Download Exploring MyPlate - UK College of Agriculture

Exploring
MyPlate
With Professor
Popcorn
Introduction
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Credits to Original Authors
Co-authors, 2006 version: Donna Vandergraff, MS, RD, Purdue University
and Gayle Coleman, MS, RD, University of Wisconsin
Illustrator: Geoff Smith, Dayton, Ohio
Editor: Frank Koontz, Purdue University
Graphic designer: Russell J. Merzdorf, Purdue University
2002 version author: Beth Switzer, MS, RD, Purdue University
1993 version author: Sue Frischie, Purdue University
Special thanks to these Purdue Extension staff members:
Rochelle Belt
Pam Brock
Renee Darkis
Darlene Decker
Glenda DeFord
Peg Ehlers
Deanna Franklin
Lisa Graves
Beth Green
Melissa Maulding
Holly Murray
Susie Neher
Terri Newcom
Annette Pairsh
Becky Pfeiffer
Corinne Powell
Jane Richard
Michelle Smith
Laurie Sula
These states reviewed or helped with pilot testing:
Wisconsin
Arizona
Colorado
Kansas
Montana
Nebraska
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Texas
Washington
For Resources Adapted by the University of Kentucky,
Please go to the Website: http://warehouse.ca.uky.edu/Registration/BFP
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Introduction
Purpose
This curriculum will help young people develop into healthy adults by gaining an interest in eating
healthy foods, using safe food-handling techniques, and making physical activity part of their
lifestyle.
Specific goals are to provide nutrition and health information as well as the opportunity to practice
new skills so that youth will be able to:
•
Understand that good health is, in part, about the food and activity choices that they make
daily.
•
Choose and use foods for good health that are
consistent with MyPlate and the 2010 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans.
•
Improve practices in food selection, safety, and
preparation.
•
Enjoy being physically active.
Experiential Learning
Youth learn best by experience. To that end, this
curriculum contains at least one in-depth experiential
learning activity in each lesson. Discussions are held as
youth share, process, generalize, and apply the various
concepts.
In many cases, youth are divided into smaller groups to enhance learning and discussion.
Themes
Each grade will explore the MyPlate food groups, the importance of physical activity, and the
Fight BAC! Concepts of clean, separate, cook, and chill. Concepts related to MyPlate, food
safety, and physical activities are geared to the cognitive development of youth in that grade.
Each grade has its own emphasis:
• Grade 1 – Experiencing Food: The smells, colors, and physical characteristics of foods from
the various food groups.
• Grade 2 - Enjoying Food: The tastes of a variety of foods.
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Introduction
•
•
•
•
Grade 3 – Exploring Food: Basic nutrition concepts found in MyPlate, such as variety,
amounts of foods, and food groups. Youth will journal about their behavior. Examples relate to
snacks.
Grade 4 – Energized by Food: How food gives us energy, learning about foods by looking at
the ingredient labels. Examples relate to breakfast.
Grade 5 – Examining Food: Looking at nutrition in more detail – reading nutrition facts label,
comparing foods based on their content.
Grade 6 – Experimenting with Food: Conducting various experiments about food and food
safety.
Lessons
There are five lessons in each grade, with the same basic topics per grade. Grades 3 and 4 separate out vegetables
from fruits to give more time to the concept of subcategories of vegetables.
The five lessons are:
•
Lesson 1, MyPlate
•
Lesson 2, Grains (Make half your grains whole)
•
Lesson 3, Vegetables (Vary your veggies) and Fruits (Focus on fruits)
(Note: In Grade 3 and 4, Vegetables are taught alone in Lesson 3)
•
Lesson 4, Milk (Get your calcium-rich foods)
(Note: In Grade 3 and 4, Fruits are taught alone in Lesson 4)
•
Lesson 5, Meat and Beans (Go lean with protein)
(Note: In Grade 3 and 4, Milk and Meat & Beans are combined)
Design
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn has been designed as a “grab and go” teaching tool
for grades 1-6. After you have selected and printed the visuals for the desired lessons, we
encourage you to laminate and “Velcro” them – only ONCE! Once it’s done – it is ready to go!
Each grade has five lessons relating to MyPlate. The curriculum provides for unique activities for
each grade, although the concepts are basically the same, so that a student could begin the series in
the first grade and be taught annually through sixth grade. Conversely, the concepts can be taught
thoroughly to just one grade.
