POWER PLATE LESSON!

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!