Nutrition Lessons Information on Grade School Nutrition

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Digestive Game

• To teach students the names of the organs of the digestive system and what their functions are.

Materials:

• Marker
• 10 pieces of cardboard (8" x 3")
• Hole punchers
• String
• Empty pitchers
• Brightly colored beaded necklaces (costume jewelry work great)
• Drinking Straws

Activity

1. Write each of the following words, on separate pieces of cardboard: mouth, foodpipe (make three of these signs), stomach, small intestine (make four), and large intestine. Punch two holes near the top of each card and thread a string through the holes. The children will hang these sign around their necks.
2. Select three or four children to be the foods. Have them wear the brightly colored beaded necklaces to represent nutrients of the foods. Other children who play the digestive organs will wear their own sign and stand in sequence according to the flow of the food.
3. Select one child to be the mouth. He will wear the "mouth" sign. Instruct this child to pour imaginary saliva (give the student the empty pitcher) on the food and to mash the food down. Then the student will push the food into the foodpipe. Have the children squat down and play the role of food. 
4. The student acting as the foodpipe will push the food down the line to the stomach. The "stomach" student will add more fluids (provide a pitcher) to mash the foods even smaller. Have the food students crawl.
5. The children playing the small intestine will suck out fluids (give them straws) and take the food's nutrients. Have the food students pass the necklaces to the small intestines students. The small intestine player will push the waste to the large intestine who will push the waste out of the body.
6. Be sure everyone has a chance to be in the digestion line, to be the food, and to be an observer. Help the class move through the process at first, and then let them do it by themselves. Ask the observers to tell you what is happening in each step. This will help them understand the digestive system and how it works.

Siepak, Karen Lee. Body System and Organs (step-by-step science series). Carson-Dellosa Publishing Co., Inc. Greensboro, NC. 1995.

Pyramid Race

Materials:

2 blank Food Guide Pyramids
Picture of Food
Tape

Activity

1. Review the food groups on the pyramid with students. 
2. Divide the students into two groups. Give each group pictures of food and tape. 
3. Set up the two groups to run a relay race.
4. First group to tape all their food in the proper food groups on the pyramid wins.

Eating the Alphabet

Materials:

• Eating the Alphabet. Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z. 
• Fruits and vegetables.

Activity:

• Select a letter. 
• Obtain the fruits and vegetables for the letter
• Have students make observations on the fruits and vegetables
• Have the student taste the foods.

Other Activities:

• Obtain other types of food for a specific letter.
• Have students find recipes using the foods.

What is in my taco?

Parent Information:

The following taco recipe is a great example that combines foods from various food groups: tortilla (Grain Group); lettuce and tomato (Vegetable Group); cheese (Milk Group); and beans (Meat Group). In this activity, children will create fun meals, try new foods, and learn about the food groups in the Pyramid.

Materials needed:

• plates
• spoons
• napkins

Ingredients:

• soft tortillas
• head of lettuce
• tomato 
• mild cheddar cheese 
• taco sauce 
• pinto beans (canned or home cooked)

Preparation needed:

Prepare recipe ingredients (chop tomato, shred lettuce, grate cheese, mash beans) and refrigerate these ingredients in separate containers.

Objective:

To taste new foods.

Key idea:

A wide variety of foods can be used to create appealing recipes

Beginning Activity:

1. Make sure everyone washes their hands with soap and running water.
2. Have children sit at the tables as they do for meals.
3. Talk briefly about the activity.

Create a soft taco:

1. Assist your children when they start to assemble the soft tacos. 
2. Place the ingredients in bowls and each bowl should have its own spoon. 
3. Put tortilla on each person's plate. 
4. Invite the children to make a taco. Identify each ingredient for the children. The beans should be spread on tortilla first. The children may need your help. Have the children add some of each ingredient to the tortilla. 
5. When everyone has made a taco, fold in half, and enjoy. 
6. As you and your children eat, you may ask: Can you taste the lettuce...the tomato...the cheese...the beans...the tortilla in your taco? Try other foods - pizza and sandwiches.