Each of the 30 lessons in this version of Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn includes a
lesson plan, nutrition and food safety activities, recipes, physical activity, and a “take home” parent
letter. The letters are provided in Microsoft Word format, so you can alter them as necessary.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Introduction
This version includes MyPlate, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the Kentucky Core
Academic Expectations.
Selected activities, such as journaling in Grade 3 and goal-setting in Grade 6, can be incorporated
into other academic disciplines, such as competency in writing.
Visuals, Visuals, Visuals
Text and color illustrations have been included in abundance to enhance the learning process.
Because this curriculum will be taught in a variety of locations, it has been designed to be “user
friendly.” Once the prep work is finished, the lessons don’t require overheads, TV monitors,
computers, or electricity. Basically, these lessons could be taught in the most modern classroom or
under a tree at a park.
Several visuals are used in more than one lesson. Some pages of
Visuals can be used as a total page; others contain several separate
visuals that will need to be cut apart after duplication and lamination.
Visual aids may be reprinted as needed from the website:
Mix ’n’ Match Options
While teaching a lesson, there may not be enough time to complete ALL of the activities/events.
Select the ones that will benefit your audience the most. On each facilitator’s guide, the youth
evaluation question that is addressed by that lesson is listed on the first page. It will be important to
emphasize that concept in order to encourage students to adopt that behavior change. Try to conduct the
activities that support those learning concepts.
Some people may not like “games,” but students find them very enjoyable. We tried to address
group size and instruction time when developing the curriculum. For example, the curriculum is
written with a specific physical game or activity in each lesson, but it also incorporates physical
activity within the lesson during nutrition and food safety activities.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Introduction
It may be useful to look at activities across the entire grade. For example, if one food safety or
physical activity is not done because a lesson is short on time, those activities might be
incorporated into a lesson with a bit more time. The file in the Introductory Materials section
called “Matrix” lists the concepts, activities, handouts, and evaluation tools for each lesson in each
grade. It is a good source for at-a-glance information about the program components.
Stickers
You might want to use Professor Popcorn stickers to hand out to students as incentives for activities
or for you to use in marketing the program. At this end of this document are Professor Popcorn
images which we use in the visuals for each lesson. You may create a sticker page using these
images to be printed on Avery labels No. 5293, which are 1 ⅔” round labels (other paper labels
would also be fine to use). To create stickers, simply copy and paste the image to the label
template.
Professor Popcorn jpeg Images
For your use in marketing and advertising the program, we have included color and black and
white jpeg files of all the Professor Popcorn images at the end of this introduction document. You
can use them as you see fit: in brochures, newsletters, posters, e-mail messages, and other
marketing efforts. It should be possible for you to cut and paste the images you desire for use.
To access the electronic version of this file, please go to the website:
http://warehouse.ca.uky.edu/Registration/BFP
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Dietary Guidelines Concepts
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are revised every five
years. A committee of scientists analyzes all current and new
information related to nutrition. The report from this committee
then forms the basis for the Dietary Guidelines. These
recommendations are for healthy persons over age 2. The 2010
version of the Dietary Guidelines contains 23 general key
recommendations and 6 additional recommendations for specific
population groups. These recommendations are divided into four
topic areas.
MyPlate takes the Dietary Guidelines and places them into
usable form by consumers.
This revised Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn curriculum is updated with the 2010 Dietary
Guidelines.
Dietary Guidelines Concepts and Professor Popcorn
Because of the complexity of the Dietary Guidelines, and because their primary purpose is to form the basis for
nutrition policy, they are not mentioned by name until Grade 5. The concepts, however, are woven throughout the
curriculum as MyPlate embodies them.
What Do Kids Understand About the Dietary Guidelines?
In 1993, the University of Minnesota conducted focus groups with elementary school children to describe
how children interpret the Dietary Guidelines and what they understand about nutrition.
Kindergarten through second grade
•
They could not define the word “variety”; they didn’t understand the word when it was used in a
sentence.
•
The word “diet” meant a weight-loss diet.
•
They did not understand “maintain a healthy weight,” although some children thought it meant “to
not be fat.”
•
“Choose a diet low in fat” wasn’t meaningful because they didn’t understand the word “diet” or the
idea of “low in fat.” High-fat foods were junk foods; sugar and fat were the same thing.
•
They had trouble naming foods from the food groups or foods that were high or low in fat or
sugar.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Dietary Guidelines Concepts
Grades 3 and 4
•
Most could define the word “variety.”
•
They understood the concept of “sometimes foods.”
•
Children had a distinct “good food/bad food” orientation.
