Activity: Fishing for Healthy Foods

Overview In this activity, participants will become familiar with a variety of healthy food options and learn how different foods can be combined into healthy, balanced meals.

Learning Objectives By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:

• Identify the five major food groups.• Identify some common properties among foods in each group.• Understand what it means to eat a balanced diet.

Audience Kindergarten to 5th grade

Materials • Pictures of healthy foods from all food groups, preferably laminated, with Velcro on back

and paperclip attached. Examples from all the food groups include: o Grains: bread, cereal, pasta, flour tortillaso Vegetables: broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, eggplanto Fruits: apples, bananas, blueberries, 100% fruit juiceo Dairy: milk, yogurt, cheeseo Proteins: turkey, eggs, fish, peanut butter

• Fishing poles: dowel (can be found at department and craft stores), string, magnet• Fish pond: container to hold food pictures• Several paper plates (with 5 Velcro hooks) or Velcro board on which to assemble healthy

meals• Laminating paper for best results

Duration 30 minutes

Activity Preparation Cut out and laminate a variety of pictures of healthy foods (see examples above). Individual food items work best so that participants can practice naming the items. Look for pictures of fruits and vegetables that are larger than pictures of foods from other food groups. Place a small piece of Velcro on the back of the picture and attach a paperclip to each picture. Make a fishing pole (or several, depending on the size of the group doing the activity) by attaching a string to a dowel and tying a magnet to the other end of the string.

Activity: Fishing for Healthy Foods

Instructions 1. Begin this activity with a discussion about the major food groups, asking some or all of the

following questions: o What are some healthy foods you enjoy eating? What makes it a healthy food? [Provides

you with a variety of nutrients like healthy carbohydrates, protein, good fats, vitamins and minerals that give you energy and help keep your body strong.]

o Why should we eat those healthy foods? [Discuss which nutrients benefit different partsof the body. Example: Calcium in milk is good for bones and teeth.]

o What are the 5 major food groups (based on USDA recommendations)? [Write thefollowing food groups on the board or flipchart paper: Meat/protein, Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Milk/dairy]

o Can you give examples of foods in those food groups? Which ones make a meal? [Listparticipants’ answers on the board or flipchart paper under the appropriate food group.]

2. Place all of the foods in a large tub or container in the room and invite participants to taketurns fishing for healthy foods.

3. Separate participants into small groups of 4-5 and have each individual fish for one fooditem that could be part of a healthy meal. Once they each have had a turn to fish for a fooditem, instruct each group to Velcro their food choices to one of the paper plates with 5Velcro hooks to represent a healthy meal. Encourage them to choose an array of colorswhen selecting fruits and vegetables.

4. Ask participants why they think the fruits and vegetable selections are larger than other foodchoices. Explain that healthy eating includes eating 5 servings of a variety of fruits andvegetables every day. Therefore, fruits and vegetables should make up a large portion ofwhat they eat during the day.

Variation: If time is limited, have each participant come up one at a time to fish for a food item, Velcro each one onto a Velcro board (or tape to the wall/board) at the front of the room, and then work together as a group to rearrange the pictures of food to make a healthy meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

FRONT

Paperclip

BACK

Velcro

String

Dowel

Magnet

Produced with a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30ES010126). © The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. All Rights Reserved.

BaconChicken

Tuna Fish

EggSteak

Fishing for Healthy Foods

Cereal

Ham Beans

Peanut Butter Nuts

BreadCereal

CrackersOatmeal

Granola Roll

Tortillas Pasta

PopcornPretzel

Apple Banana

Blueberries Cantaloupe

Kiwi Watermelon

RaisinsApplesauce

Grapes Orange

Avocado Celery

Carrots Broccoli

Potato Eggplant

CornSalad

PeasTomato

Milk Milk

Milk Chocolate Milk

Cheese String Cheese

Cream Cheese Yogurt

Yogurt Yogurt