Eating a Healthy, Balanced Diet

Each of these activities will show you how to make healthier food choices.

Activity 1:

Visit www.choosemyplate.com and click "10 Tips Nutrition Education Series".  Read "Build a Healthy Meal" and record the 10 Tips.  What does a healthy meal start with?  Which tip do you think is the most beneficial to you?  Which tip do you think most teenagers struggle with?  Why?  Record your answers on a seperate peice of paper.

Activity 2:

On the My Plate website, click the "My Plate" button.  For each food group, record how much of each is needed per day and five items you could add from each group to your daily diet.  Are you reaching the daily recommended amount on each group?  If not, which ones do you need more of?  How will adding more of these missing food groups affect your health?  What foods count for each group (Ex. 100% vegetable juice counts for your vegetables)?

Activity 3:

Staying on My Plate, click "Healthy Eating Tips" and go to Sample Menus and Recipes.  Click on White House Recipes.  Which healthy recipe looks the most appealing to you?  Print out this recipe and make it as a family.  Record what makes this meal both healthy and appetizing.  Would you make this again?  What food groups does it cover?  Have a parent sign off on your answer sheet that you completed the activity.  If financial problems arise, please discuss it with your teacher.

Activity 4:

Stay on "Healthy Eating Tips" but go to Tips for Vegetarians.  After reading the ENTIRE article, what are the five nutrients many vegetarians lack?  Why do you think this is?  Weigh the pros and cons of being a vegetarian, naming five points for each side?  Would you ever consider eating vegetarian.  Why or why not?  What do you think is the most important tip for vegetarians?

Activity 5:

What are the four Food Safety Advice tips?  Why are each of these points important?  Record one tip for eating safe from each of the categories.

Activity 6:

Click on "SuperTracker and Other Tools" and go to the blue SuperTracker link.  Create your own FREE profile and then go to Track Food and Activity: Food Tracker.  Everyday for one week, record what foods, and how much, were eaten under each meal category.  If you do not have Internet access at home, record your table on an UNLINED sheet of paper to turn in.

Activity 7:

Write one journal entry summing up the healthiness of your daily diet.  Include 5-7 items that you could switch out for healthier choices or alternatives (Ex. "I could switch out my daily snack food of barbecue chips for cheese on crackers.")  Change out one food item for each meal.  Also include what you could add to your diet to meet the requirements of all six food groups.