•
Good foods were “high in stuff they should be high in and low in stuff they should be low
in.”
•
Bad foods had too much sugar, fat, salt, dye, caffeine, or calories.
•
High-fat foods were junk foods; sugar and fat were the same thing.
•
They could recite the effects of certain foods on the body, but they could not make correct
associations among terms such as fat, salt, sugar, clogged arteries, etc.
•
They believed that eating calories made one gain weight.
•
They could read labels but could not interpret the information correctly; they thought 100
calories was “too many.”
•
They had a better understanding of a healthy weight than younger students.
•
They had variable success in giving examples of foods from food groups and with nutrients
such as sugar or fat.
•
They had no idea of serving size.
Grades 5 and 6
•
They could define “variety” but didn’t always use the concept correctly.
•
They believed that “good food” is healthy, low in fat, low in sugar, and tastes good.
•
They believed that “bad food” has fat or sugar.
•
They understood it was OK to eat “bad foods” sometimes.
•
They associated the word “diet” with losing weight, eating healthier foods to lose weight, or
special diets such as those for diabetics.
•
They understood that a “healthy weight” was not too thin or too fat.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Dietary Guidelines Concepts
Sources
Lytle, Leslie et al. Children’s Responses to Dietary Recommendations: A Qualitative Study.
Minnesota Department of Education, 1993.
University of Wisconsin Nutrition Education Programs, 2001.
Nutrition Resources
USDA Food Guidance System — MyPlate
www.choosemyplate.gov
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion – Dietary Guidelines for Americans
www.usda.gov/cnpp/
Food and Nutrition Information Center (a searchable database of food and nutrition information)
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/etext/fnic.html
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Centers for Disease Control site about the agency’s Nutrition and
Physical Activity program)
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/index.htm
Nutrition.gov (everything about nutrition in one place)
www.nutrition.gov
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Dietary Guidelines Concepts
20 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Note: All 29 recommendations from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans follow. Several of the
23 general recommendations and 6 specific recommendations do not apply to children and adolescents,
but are included here as a reference.
The main messages that the four topic areas from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines fold into are:
(1) Balance calories with physical activity to manage weight.
(2) Consume more of certain foods and nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free
and low-fat dairy products, and seafood.
(3) Consume fewer foods with sodium (salt), saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars,
and refined grains.
Balancing Calories to Manage Weight
Key Recommendations
•
Prevent and/or reduce overweight and obesity through improved eating and physical activity.
•
Control total calorie intake to manage body weight. For people who are overweight or
obese, this will mean consuming fewer calories from foods and beverages.
•
Increase physical activity and reduce time spent in sedentary behaviors.
•
Maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life - childhood, adolescence,
adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and older age.
Foods and Food Components to Reduce
Key Recommendations
• Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) and further reduce intake to 1,500 mg
among persons who are 51 and older and those of any age who are African American or have
hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. The 1,500 mg recommendation applies to about half
of the U.S. populations, including children, and the majority of adults.
• Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids by replacing them with
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Dietary Guidelines Concepts
Food and Food Components to Reduce
Key Recommendations
•
Consume less than 300 mg per day of dietary cholesterol.
•
Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible by limiting foods that contain synthetic
sources of trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated oils, and by limiting other solid fats.
•
Reduce the intake of calories from solid fats and added sugars.
•
Limit the consumption of foods that contain refined grains, especially refined grain foods
that contain solid fats, added sugars, and sodium.
•
If alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation - up to one drink per day
for women and two drinks per day from men - and only by adults of legal drinking age.
Food and Nutrients to Increase
Key Recommendations
Individuals should meet the following recommendations as part of a healthy eating pattern
while staying within their calorie needs.
•
Increase vegetable and fruit intake.
•
Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green and red and orange vegetables and
beans and peas.
•
Consume at least half of all grains as whole grains. Increase whole-grain intake by
replacing refined grains with whole grains
.
Increase intake of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, such as milk, yogurt,
cheese, or fortified soy beverages.
•
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Dietary Guidelines Concepts
Key Recommendations
•
Choose a variety of protein foods, which include seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans
and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
•
Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place
of some meat and poultry.
•
Replace protein foods that are higher in solid fats with choices that are lower in solid fats and
calories and/or are sources of oils.
• Use oils to replace solid fats where possible.
•
Choose foods that provide more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D, which are
nutrient of concern in American diets. These foods include vegetables, fruits, whole-grains,
and milk and milk products.
