Milton Public Schools and the Milton School Nutrition Department are dedicated to improving the health and wellness of their students, and nutrition education is one key area of the district’s Wellness Policy. To further their efforts in student wellness, Milton Public Schools invited Framingham State University graduate student, Susan Thiell, to Cunningham Elementary school on Monday, March 28, 2022 to teach 3rd grade students about MyPlate.
Students learned about the food groups of MyPlate and how to use them to build a healthy meal or snack. The students brainstormed reasons why we need to eat food from each of the five food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, and dairy) every day. They then discussed serving sizes and how many servings they should eat each day as well as many examples from each food group. The students were able to write down and draw an example of a favorite food from each food group on a MyPlate handout, which they then took home as a reminder to choose foods from each group every day. They also discussed which foods they could select at lunch in order to build a meal with all 5 food groups. Students ended the lesson excited to choose more food groups for their meals and snacks.
For more ideas on teaching MyPlate and nutrition to elementary school children, browse the resources available on the SWITCH website.
Submitted by: Susan Thiell, FSU Food and Nutrition Graduate Student in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics
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