
peppers, eggplants, etc.)
11
Vegetable Group
How do
YOU
enjoy
VEGGIES
???
???
I love to eat foods from the VEGGIE group - sometimes they are crisp,
sometimes they are crunchy, sometimes they even taste a little sweet.
One of my favorite VEGGIES is ___________________.
Some of you might like VEGETABLES as tomato sauce on pizza or as
the snap peas shown here.
What VEGETABLES do you like to eat best?
Open up the discussion of WHAT VEGGIES the children enjoy - and
HOW they could eat more VEGETABLES.
Make the discussion as SPECIFIC as possible and reinforce POSITIVE
choices:
• What a great idea! Cut-up VEGGIES, like ________, ________, and
________, make a really crunchy snack, maybe with some lowfat
Ranch dressing as a dip.
12
Fruit Group
WHAT?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Banana
Apple
Strawberries
Blueberries
Kiwi
Pineapple
Grapes
100% juice
The next food group that we’re going to talk about is the FRUIT group.
This group is represented by the red bar in the middle of MyPyramid.
Does this mean that all FRUITS are red? No - here are some of the
different colored foods found in this group. Tell me what tasty foods
you ate yesterday from this group.
Call on children as they raise their hands, allowing as many as
possible to have a chance to share one FRUIT they ate yesterday.
If a child names something that is not in the FRUIT group, ask them to
wait and see if they can find which group that food belongs to - as you
talk about the other food groups.
If a child names a combination food (something that has several food
groups in it, like a yogurt parfait with berries and granola), ask them to
name which part is the FRUIT.
13
Fruit Group
• Helps heal cuts and
bruises all over your body
• Helps keep your teeth and
gums healthy
WHY?
Now let’s talk about some really important things that foods in the
FRUIT group do for your body.
Foods from the FRUIT group are important because they:
• Help heal cuts and bruises all over your body.
• Help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Depending on the time available, the age of the children, and other
topics you have been studying, you can continue a discussion of the
topics introduced in the grain and/or vegetable groups:
• Healthy skin and vision ~ do FRUITS have some of the same
nutrients that help our eyes and skin stay healthy too? (Yes, FRUITS
and vegetables have lots of the same nutrients - like vitamins A and C,
as well as potassium.)
• Can you get all the nutrition you need from produce by just eating
FRUITS - or just eating vegetables? (No, we need to eat both FRUITS
and vegetables to get all the power nutrition our bodies need.)
14
Fruit Group
3 servings daily
• 1/2 cup fruit
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup juice
HOW
MUCH?
So, now that we know why FRUITS are important, how many servings
do we need from the FRUIT group every day?
Most children need about 3 servings a day - here is what makes a
serving:
• 1/2 cup of raw FRUIT
• 1/2 of a large banana or apple
• 1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice
Depending on the time available:
• Have them count the number of FRUITS they ate yesterday.
• Have them talk about the FRUITS that were served at school
breakfast and/or lunch.
15
Fruit Group
• FOCUS on fruits - different
colors, texture, and flavors.
• SURPRISE: Fresh, frozen,
canned, & dried fruit have
more nutrition than fruit juice.
???
Here’s an important fact about getting POWER from FRUIT:
• We need to make sure that we FOCUS on FRUITS - and get lots of
different colors, textures, and flavors.
Possible ways to discuss VARIETY in fruits:
• How many colors of FRUIT can we name?
• What is the strangest FRUIT you ever ate?
• Where can you find FRUIT in the grocery store? (Produce
department, canned food aisle, frozen food cases, etc.)
Here’s a SURPRISING fact about FRUIT: Whole FRUITS - like fresh
FRUIT , frozen FRUIT, canned FRUIT and dried FRUIT - have more
nutrition than 100% FRUIT juice. Even 100% juice does not have all the
nutrition of whole FRUIT. Many juice drinks don’t have much nutrition
at all; they are mostly water and sugar.
Why do whole FRUITS have more nutrition? (When juice is made, the
skin and pulp - with lots of nutrients - are thrown away.)
16
Fruit Group
How do
YOU
enjoy
FRUIT
???
I love to eat foods from the FRUIT group - sometimes they are crisp,
sometimes they are juicy, and they are usually nice and sweet. One of
my favorite FRUITS is __________________.
Some of you might like apples or cherries or mixed FRUIT shown here.
What FRUITS do you like to eat best?
Open up the discussion of WHAT FRUIT the children enjoy - and HOW
they could eat more FRUIT.
Make the discussion as SPECIFIC as possible and reinforce POSITIVE
choices:
• What a sweet idea! You can mix together a bunch of FRUITS, like
_________, _________, _________, and _________, to make a delicious
FRUIT salad for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack!
17
Milk Group
WHAT?
• Fat-free or
lowfat milk &
chocolate milk
• Fat-free or
lowfat yogurt &
frozen yogurt
• String cheese
• Swiss & other
cheeses
The next food group we’re going to talk about is the MILK group. This
group is represented by the blue bar of MyPyramid.