Key Recommendations for Specific Population Groups
Women capable of becoming pregnant
•
Choose foods that supply heme iron, which is more readily absorbed by the body,
additional iron sources, and enhancers of iron absorption such as vitamin C-rich foods.
•
Choose 400 micrograms (mcg) per day of synthetic folic acid (from fortified
foods and/or supplements) in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
•
Consume 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week from a variety of seafood types.
•
Due to their high methyl mercury content, limit white (albacore) tuna to 6 ounces per week and
do not eat the following four types of fish: tilefish, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.
• If pregnant, take an iron supplement, as recommended by an obstetrician or other health
care provider.
Individuals ages 50 years and older
• Consume foods fortified with vitamin B12, such as fortified cereals, or dietary supplements.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Dietary Guidelines Concepts
Building Healthy Eating Patterns
Key Recommendations
•
Select an eating pattern that meets nutrient needs over time at an appropriate calorie level.
•
Account for all foods and beverages consumed and assess how they fit within a total
healthy eating pattern.
•
Follow food safety recommendations when preparing and eating foods to reduce the
risk of foodborne illnesses.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
MyPlate Concepts
MyPlate debuted in January 2011 as the food guidance system based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans. More information about it can be found at www.choosemyplate.gov. MyPlate is designed
to convey the following concepts:
Balancing Calories:
• Enjoy your food, but eat less
• Avoid oversized portions.
Foods to Increase:
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
Foods to Reduce:
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals - and choose the foods with lower numbers.
Suggestions for School-Age Children
•
Calorie needs vary widely for elementary school children. More active children would then
be encouraged to eat more from the appropriate food groups.
•
All persons, regardless of their age, should limit discretionary calories — those from high-fat
foods or those with added sugars. Most persons do not have room for them in a healthy diet.
•
Encouraging physical activity is strongly recommended. Make it fun. It is recommended that
children be active at least 60 minutes a day, but that can be in 10-minute sessions.
Key concepts that children can understand (although MyPlate is a new food guidance system, research
with previous systems has shown what children can understand):
•
Foods can be divided into distinct groups.
•
•
There are five major food groups.
Some food from each group should be eaten every day.
•
Some foods or food groups should be eaten more often than other food groups.
Key concepts that children might have trouble understanding:
•
No food group is more or less important than another.
•
Different food groups have different numbers of recommended servings.
•
Each food group has a range of recommended servings. (The idea of daily intake totals that change
with your age and activity level will be a difficult concept.)
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
MyPlate Concepts
•
Fat and sugar may occur naturally or may be added to a food.
•
Naturally occurring and added fat and sugar should be used sparingly.
Decisions about MyPlate concepts as related to Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn:
• For Grades 1-2, food intake patterns for children age 4-8 are used; for Grades 3-6, food
intake patterns for children age 9-13 are used.
•
In the younger age groups, the curriculum does not touch on the ideas of ounce equivalents,
or Dietary Guidelines.
•
•
In Grades 1 and 2, portions are not described. In Grades 3 and up, the curriculum
addresses the recommended total amounts for a day, plus what an ounce equivalent
or cup might be equal to.
Oils are described briefly beginning in Grade 3 and a bit more in Grade 5.
•
The Dietary Guidelines are also introduced beginning in Grade 5.
Physical Activity
Throughout the Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn curriculum, physical activity is
promoted for healthy lifestyles. There is at least one activity in each lesson to encourage the
children to move in one way or another. We have also tried to incorporate physical activity into
nutrition activities. The authors have chosen to use the term “physical activity” instead of exercise
or fitness, as it is more understandable to children in Grade 1.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children and adolescents engage in at least
60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.
Concepts related to physical activities that are explored in this
curriculum:
•
Being physically active is fun.
•
Youth do many things that qualify as physical activity.
•
We should be physically active each day.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
MyPlate Concepts
Perceptions of competence (e.g., physical ability, physical appearance), enjoyment of physical
activity, and social support by parents, teachers/coaches, and peers were cited as essential
influences on physical activity in children and teenagers. (President’s Council on Fitness and
Sports, 2000). These perceptions of enjoyment and support can be enhanced in the early years
through fun physical activities within the classroom or learning environment.
