This document provides information about healthy eating for 5th grade students. It discusses the food groups in the USDA's MyPlate food guide, including grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein and oils. It emphasizes eating a variety of foods from each group and limiting fat, sugar and salt. Specific recommendations are given around portion sizes and choosing whole grains, colorful veggies and low-fat dairy. The benefits of a balanced diet and physical activity for long term health are highlighted.

1. Healthy Eating
5th Grade Health

2.  HE3 Nutrition and Physical Activity
 Essential Understanding: 5HE3 Healthful nutrition and physical activity contribute to
growth and energy and prevent chronic diseases.
 The student will:
 Standards: 5HE3a: explain the impact of amounts of fat, sodium, cholesterol, and
sugar in food on overall health;
 5HE3b: analyze information on comparable food labels;
 5HE3c: compare recommended amounts of fat, sodium, cholesterol, and sugar with
amounts found in processed foods;
 5HE3d: describe how cultural, peer, and social influences affect food choices;
 5HE3f: develop strategies for making good food and physical activity choices;
 5HE3g: recognize physical, intellectual, emotional and social benefits of regular
physical activity.
Standards

3. Everyone should start their healthy eating habits now. Healthy eating
is finding a balance of all foods. Eating healthfully can keep you at
healthy weight so when you become an adult weight does not become
a problem.
Healthy Eating Habits should start
now.
How many of you have heard your
parents complain about weight?
One of most important habits to
start with is cutting down your fat
intake. (Hirsch, 2010) Yes, there is
such thing as healthy fats but it
needs to be just a small part of
your diet.

4.  A diet is just what you eat. (Healia, 2009)
 There are two parts to your diet:
 What you eat
 How much you eat (Healia, 2009)
 Balance is the key to a healthy diet. (USDA, 2009)
What is a diet?

5.  Children should never go on a restrictive diet
unless a doctor has prescribed one for medical
purposes. (Hirsch, 2010) You could get very sick.
 Skinny doesn’t always mean healthy. Your body
is meant to DO activities. (Felesky, 2010) Your
body will feel better after eating an apple
instead of a basket of fries.
 Body image should be based on the activities you
can do, not what you think you look like.
Say NO to restrictive Diets!

6. Balanced Eating – The Food Guide
Pyramid
This is the new Food Guide Pyramid made by the United
States Department of Agriculture.
The man going up the steps reminds us all that we need
to be active EVERY day.
Some parts of the colors are wider than the others this
means you must pick more of a certain kind of food.
(USDA, 2009)
Each color represents a food group.
• Orange is for grains
• Green is for vegetables
• Red is for fruits
• Yellow is for Oils/Fats
• Blue is for milk
• Purple is for meat and beans
Image from USDA media resources for educational purposes
Information and image used in guidance with Graphics Standards from USDA athttp://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
.

7. Grains
 Grains are all a good source of carbohydrates.
They have many vitamins and minerals and are all
naturally low in fat. (Mayo Clinic, 2009) Some
grains have been refined , which means the bran
and/or germ was removed such as white rice or
white bread. (Mayo Clinic, 2009)
 The USDA says that in the Grain Group to “make
sure that half your grains whole
 “Eat at least 3 oz. of whole-grain cereals, breads,
crackers, rice, or pasta every day (USDA, 2010)
 “1 oz. is about 1 slice of bread, about 1 cup of breakfast
cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta”
(USDA, 2009)
 Whole Grains will also help you feel fuller for a
longer period of time. (Mayo Clinic, 2009)
Information and image used in guidance with Graphics Standards from USDA athttp://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
.

8.  The USDA guidelines say to vary your
veggies
 Make sure you “eat more dark green
veggies like broccoli and spinach
 “Eat more orange vegetables like
carrots and sweet potatoes
 “Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto
beans, kidney beans, and lentils”
(USDA, 2010)
 Try to add different colored vegetables
to your diet to mix it up. (Duyff, 2009)
Vegetables
Information and image used in guidance with Graphics Standards from USDA athttp://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
.

9.  “Eat a variety of fruit
 “Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit
 “Go easy on fruit juices” (USDA, 2010) Juice
does count as a fruit serving but it usually
also contains a lot of additives like sugar that
is not healthy.
 Does it matter what kind of fruit you eat?
 Some fruits have more calories than others
(Askdrsears.com, 2006) but the most
important factor is that you are eating fruits for
their nutritional value.
 According to Askdrsears.com avocado, papaya,
and guava are the most nutritional of the fruits
(Askdrsears.com, 2006) but if you don’t like
them, eat another fruit.
Fruits
Information and image used in guidance with Graphics Standards from USDA athttp://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
.

10.  “Get your calcium-rich foods
 “Go low-fat or fat-free when you choose
milk, yogurt, and other milk products
 “If you don’t or can’t consume milk,
choose lactose-free products or other
calcium sources such as fortified foods and
beverages” (USDA, 2009)
 It’s okay to eat ice cream, but pick low-fat
and limit it as a dairy choice.
 What are some better choices for the milk
group?
Milk
Information and image used in guidance with Graphics Standards from USDA athttp://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
.

