NUTRITION ACTIVITIES WITH THE FOOD-GUIDE PYRAMID
Karen M. Chapman
Nutrition Specialist
University of Illinois Cooperative Extension
Copyright/Access Information
You may think that teaching good eating habits to preschoolers is an impossible challenge. The food-guide pyramid, however, can be a fun and interesting way for parents and teachers to show preschoolers good eating habits.
[Download a Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children poster, 8-1/2 X 11, in color or black and white.]
The food-guide pyramid contains all the food groups: breads and grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and protein sources, milk and dairy sources, and the "other" group containing fats and sweets.
There are a number of things you can do with the food-guide pyramid to teach children about nutrition. Children can learn to identify where foods belong in the pyramid. A favorite cereal belongs in the breads and grains group; juice or bananas belong in the fruit group; and carrots belong in the vegetable group. Placing foods in the correct part of the pyramid is very much like other forms of matching that are taught to young children.
The challenging part in this activity may come when teachers and parents must help decide where the less-than-perfect foods go. Where do sugar-sweetened cereals go? What about donuts, gum, flavored drinks, and chips? If a food is low in nutrients and high in sugar or fat, place the food in the "other" group. Does the child have to stop eating these foods? Not necessarily! These foods do add calories. If the child has eaten a healthful diet and still needs calories, these foods might be okay.
Make a copy of the pyramid and cut out the individual food groups. Give the children another copy of the pyramid. Have children match the cut-outs to the food groups on the pyramid.
Cut out pictures of food displayed on the food pyramid. Ask the children to place the foods in the appropriate categories on the pyramid. Or make flannel pieces of food and place them on a flannel-board outline of the pyramid. You can even try making foods not contained in the original pyramid and letting the children categorize them along with the original foods.
Make bite-size pieces of foods available representing all the different categories. Let children eat a bite of food and then point to the appropriate category on the food pyramid. Suggested foods are oyster crackers, cooked macaroni, raisins, apple slices, cheese, milk, turkey bits, and broccoli.
Every day at snack time, place a copy of the food-guide pyramid next to or on the tables. Discuss the snack foods you are eating that day and decide where they fit on the pyramid.
If children at your school eat cake on birthdays, talk with the children about what you could add to the snack to make it more nutritious. Examples would be milk, wheat crackers, or fruit. Cut out pictures of foods from magazines. Place them in baskets according to their appropriate food category. Children should then take one piece from each basket and glue it on a paper plate. Older children could help with the cutting and grouping of foods. To take this idea a step further, make a board game with foods in baskets, paper plates, and a homemade spinner or die containing the food groups. Children then try to complete a nutritious and varied meal.
Make sure children share their new knowledge with their parents. Parents are great role models for preschool children, but children can teach parents as well!
The food-guide pyramid was designed to teach good eating habits. Start with preschoolers! They will love the bright colors and interesting shapes, and they can learn many skills and good eating habits at the same time!
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