Sources
Shaw, Anne et al. Using the Food Guide Pyramid: A Resource for Nutrition Educators. USDA
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Achterberg, CA. Perspective: Challenges of Teaching the Dietary Guidelines Graphic. Food and
Nutrition News 64: 23-25, 1992
Nutrition Resources
USDA Food Guidance System — MyPlate
www.choosemyplate.gov
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion – 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
www.usda.gov/cnpp/
Food and Nutrition Information Center (a searchable database of food and nutrition
information)
www.fnic.nal.usda.gov
Nutrition and Physical Activity (Centers for Disease Control site about the agency’s Nutrition
and Physical Activity program)
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/index.htm
Nutrition.gov (everything about nutrition in one place)
www.nutrition.gov
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
FoodSafetyConcepts
The Partnership for Food Safety Education is a public-private partnership that oversees the Fight
BAC! (Fight Bacteria) education program. The Web site is: www.fightbac.org. USDA has
incorporated these four steps into its programming.
To prevent foodborne illness:
•
•
•
•
Clean
− Wash hands and surfaces often
Separate
− Don’t cross-contaminate
Cook
Chill
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn utilizes the
Fight BAC! concepts of clean, separate, cook, and chill
throughout the lessons. However, in the younger
grades, the main concept addressed is handwashing and
cleaning counters and utensils. Other concepts are
added as youth would be utilizing them. The curriculum
places particular emphasis on the following concepts:
•
Washing hands often, especially before handling food.
− Use warm soapy water.
− Wash for a full 20 seconds.
•
Keeping counters clean.
•
Rinsing fruits and vegetables before eating them.
•
Helping to keep fresh fruits and vegetables separated from meat juices whether in the grocery
store or at home.
•
Refrigerating foods that should be kept cold.
− Know what to put into a packed sack lunch that won’t be refrigerated
•
Using a thermometer is the only way to tell if a food is done.
Activities focusing on the topic “chill” assume the most common form of a product. Shelf-stable
varieties of perishable foods are also available. On occasion, activities from the Partnership for
Food Safety Education are used with minimal adaptation.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Effective Nutrition Education with
Youth Audiences
To be effective, nutrition education must be developmentally appropriate and consider the
environment and other factors that influence behavior. The Cognitive Development Theory (Table 1)
describes characteristics of youth at different ages and gives a framework for what is
developmentally appropriate. Prior education, the attitudes and actions of adults such as parents and
teachers, and the media also influence the behavior of youth and their understanding of nutrition.
Table 1. Cognitive Development Theory
Stage
Characteristics
Preoperational
(ages 2 to 6 or 7)
•
•
•
•
Can repeat words or phrases without understanding them
Are egocentric
Don’t consider cause and effect
Have difficulty with categories
Concrete operational
(ages 6 or 7 to 11 or 12)
•
•
•
•
Are beginning to consider cause and effect
Can think through a chain of events
Can classify objects and concrete ideas
Are oriented in the present
Formal operational (ages
11 or 12 and older)
• Are beginning to understand the abstract
• Are beginning to form hypotheses
• Are beginning to consider multiple consequences
The Cognitive Development Theory summarizes much of what we know about developmentally
appropriate education. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge. For example, there may a lag
between what children understand and their ability to express this understanding. There are multiple
challenges with assessing understanding: Do youth understand the question being asked? Are they
able to communicate the answer clearly? Are they trying to give socially desirable answers? Culture
also could affect understanding.
Lessons in each grade level of Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn take into account
youth development and other influences. Concepts often build from one grade level to the next. For
example, in Grade 3 youth learn what it means for a food to be made from whole grain, and in Grade
4 youth use food labels to determine which foods are whole grain foods. Questions throughout the
lessons can help educators gauge how well youth understand the material.
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Effective Nutrition Education with Youth Audiences
Experiential Learning Model
The Experiential Learning Model offers a format
for effective nutrition education using hands-on
learning. Youth learn from experience – the “Do”
portion of The Experiential Learning Model (Figure
1). Questions and opportunities related to the activity
can help them process this experience – the “Reflect”
and “Apply” portions of the model. Activities that
incorporate the Experiential Learning Model are
found throughout Exploring MyPlate with
Professor Popcorn.