Does this mean that MILK group foods are blue? No - except for blue
cheese, the only blue things in this group may be packages. Tell me
what tasty foods you ate yesterday from this group.
Call on children as they raise their hands, allowing as many as
possible to have a chance to share a MILK group food they ate
yesterday.
If a child names something that is not in the MILK group, ask them to
wait and see if they can find which group that food belongs to - as you
talk about the other food groups. Or, maybe they can think back to a
previous group that it may be from.
If a child names a combination food (something that has several food
groups in it, like veggie pizza with cheese or cheeseburger), ask them
to name which part is the MILK group food.
18
Milk Group
• Helps build healthy, strong
bones and teeth
• Helps keep your skin
looking healthy
WHY?
Now let’s talk about some really important things that foods in the
MILK group do for your body.
Foods from the MILK group are important for kids because they:
• Help build healthy, strong bones and teeth.
• Help keep your skin looking beautiful and healthy.
Depending on the time available, the age of the children, and other
topics you have been studying, you can continue a discussion of the
topics introduced in the grain, vegetable, and/or fruit groups:
• Energy ~ do we get energy from MILK too? (Yes, our bodies can use
the calories in MILK group foods to run, play, and learn in school.)
• Bones and teeth ~ you’ve probably heard about the calcium in MILK.
Is that the only important nutrient in MILK group foods? (Calcium is
just one of the important nutrients in MILK group foods. Some of the
other important nutrients in MILK are protein, phosphorus, potassium,
B-vitamins, and vitamin D. Many of these also help build strong bones
and teeth.)
19
Milk Group
3 servings daily
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1.5 oz. cheese
HOW
MUCH?
Since foods in the MILK group are so important for our bones and
teeth, how many servings do we need from the MILK group every day?
Most children need about 3 servings a day - here is what makes a
serving:
• 1 cup of MILK
• 1 cup of yogurt or frozen yogurt
• 1 1/2 ounces of cheese (about the size of 6 dice)
Depending on the time available:
• Have them count the number of MILK servings they had yesterday.
• Have them talk about the MILK group foods that were served at
school breakfast and lunch.
• Discuss where you can find the serving size information on a
Nutrition facts panel on a MILK label.
20
Milk Group
• GET your calcium-containing
foods - 3-A-Day is all it takes.
• SURPRISE: Most KIDS don’t
get enough CALCIUM to grow
the strong bones they need.
???
Here’s one of the most important facts about getting POWER from
MILK :
• We need to make sure that we GET our calcium-containing foods - 3
servings a day - to build and maintain strong bones and teeth.
Possible ways to discuss how we GET calcium:
• How many different types and flavors of MILK can we name?
• How many different kinds of cheese can we name?
• Where can you find MILK group foods in the grocery store? (Dairy
case, cheese section, deli counter, etc.)
Here’s a SURPRISING fact about calcium: Most kids in the United
States do not get enough calcium. Only 10% (I out of 10) teen girls and
30% (3 out of 10) teen boys get enough calcium every day.
Why are kids missing the calcium they need for strong skeletons?
(Many children and teens drink soft drinks or juice drinks instead of
MILK. Just one glass with every meal gives you 3-A-Day!)
21
Milk Group
How do
YOU
enjoy
MILK
HOW
MUCH?
???
I love to eat and drink foods from the MILK group - sometimes they are
icy cold and refreshing, sometimes they are creamy and delicious. One
of my favorite things from the MILK group is ______________________.
Some of you might like frozen yogurt or string cheese or a beef taco
with shredded cheese as shown here.
What MILK group foods do you like to eat and drink best?
Open up the discussion of WHAT MILK products the children enjoy and HOW they could get the 3 daily servings they need.
Make the discussion as SPECIFIC as possible and reinforce POSITIVE
choices:
• That sounds really delicious! You can make a yogurt parfait for
breakfast with layers of lowfat yogurt, _________, _________, and
_________!
22
Meat & Beans Group
WHAT?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Peanut butter
Beef steak
Hamburger
Chicken
Fish
Pork
Egg
Dried beans
The last food group that we’re going to talk about is the MEAT AND
BEANS group. This group is represented by the purple bar on the right
side of MyPyramid.
This group is sometimes called the protein group - since all the foods
in it are good sources of protein and other power nutrients. Tell me
what tasty foods you ate yesterday from this group.
Call on children as they raise their hands, allowing as many as
possible to have a chance to share a MEAT or BEAN food that they ate
yesterday.
If a child names something that is not in this group, ask them to wait
and see if they can remember which group that food belongs to - from
all the other food groups you have talked about.
If a child names a combination food (something that has several food
groups in it, like burger or a PB & J sandwich), ask them to name
which part is the MEAT AND BEANS group food.
23
Meat & Beans Group
• Helps grow healthy, strong
bodies, especially muscles
• Helps your brain work well
and learn new things
WHY?
Now let’s talk about some really important things that foods in the
MEAT AND BEANS group do for your body.
