When students are taught the food pyramid guide, they are given a basis for making knowledgeable and healthy decisions related to their eating habits. According to TeensHealth.org, the food pyramid should be taught to students as a guide to create a personalized plan for what each student should eat based on their individual caloric needs.
Put It Together
Have children put together own food pyramid. This will allow them to learn and be interactive with what they are learning. Cut out large pieces of the pyramid and provide sections for each food group to each child or group of students for each food group. Have the children draw or write the types of foods that are found in the individual sections of the pyramid. Then have the students put the food pyramid together by taping the different pieces to the wall to create the whole pyramid.
Go around the room and discuss how the students completed their food pyramid, what foods they placed where and whether they are right or not.
Stacking Milk Crates
For this food pyramid activity teachers will have to gather enough empty milk crates to stack together a food pyramid. Have the class work together to fill empty milk crates with foods from each food group. Have them put plastic or empty food containers in the crates or have them draw cut out pictures of foods from magazines to place in the crate. Stack the crates create a pyramid.
Then have a student or a couple of students stick a large number on each section of the milk crate food pyramid to signify how many servings from each group students should eat. Leave the milk crate pyramid up in the classroom during the lessons on nutrition. This will give students a visual aid to refer back to as they are learning.
Field Trip to the Grocery Store or Farm
Taking students on a trip to the grocery store or farm can teach them what they need to eat off the food pyramid, but it can also help them understand where each group of food come from. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, children who understand where their food comes from are more interested in trying new and different types of fruits and vegetables.
Take students to the grocery store and talk to them about how many foods from each section of the grocery store should be eaten on a daily bases. Give the students a copy of the food pyramid to carry with them; this will give them something to refer back to as they make their way through the grocery store or farm.
If you take students to a farm they can learn where foods on the food pyramid are grown and how they are grown. Depending on what part of the country you are teaching in a local farm may not have foods from each section of the food pyramid and you will be able to discuss the reasons for this with your students.
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