Figure 1. Experiential Learning Model
Cognitive Development and Nutrition Education
Pre-operational stage (ages 2 to 6 or 7)
Characteristic
Implications for nutrition education
Have trouble focusing on wholes and
parts at the same time
It is not possible to be part healthy and part unhealthy; for example,
if you have a sore throat you are not healthy
Have difficulty with categories
All edible items are food, have difficulty seeing peas as a type of
vegetable, will sort foods into groupings such as breakfast
Attend to one aspect of a message at
a time
For example, you might say “eating lots of different vegetables like
peas, carrots, and broccoli is a healthy way to eat” but they hear
“eating peas makes you healthy”
Cannot “reverse” an experience
For example, cannot go from “if I eat too much I will get fat” to “if I
don’t eat too much, I won’t get fat”
Don’t consider cause and effect
For example, “I know I am healthy because I am in school today”
Can repeat words and phrases
without understanding them
For example, might say “vegetables are good for you” but might not
be able to name vegetables or tell why vegetables are good for you
Have difficulty understanding change
For example, no understanding of digestion or how food affects their
Bodies
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Effective Nutrition Education with Youth Audiences
Cognitive Development and Nutrition Education
Concrete operational stage (ages 6 or 7 to 11 or 12)
Characteristic
Implications for nutrition education
Are beginning to consider cause
and effect
Understand their actions are related to their health but can’t explain
how
Can reverse thinking to consider the
original and changed state
For example, “I was healthy and then I got a sore throat and then I
got better and now I’m healthy again”
Can think through a chain of events
For example, can understand how food goes from farm to table
Can classify objects and concrete
ideas
Can categorize foods into food groups by similarities (e.g., foods in
meat group come from animals); still consider foods as “good” or
“bad”
Are oriented in the present
For example, future effects of nutrition on health are not important
Formal operational stage (ages 11 or 12 and older)
Characteristic
Implications for nutrition education
Beginning to understand abstract
ideas
For example, can understand that dietary fat contributes to heart
disease
Beginning to form hypotheses
For example, can understand that eating too much can lead to
weigh gain and eating less food than their bodies need can lead to
weight loss
Beginning to see things from
another’s point of view
For example, “It must be hard for her to be overweight and have
kids tease her”
Beginning to consider multiple
consequences of an action
For example, can understand that eating healthy meals might help
them do better in sports or maybe it won’t make a difference
Can make good decisions based on
their own value system
Food and behavior choices are related to appearance, peers, and
independence
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Exploring MyPlate
with Professor Popcorn
Effective Nutrition Education with Youth Audiences
Abstract nutrition concepts:
Concrete nutrition concepts:
- Vitamins, minerals
- Nutrients (for example, protein, fat)
- Chronic disease risks
- Process by which food affects health
- Whole food items
- Eat lots of different foods each day
- Classifying foods by source (for example,
meat, milk, plant foods)
Sources
Contento, I. Children’s thinking about food and eating – A Piagetian-based study. J Nutr Educ.
1981:13(1):S86-S90.
Natapoff, JN. A developmental analysis of children’s ideas of health. Health Educ Quarterly.
1982;9:130-141.
Lytle, L. et al. Children’s Responses to Dietary Recommendations: A Qualitative Study.
MinnesotaDepartment of Education, 1993.
Kelley, EB. Dietary Fat and Chronic Disease: Early Adolescents’ Knowledge, Attitudes and
Behaviors. Unpublished M.S. thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998.
Exploring MyPlate with Professor Popcorn
Professor Popcorn Matrix
Exploring Food – Grade 1 Activities and Concepts
Experiential activities are highlighted in bold italic
First Grade
1:1 MyPlate
1:2 Make Half Your
Grains Whole
1:3 Vary Veggies and
Focus on Fruits
1:4 Get Your Calcium-Rich
Foods
1:5 Go Lean with Protein
• Describe characteristics of food
• Why do we eat
• Introduce MyPyramid for Kids/
food groups
• Classify food into plants and
animals
• Introduce physical activity
• Grain sources
• Describe variety of grains
– color, shape, size
• Variety of colors and
shapes
• Colorful foods
• Foods made from milk
• Animal sources
• Plant sources –
color, shape, size
Nutrition Activity
• Plant or animal
• Grain Group match
• Spot grains in meal
• One color or many?
• Name the food
• Feely bags
• Explore bones
• Experience plant sources
Physical Activity
• Act out
• Popcorn pop
• Fruit and veggie song
• Blob
• Walk to music
• Handwashing
• Clean surfaces
• Clean fruits and veggies
• Picnic foods
• Making food unsafe
• MyPyramid Sampler
• Peanut Faces
• Apple Merry Go Round
• Whole Grain Sampler
• Cereal Mix
•
•
•
•
• Orange Smoothie
• Taste of Yogurt
• Muchos Nachos
• Hummus
• Parent Letter
• MyPyramid for Kids
• Parent Letter
• Parent Letter
• Parent Letter
• Parent Letter
Nutrition Concepts
Food Safety
Recipes
Take-Home
Handouts
Evaluation Tool
• NEP Youth Pre-Test
Veggie Dip Sundae
Veggie Pizza
Cottage Cheese Parfait
Fruit Kabobs
• NEP Youth Post-Test
Professor Popcorn Matrix
Enjoying Food – Grade 2 Activities and Concepts
Experiential activities are highlighted in bold italic
Second Grade
Nutrition
Concepts
Nutrition
Activity
2:2 Make Half Your
Grains Whole
2:1 MyPlate
•
•
•
MyPlate/food groups
Classify food into plants
and animals
Introduce physical activity
•
Plant or animal?