Foods from the MEAT AND BEANS group are important for kids
because they:
• Help grow healthy, strong bodies, especially muscles.
• Help keep your brain working well and learning new things.
Depending on the time available, the age of the children, and other
topics you have been studying, you can discuss the critical
importance of foods in the MEAT AND BEANS group for a strong and
healthy body:
• Muscle ~ what nutrients in MEAT AND BEANS might help build
muscles in your body? (Protein, iron, zinc, etc.)
• Brain ~ what kinds of nutrition do you think your brain needs?
(Energy, iron, zinc, B-vitamins, etc.)
24
Meat & Beans Group
2 servings daily
• Total 5 ounces
per day
HOW
MUCH?
So, given how important this group is for strong bodies, how many
servings do we need from the MEAT AND BEANS group every day?
Most children need about 2 servings a day for a total of about 5
ounces - here is what counts as a serving:
• 3 oz. of beef, pork, lamb, fish, chicken, or turkey (about the size
of a deck of cards or computer mouse)
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of beans, like black, pinto, or kidney beans
• 1 egg
Depending on the time available:
• Have them count the number of MEAT AND BEANS group servings
they had yesterday.
• Have them talk about the MEAT AND BEANS group foods that were
served at school breakfast and/or lunch.
25
Meat & Beans Group
• Go LEAN with protein - look
for less fat, more power.
• SURPRISE: Dried BEANS are
the only foods that are in TWO
different food groups.
???
Here’s one of the most important facts about getting POWER from the
MEAT AND BEANS group:
• We need to make sure we go LEAN with protein - so that we get less
fat and more nutrition power from these foods.
Possible ways to discuss how to go LEAN with protein:
• What does lean mean? (Lower in fat - so you get more protein,
vitamins, minerals, etc.)
• How can we choose lean meats? (Skinless poultry, tuna packed in
water, beef or pork with loin or round in the name, etc.)
• How can we cook meats so they are lean choices? (Bake, grill or broil
rather than fry, use only little oil while cooking, etc.)
Here’s a SURPRISING fact about this food group: Dried beans (like
black, kidney, and pinto beans) are the only foods that are in TWO
food groups. (Green beans are not in the meat group.)
• What is the other group? (Vegetable) Why are dried beans in two
groups? (Beans have many nutrients found in the vegetable group as
well as the protein found in the MEAT AND BEANS group.)
26
Meat & Beans Group
How do
YOU
enjoy
PROTEIN
HOW
MUCH?
???
I like to eat different lean choices from the MEAT AND BEANS group they always make me feel satisfied and help me stay strong. One of my
favorite things from the MEAT AND BEANS group is
______________________.
Some of you might like lean hamburger or a turkey wrap or some nuts
for a snack or a sandwich made with tuna packed in water as shown
here.
What lean choices from the MEAT AND BEANS group do you like to
eat?
Open up the discussion of WHAT MEATS AND BEANS the children
enjoy - and HOW they could make more LEAN choices.
Make the discussion as SPECIFIC as possible and reinforce POSITIVE
choices:
• What a great idea! Sliced meats and beans are tasty on a salad. You
could use black beans or sliced steak.
27
Well, that just about wraps up our discussion of POWER FOODS
today. It looks to me like we have covered just about everything on
MyPyramid for Kids. Let’s look carefully and see if we have left out any
food group on MyPyramid. Have we missed anything?
The YELLOW line - the OILS - that’s right! The oils are not actually a
food group, but we do need some everyday for good health.
Depending on your available time, you can use these questions to
wrap-up the POWER FOODS discussion and talk about OILS:
• Why do you think the yellow line for OILS Is so much thinner than the
lines for the other food groups?
• How can kids cut back on the amount of OILS they eat every day?
(Baked potato rather than French fries, small fries rather than supersize, baked chips rather than regular chips, a small serving of chips
rather than a big bag, etc.)
28
… and balance
your food with
FUN
activity!!
There is one more thing MyPyramid teaches - that we all need to
balance our POWER FOOD choices with plenty of FUN physical
activity every day.
Depending on your available time, you can use these questions to
discuss balancing food and physical activity:
• How much activity do you think kids need every day? (At least 60
minutes per day)
• What kind of activities are best? (All kinds - recess at school, walking
to school, sports, playing with your friends, riding a bike, roller
blading, jump roping, swimming, yoga, dancing - anything that you
enjoy doing)
• How much activity do you think YOU usually get now?
• How do you think you could be MORE active and have MORE fun?
29
TASTY FOODS to help you
grow TALLER and STRONGER,
play HARDER at sports,
do BETTER in school,
and have HEALTHIER eyes,
skin, teeth, hair, muscles,
bones, and whole bodies!!
I hope you enjoyed talking about POWER FOODS with me today.
Depending on your available time, you can take questions, continue
the discussion on a topic that was really interesting to the children, or
do an additional nutrition activity. Enjoying a delicious snack
including several POWER FOODS would be perfect!
30