Handy & Healthy Food Journal

Handy & Healthy Food Journal lesson plan

Create a notebook with nutritional information about fruits and veggies. Stay healthy, fit, and informed about your food choices. Eat GREEN!

  • 1.

    With Crayola Colored Pencils on index cards, write the names of fruits and vegetables that you really like or are willing to try. List one on each card. Share your list with your classmates. Add cards with the names of any produce that are missing. Try to list foods that are grown locally. Be adventuresome with your taste buds!

  • 2.

    Research each fruit and vegetable. Find out what it looks like, the recommended serving size for someone your age, grams of fiber, vitamins it contains, and calories per serving. When is each one in season where you live? Take notes and make sketches on your cards.

  • 3.

    Alphabetize your cards. In a journal, draw a colorful picture of your produce with Crayola Washable Markers. Record the data you researched about each one. Leave a blank page or two between each entry so you can add new fruits and vegetables to your notebook.

  • 4.

    What can you do with your new knowledge? Make wise choices for meals and snacks. Shop with your family and compare selections. Plan meals together so everyone can stay healthy. Better yet—grow your own!

Benefits

  • Students learn the importance of 5 to 9 servings a day of fruits and vegetables to promote good health and reduce the risk of disease.
  • Students research child-size servings of foods, grams of fiber, vitamins, and calories of many fruits and vegetables.
  • Students become aware of the importance of buying local produce in season.
  • Students record their illustrated research findings in a convenient notebook for handy reference.

Adaptations

  • Students use their imaginations to create characters out of their favorite fruits or vegetables. In small groups, write, make costumes, and act out a short skit about an adventure story.
  • Research information about the true cost of shipping produce long distances—when must the foods be harvested? How much time does it take? What is the cost of shipping? Why does it make sense for environmental sustainability to eat local produce? Visit a l
  • Research edible plants. Determine what part of the plant is eaten and record findings on charts or graphs. Make a chart of seasonal fruits and vegetables in your area.
  • Share ethnic recipes and family favorites in the classroom. Create a class book of healthy foods.