2:3 Vary Veggies and
Focus on Fruits
•
•
Grain sources
Introduce whole grains
•
Find Grains Group
foods
•
•
•
•
Physical
Activity
•
Wiggles
•
Toe touches for two
Food Safety
•
Handwashing
•
What belongs?
•
•
•
Recipes
Tasting Party
•
•
•
•
MyPlate Sampler
Snack Mix
Peanut Faces
Apple Merry Go Round
•
•
•
•
Ethnic Grains Basket
Cereal Mix
Popcorn
Whole Grain Sampler
Take-Home
Handouts
•
•
Parent Letter
MyPlate for Kids
•
Parent Letter
Evaluation
Tool
•
NEP Youth Pre-Test
Plant parts
Find vegetables and
fruits in a meal
Name the food
Harvesting vegetables
and fruits
Name the food
(incorporates activity)
Clean vegetables and
fruits
2:4 Get Your CalciumRich Foods
2:5 Go Lean with
Protein
•
•
•
Foods made from milk
Milk to grow
Find Milk Group foods
in meal
•
•
Plant and animal sources
Combination foods
•
Explore bones
•
Put it all together
•
Head/Shoulder/Knees/
Toes
•
Follow the leader
•
Keep milk cold
•
Making food unsafe
•
A taste of beans, peas,
nuts, and seeds
•
Parent Letter
•
NEP Youth Post-Test
Tasting Party at the end of each lesson
•
•
•
Variety of fresh
vegetables and fruits
Green Swamp
Design Your Own Salsa
Fruit Kabobs
•
•
•
Taste of Yogurt
Orange Smoothie
Yogurt Sundae
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
•
Professor Popcorn Matrix
Exploring Food – Grade 3 Activities and Concepts
Experiential activities are highlighted in bold italic
Third Grade
3:2 Make Half Your
Grains Whole
3:1 MyPlate
•
•
•
•
•
•
Why do we eat?
Introduce MyPlate
Classify into food groups
Combination foods
Healthy snack
Physical activity
•
•
•
•
•
Sources of grain
What is a whole grain?
Identify whole grain foods
How much is an ounce?
Healthy grain snacks
Nutrition
Activity
•
•
•
Make it fit
Make a healthy snack
Food and Activity Journal
•
•
•
Grain matching
Make half whole
Food and Activity Journal
•
•
Make it fit (incorporates
stand up for food groups)
Balloon or ball toss
•
Physical
Activity
Make half whole
(incorporates activity)
Lame dog walk
Frog jump
Food Safety
•
•
Handwashing
Germs are everywhere
Recipes
•
•
MyPlate Sampler
Peanut Faces
Nutrition
Concepts
Take-Home
Handouts
Evaluation
Tool
•
•
Parent Letter
MyPlate for Kids
• NEP Youth Pre-Test
•
•
•
Clean surfaces and
utensils
•
•
•
Ethnic Grains Basket
Popcorn
Cereal Mix
•
Parent Letter
3:3 Vary Your Veggies
•
•
•
•
What’s so great?
Vary your veggies
Forms
How much?
•
•
•
•
Vary your veggies
What am I?
Colorful snacks
Food and Activity
Journal
•
3:4 Focus on Fruits
•
•
•
•
Nature’s candy
Variety of fruits
Forms
How much?
3:5 Calcium and Protein
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Foods in Milk Group
Bones and teeth
How much is a cup?
Plant or animal?
Why we need meat and
beans
Snacks
How much is an ounce?
•
•
Variety of fruit
Food and Activity
Journal
•
Food and Activity Journal
•
Apple says
•
Stand up for food groups
•
What am I?
