Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and worldwide. Not only are a vast number of adults obese or overweight, but the epidemic has now trickled down to children; 9 million children ages nine to 19 are overweight or obese. It is vital that we teach our children better nutrition and eating habits. A great way to start is with fun but educational games about nutrition and eating.
Food Group Labeling
Knowing the basic food groups is an essential foundation for learning about nutrition. Download or draw a blank template of the food pyramid. Have students label each food group with its proper name and examples of the types of food in each group. Have younger children draw the foods; older children can write out the food names.
Junk Food/Healthy Food Flash Cards
Create a set of flash cards that include a combination of healthy foods and junk foods. Healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, milk, cheese and chicken. Junk foods include potato chips, candy, cake and soda pop. The flash cards can be used in pairs, groups or with the entire class; students will have fun guessing which foods are healthy and which are junk foods.
Food Diary Chart
Create a food diary chart that includes all of the proper food groups; grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy, meats and fats/oils are the categories recommended by the Food and Drug Administration. Have children chart their eating habits by filling in a square when they eat a food in a certain category. Award prizes to students who get the daily recommended allowance of fruits and vegetables or manage not to exceed the recommended servings in the fats/oils category. For older students, consider having them track calories in addition to food groups.
Vitamins and Minerals
Instruct students about the importance of vitamins and minerals in their daily diet. Make a chart of different foods and list the vitamins and minerals each food provides. Turn the lesson into a game by creating a chart that requires the student to match the food with its major vitamin or mineral component. Use spinach and beef as sources of iron, milk and yogurt as sources of calcium and citrus fruits as sources of vitamin C.
Tags: food groups, , chart that, each food, eating habits, fats oils, flash cards