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Topic: Nutrition
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Entire Activity Download (2 pages)
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Classifying Foods Student Worksheet
Elementary Lessons K-5 ( Entire download 16 pages)
Classifying Foods Teacher Background
Classifying Foods Administrative Background
KEYWORDS:
nutrition, food groups, classifying foods, food pyramid, K-5 lessons
OBJECTIVES:
Using pictures and food group labels, students will be able to:
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION:
This activity will explain the five food groups and the importance of each group.
It will also give information on the suggested serving sizes for each. The students
will learn through stories, video, games and cut and paste activities how to sort
different foods into the appropriate food groups.
BACKGROUND:
There are five basic food groups. They are Bread Group, Fruit Group,
Vegetable Group, Protein Group and Dairy Group.
Bread Group: This group includes products made from grains, such
as bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. These foods are rich in vitamins, minerals
and carbohydrates such as starch and fiber. Whole-grain food is healthier since it
has more fiber than processed food. Examples of good food choices from the bread
group include oatmeal, brown rice, grits, corn tortillas and whole wheat bread.
Less healthy choices include doughnuts, cake, pastries, white flour pasta, white
bread, sugary breakfast cereals, and white rice.
Fruit Group: This group includes many types of fruits such as apples,
oranges, mangoes, papayas, melons, cantaloupe, apricots, peaches, and grapes.
They provide water, vitamins and carbohydrates, such as fiber and sugar. It is
important to eat a variety of fruits since each type of fruit provides different types
of vitamins.
Vegetable Group: This group contains a wide variety of food that
is low in calories and fat, yet rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Examples
include spinach, lettuce, cabbage, peppers, leafy green vegetables like kale,
and broccoli.
Protein Group: This group includes fish, poultry, meat,
dried beans, eggs, and nuts. They provide protein, which is a
major part of body cells and it is needed for growth, development,
and a healthy immune system. Some meats are high in fat, so you need
to choose leaner types of meat and avoid eating visible fat.
Dairy Group: This food group includes milk, yogurt, and cheese,
which are important because they provide vitamins, minerals, and protein.
Calcium is a particularly important mineral for healthy bones and teeth. Food from
this group can be high in unhealthy fat, so it is important to learn how to make
healthy choices.
MATERIALS:
ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:
Day 1
1. As a class, read The Edible Pyramid: Good Eating Every Day by Loreen Leedy
and discuss the basic food groups included in the food pyramid. This book has
been updated to include the new food pyramid posted on the My Pyramid
website (http://www.mypyramid.gov/).
2. Place the food group headers around the room. Shuffle a set of 8 1/2 x 11 cards
with pictures of various foods. Hold up a card and as a class; decide in which
food group the food picture belongs. Place the picture under the agreed upon
header. Discuss why each food is placed under its header. Continue until all
cards are sorted. Repeat the sorting activity if needed or allow students to sort
cards working in small groups.
Day 2
1. Review the food groups using the pictures and headers from the
previous day.Have each student color the food pyramid. This page
is available at My Pyramid Coloring Sheet http://teamnutrition.usda.
gov/resources/mpk_coloring.pdf.
2. At the bottom of the pyramid, students should fill in the correct food
group. For very young students, the teacher can fill in the sections before
making copies.
3. Using the Food Page (found after these teacher pages), students will work in pairs to choose three foods from each group, cut them out, and glue them onto their colored food pyramid in the correct section.
4. Teacher will observe activity and monitor student progress.
5. The final assessment will be the finished food pyramid to display.
6. For grades K-1: students can orally explain what they have learned about the
food groups. For grades 2-3: students could do a journal writing of what
they learned.
NOTE: You can use magazine pictures of various foods instead of the Food Cards.
SUGGESTED MODIFICATIONS:
Use picture cards for lower grades (K-1). Use word cards for upper grades (2-3)
SUGGESTED EXTENSIONS:
Technology Link: If a computer lab is available, allow students to play the Blast-off
Game online at: http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/
KINESTHETIC ACTIVITY:
This is a relay activity in which the object is to place the food cards on the
appropriate food group headers in the shortest amount of time.
1. Place headers apart from each other outside on a flat surface, such as playground
or football field.
2. Place students into five evenly numbered teams.
3. Create card sets for five teams. Place a colored dot on each card, so there will
be a blue set, red set, etc. Place a set of cards on the ground near the starting
line for each team.
4. When you say start, the first runner from each team will pick up a food card,
race to the Food Group Header Card and place the food card in the correct
place. The runner goes back and “slaps” the hand of the next runner, who
repeats the process.
5. The students will race against the timer to place the cards under
the appropriate headers. The relay continues until all runners
have placed their card and returned.
6. The group with the fastest time and the most correct matches under
the Food Group Header Cards wins.
READING EXTENSION:
Book lists on nutrition (references to suggested books are included in the
references section of this activity)
REFERENCES USED:
Cornell University, http://agout.cals.cornell.edu/aitc/educators/pdf/
weblinks/storybook.
pdf, Accessed August 7, 2009. Note – this list contains other children’s
books that may be of interest.
Division of Cooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension
Website, www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/marathon/wnep/books.html, accessed on August
7, 2009. Note – this list contains other children’s books that may be of interest.
Leedy, Loreen. (1996). The Edible Pyramid: Good Eating Every Day (Updated
using the food pyramid from My Pyramid.gov). Holiday House.
NDSU Extension Service, North Dakota State University of Agriculture and
Applied Science, and United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.
www.ndsu.edu/ndnc/foodbooks, accessed August 7, 2009. Note – this list contains other children’s books that may be of interest.
US Department of Agriculture, My Pyramid website, www.MyPyramid.gov,
accessed August 7, 2009. (Source for pyramid chart and blank pyramid chart)