11.  “Go lean with protein”
 “Choose low-fat or lean meats and
poultry” (USDA, 2009)
 If you see a lot of fat on meat, it is
probably not “lean.”
 “Bake it, broil it, or grill it” (USDA,
2009) Try to stay away from fried meat.
 “Vary your protein routine” (USDA,
2009)
 Don’t forget about fish, beans, peas,
nuts, and seeds. (USDA, 2009)
 Tofu is also a good source of protein.
Meat & Beans
Information and image used in guidance with Graphics Standards from USDA athttp://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
.

12.  You need to limit the fats and oils although a
little is okay.
 Get most of your fat sources from fish, nuts,
and vegetable oils. (USDA, 2009)
 Try to “stay away from solid fats like butter,
stick margarine, shortening, and lard, as well
as foods that contain these.” (USDA, 2009)
Fat and Oils
Information used in guidance with Graphics Standards from USDA at http://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
.

13.  Here is a picture of
a Nutrition Label
from a Healthy
Choice Soup:
Chicken with Rice.
Nutrition Labels

14.  Look at Serving Size:
1 cup
 There are two
servings in this small
bowl that most of
you would eat for
lunch.
 All the nutrition facts
that we read next we
are going to have to
multiply it by two.
Serving Size
So this bowl is really 200 calories not 100.

15.  The percentages of DV
is the percentage of
Daily Value.
 Remember this is for a
full-grown adult and
you are not an adult
yet.
 You can still use it as a
guide line because you
can see if a food is high
or low in a nutrient.
(USDFA, 2010)
 If this soup has 30% of
your vitamin A how
much more do you
need to reach 100%?
Percentages of Daily Value

16.  The more of an item the
product has the higher
it is on the ingredient
list. (USDFA, 2010)
 If you look on this soup
there is more chicken
broth than anything
else.
 After chicken broth is
carrots.
 The first three
ingredients are the
most important.
(USDFA, 2010)
Ingredients

17.  Suzie loves making
brownies. She followed the
mix exactly and made 2 inch
brownies.
 She was supposed to share
them with her class but at 5
brownies. How many
calories did she eat?
 How much protein did she
get from those 5 brownies?
Suzie loves brownies

18.  You only get one body treat it
with respect by eating healthy
foods and exercising regularly.
 Healthy people live longer.
 Please give some specific
examples of things we can do to
eat healthier foods.
Take the time to eat healthy food and
read labels

19.  Boost Your Child’s Body Image. Felesky, L. Kaboose. Retrieved 10-26-10 http://parenting.kaboose.com/behavior/bodyimage.html
 Fabulous Fruits. Askdrsears.com. 2006. Retrieved 10-28-10. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t042600.asp
 Ghirardelli Chocolate: Double Chocolate Brownie Mix Nutrition Label. Taken by Natalya Martinez 10-29-10
 Graphics Resources. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
 Health Standards for 5th Grade DoDEA Students. DoDEA. Retrieved 10-22/10 http://dodea.edu/curriculum/docs/he/stn_health_grd_5.pdf
 Healthy Choice: Chicken With Rice Nutrition Label. Taken by Natalya Martinez 10-29-10
 Healthy Eating Habits for Your Child. Hirsch, D. WebMD. 02-25-10. Retrieved 10-26-10. http://children.webmd.com/guide/kids-healthy-eating-
habits
 MyPyramid for Kids. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10
http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/mypyramidclassroom.html
 MyPyramid for Kids Logo. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10
http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/resource/MyPforKids_logo.gif
 MyPyramid: Your Guide to Healthy Eating. Duyff, R.L. USDA’s Food Guidance System. Mealtime.org. 2009. Retrieved 10-26-10.
http://www.mealtime.org/content.aspx?id=226
 MyPyramid Fruits Logo. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10
http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/resource/MyPforKids_logo.gif
 MyPyramid Grains Logo. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10
http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/MyPyramid_grainsgroup.jpg
 MyPyramid Meats Logo. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10
http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/MyPyramid_meatsgroup.jpg
 MyPyramid Milk Logo. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10
http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/MyPyramid_dairygroup.jpg
 MyPyramid Vegetables Logo. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10-26-10
http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/MyPyramid_veggiesgroup.jpg
 The Nutrition Source: Food Pyramids - What Should You Really Eat? Harvard School of Public Health. 2010. Retrieved 10-25-10.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid-full-story/index.html
 Spot the Block: Nutritional Information for Tweens. United States Food and Drug Administration. 05-03-10. Retrieved 10-29-10
http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm192721.htm
 What is a Diet? Healia. 03-26-09. Retrieved 10-29-10. http://www.healia.com/healthguide/guides/diet-and-nutrition/what-is-a-diet
 Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet. Mayo Clinic Staff. Mayoclinic.com 07-29-09. Retrieved 10-26-10.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204
References