Healthy Snack

"BAGGY BUGS"

(a fun way to eat whole grains and fruits)

1.
Place a graham cracker in a plastic baggy, seal it shut and crush the crackers into a fine sand using a large spoon. Suggestion: Use whole grain oat or spelt flakes, or granola instead of graham crackers. After the "bug hunt," sprinkle the whole grains on yogurt.

2.
Add a few raisins to the bag and have the kids dig for bugs in the sand. Experiment with other tasty critters--dried cranberry "ladybugs," carob chip "ants" and more...be creative!

3.
Definitely use a magnifying glass!

Original recipe: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/feature/famf19snack/famf19snack5.html

Food is Elementary Lesson #2 - Dietary Fats

During the second lesson of the Food is Elementary curriculum, children learned a great deal about dietary fats and how too much fat can stick to the inside of your blood vessels and lead to illnesses. The students were able to grasp this abstract concept by conducting two experiments. First they observed how butter will stick to the inside of a straw, which represented a blood vessel. Next they observed how heavy cream will stick to your fingers while skim milk will not. By utilizing these hands on experiences with different forms of fat, children were able to understand how some fats are more likely to stick to your blood vessels when eaten in large quantities over time, and that some fats are healthier for your body when eaten in moderation.

After conducting these experiments, students took the time to create self-drawn portraits of themselves, illustrating their heart and blood vessels within their bodies. It was also important to emphasize that the way in which a person looks like on the outside does not determine what is happening on the inside of their body. Body size and shape does not dictate how much fat is sticking to a person's blood vessels. Overall health depends upon a person's daily eating and activity habits.

Origami Bunny Tutorial

I don't know about you, but here in Columbus, Ohio we are snowed in, making this a perfect day to work on a low-key craft project with the little ones! While looking for a traditional craft to compliment the Food is Elementary unit on Japan, I came across this origami bunny pattern in the book Folding for Fun: Origami for Ages 4 and Up. It is really simple to make, and produces a great piece of origami. Watch the video tutorial below and start creating your own bunnies:

Useful resources when teaching about healthy eating and the body

When teaching about healthy eating and nutrition an educator will often connect this theme to how it affects the human body. Children are able to gain a better understanding of the importance of eating well when they understand how certain food choices can affect their bodies in positive or negative ways. Within lesson #2 of the Food is Elementary curriculum, we discuss how dietary fats can affect your heart and your circulatory system. Here are some coloring pages that can be used when discussing dietary fat and the circulatory system, as well as the affects food has on other parts of our bodies. To download a copy of these coloring pages go to the following link: http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/science/human-body-coloring-pages/

Healthy Eating - interactive website

Kids today have a strong connection with the internet and do a great deal of learning through on-line websites. Here is an excellent website that teaches kids the importance of healthy eating through interactive games and activities. Chef Solus can lead children through a food pyramid adventure! The website also has links to myfoodpyramid.gov, as well as to a nutrition dictionary, and a meal planner. Check out - http://www.nourishinteractive.com/ !

Fats and Oils - Great books to use with this topic!

Through lesson 2 of the Food is Elementary curriculum students gain a better understanding of how dietary fats affect the human body. Here are three books that can work in conjunction with this theme!

The book Fats, Oils, and Sweets, written by Helen Frost, is based on the old Food Pyramid, but does an excellent job of demonstrating the difference between healthy food choices and unhealthy food choices. (ie. orange juice vs. pop, pretzels vs. potato chips)

The book, Oils, written by Tea Benduhn, is based on the new Food Pyramid and helps to illustrate the importance of oils in your diet to maintain a healthy body, as well as where healthy oils can be found.

The book, The New Food Guide Pyramid Oils, written by Emily K. Green, is also based on the new Food Pyramid, but helps explain the difference between liquid and solid oil choices and how much oil a child should consume each day.

Food is Elementary, Lesson One: Food Pyramid and Hygiene

For our first lesson facilitating Food is Elementary, the children learned about the food pyramid and why foods with larger stripes form the foundation for a healthy diet. The larger stripes on the new revised pyramid that we focused on were the grains, vegetables and fruits. These food groups were highlighted, since studies consistently show they are under served in most children's diets. We did discuss Dairy, Oils and Meats, discussing the healthiest choices from each group. Check out the great website for teaching aids at: http://www.thefeltsource.com/Nutrition.html We used a felt food pyramid with cut out pictures of foods from this site. The children learned about each of the food groups and had a fun activity placing the different foods where they belonged. We also discussed the importance of hand washing, discussing and reading a book on Germs. Much of the lessons have a sensory experience. We used a lavender soap and then had the children rub rose water on their clean hands. They learned how to properly wash and also appreciate clean, sweet smelling hands. All lessons are one hour or less and incorporate a hands-on activity each week. Hundreds of local children experienced this class this week and it is the start of a program that will impact not only our children's lives, but many of the adults too. Thank you to all site supervisors for bringing this dynamic programming into your school.