Are you looking for a fun engaging way to teach your kids or students about nutrition? Try out the Power Plate Lesson! Students learn to categorize foods into five food groups: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins, and healthy fats, plus water. Lesson adapted from Life Lab!
 
Materials:
-Printer and paper to print out worksheets. Print pages 15-16, 25-29 from here: digs_lesson-recipe_book.pdf
-Tape
-Markers or crayons
-Scissors
- The book My Plate and You
- Crackers, hummus, cream cheese and cut up fruit and veggies.
- (Optional) My Plate Felt Board
 
 
Actions for Power Plate:
• Read My Plate and You by G. Olson.
 
• Show students the Power Plate. Each of the food groups on the Power Plate does something important to support our health.
 
Go Foods:
Whole grains are GO foods and provide a good source of calories for energy to move and be active.
 
Grow Foods:
Healthy proteins such as fish chicken, beans and nuts are GROW foods that build our muscles and bones and provide calories that give us energy to grow and move.
 
Glow Foods:
 Fruits and vegetables are GLOW foods and provide us with high doses of essential antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber that protect us from disease, help with digestion, and keep us glowing in health.
 
Healthy Fats:
Healthy fats are GO, GROW, GLOW foods that come from plant and fish sources such as the oils from olives, nuts, seeds and fish. Fats are the highest calorie food and provide us with sustained energy. They also build our brains to keep us smart.
 
Instructions:
• Using My Plate felt board, hand out felt picture to students and have them place on the felt board in the correct section.
 
• Or use the Food Cards and have kids get together in small groups to sort the foods in the correct food group.
 
• Hand out a blank Power Plate activity sheet. Have students draw and write the name of their favorite foods in each section of the Power Plate. Hand out the Food Cards to help students spell the name of the foods. First and second grade students can do one section each day, doing all three can be too much for them. Older students can fill out all sections in one lesson.

 
• Make a Power Snack by incorporating food from each of the groups. Make it food art! Have children look at each others creations and then eat and enjoy!
 

Are you looking for an easy, non-toxic DIY cleaning spray? This antibacterial counter spray kills about 99% of germs. Spray on surfaces and let it sit for 4 minutes before wiping clean with a cloth. Wipe in one direction to not inadvertently re-contaminate the surface. Recipe courtesy lovetoknow.com

​There's nothing like a hearty vegetable winter soup. It's a great way to get children to eat their colors with vegetables from your garden or local grocery store.   

​Ingredients You'll Need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 bunch Swiss chard, cut into one-inch pieces
1 cup red or green cabbage
1 28 ounces fresh or canned San Marzano diced tomatoes
1 19 ounce white beans, drained of liquid
1 32 ounces vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves chopped
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves only chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste


Directions: Place a 3-quart pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the mirepoix mixture (onion, celery, carrot) the red pepper flake, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Saute until onions begin to look somewhat translucent. Add the white beans, San Marzano tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and add cauliflower, Swiss chard, oregano, parsley, garlic, and salt. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Serve!

DIGS taught Mira Vista students how to grow Wheatheads at their homes! This easy activity teaches kids about home gardening in a fun and engaging way. Children express their emotions by drawing different facial expressions on paper and attaching it to the outside of the Wheathead container. When the grass has grown long, the children give the Wheathead a “haircut” and trim the wheat grass to put it in smoothies or salads for added nutrition! See the instructions below, courtesy of Life Lab, and some pictures from our DIGS lessons!

“When the butterfly first emerges from the chrysalis, both of the wings are going to be soft and folded against its body. This is because the butterfly had to fit all its new parts inside of the pupa.  It will pump blood into the wings in order to get them working and flapping – then they get to fly.  Usually within a three or four-hour period, the butterfly will master flying and will search for a mate in order to reproduce.  When a female lays their eggs on some leaves, the butterfly life cycle will start all over. 
 

Why I Love This Recipe
Turn pumpkin puree into spiced pumpkin butter with the delicious fall flavored canning recipe. While you can wrap jars of this pumpkin butter recipe up for gifts, make sure to save one or two for yourself to spread on toast or mix into oatmeal.

Ingredients You'll Need4 cups Pumpkin puree or 15 oz. cans Pumpkin
1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup
1/2 cup apple juice
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Directions1. In 5 quart dutch oven combine all ingredients except nuts. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently for 25 minutes or until thick. (If mixture spatters, reduce heat to medium-low). Remove from heat; cool.
2. Ladle into jars or freezer containers, leaving 1/2- inch headspace. Cover; store in refrigerator up to 1 week or freezer up to 6 months.
3. To serve, top with chopped nuts.

Ingredients You'll Need

​4 Eggs
1 Cup White sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups peeled, chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped, peeled apple

Directions
​
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 - 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Fold walnut, zucchini and apple into mixture.
​3. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 1 hour, or until top springs back when touched lightly in the center. Let cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

​This recipe is great to teach kids healthy eating habits and also it gives them the opportunity to create what they want to eat. This snack follows Power Plate guidelines. Power Snack contains at least one ingredient from each of the five food groups.

Ingredients You'll Need:
1 Large whole-grain cracker or rice cake per person
1 Tub of hummus or bean dip
A variety of fruits and vegetables of many colors such as red bell pepper, oranges, yellow apple, blueberries, green broccoli, brown pear etc.

Directions:
1. Chop all Fruits and Vegetables into 1/4 chucks or smaller
2. Place each fruit or vegetable into its own bowl
3. Grab a cracker or rice cake an spread hummus on top
4. Design a miniature garden with chopped fruit and vegetables