(incorporates activity)
Pass vegetables
•
Cleaning vegetables
•
Cleaning fruits
•
Temperature
•
•
•
Veggie Dip Sundae
Green Swamp with
Veggie Sticks
Veggie Pizza
•
•
•
Almost Pyramid Parfait
Fruit Salad
Fruit Kabobs
•
•
•
•
Orange Smoothie
Taste of Yogurt
Muchos Nachos
Hummus
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
• NEP Youth Post-Test
Professor Popcorn Matrix
Energized by Food – Grade 4 Activities and Concepts
Experiential activities are highlighted in bold italic
Nutrition
Concepts
•
•
•
•
•
Introduce MyPyramid
Where foods fit
Variety
Importance of breakfast
Healthier foods at base
Nutrition
Activity
•
•
•
Food Group Jeopardy
Variety puzzle
Healthy breakfast
Physical
Activity
•
Climb the pyramid
Food Safety
•
Wash hands
Recipes
•
•
Take-Home
Handouts
•
•
Evaluation
Tool
4:2 Make Half Your
Grains Whole
4:1 MyPyramid
Fourth Grade
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is whole grain?
Use ingredient label to
find whole grain
Carbohydrates
Energy and calories
How to find added sugar
How much is an ounce?
Use label to find whole
grain
Use label to find added
sugar
4:3 Vary Your Veggies
•
•
•
•
Why vegetables keep us
healthy
Vary your veggies
How much?
Preparation changes
calories
4:5 Calcium and
Protein
4:4 Focus on Fruits
•
•
•
•
•
Milk Group foods
Calcium
How much is a cup?
Plant or animal?
Protein
How much from meat
and beans?
Healthier choices
Breakfast
An apple a day
•
Healthier choices
•
•
Nature’s candy
Variety of fruits
Healthy choices – less
added sugar
How much?
Breakfast on the go
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vary your veggies
Vegetable card game
One potato, two potato
•
•
Planting and gardening
Preparation and calories
(incorporates activity)
•
•
Name game
Healthy drink choices
(incorporates activity)
•
Building our muscles
•
•
Catch dragon’s tail
Calories and energy
(incorporates activity)
•
Clean surfaces and
utensils
•
Bag It
•
Clean fruits
•
Correct temperature
MyPyramid Sampler
Peanut Faces
•
•
•
Ethnic Grains Basket
Popcorn
Cereal Mix
•
•
•
Rainbow Veggie Pockets
Veggie Dip Sundae
Veggie Pizza
•
•
•
Almost Pyramid Parfait
Fruit Salad
Fruit Kabobs
•
•
•
•
Orange Smoothie
Taste of Yogurt
Muchos Nachos
Hummus
Parent Letter
MyPyramid for Kids
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
• NEP Youth Pre-Test
• NEP Youth Post-Test
Professor Popcorn Matrix
Examining Food – Grade 5 Activities and Concepts
Experiential activities are highlighted in bold italic
5:2 Make Half Your
Grains Whole
5:1 MyPlate
Fifth Grade
•
Dietary Guidelines
Overview of MyPlate
Amounts
Moderate and vigorous
activity
What gets in the way
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grain sources
Whole grains
Nutrition Facts Label
Carbs/energy
How much?
Breakfast
Nutrition
Activity
•
Food Group Jeopardy
•
•
Whole grain labels
Use Nutrition Facts
Label for added sugar
Food Safety
•
Soapy Solutions
Physical
Activity
•
•
Wiggles
Food Group Jeopardy
Recipes
•
•
•
MyPlate Sampler
Apple Merry Go Round
Fruity Cheesy Snack
Take-Home
Handouts
•
•
Parent Letter
MyPlate
Nutrition
Concepts
Evaluation
Tool
•
•
•
•
• NEP Youth Pre-Test
5:3 Vary Veggies and
Focus on Fruits
5:4 Get Your CalciumRich Foods
5:5 Go Lean with
Protein
•
•
•
•
•
Why it’s important
Vary your veggies
Carbohydrates/energy
How much?
Eating out
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Healthy bones
Calcium
Osteoporosis
How much?
Healthy drink choices
Nutrition Facts Label
Milk Group meals
•
•
•
•
•
Plant and animal sources
Protein
How much?
Healthy oils
Fast food
•
•
5 group vegetable
match
Eating out
•
•
•
Chicken Bone/Egg/X-rays
Think what you drink
Healthy drink choices
•
•
Fast-food menu
Healthy breakfast
•
Clean utensils and
surfaces
•
Clean for snack
•
Chill
•
Perils at the picnic
•
Pulsating Thing
•
•
Blow-up games
5 Group Match
•
Dairy conga
•
Line dance
•
•
•
Ethnic Grains Basket
Whole Grains Sampler
•
•
•
Design Your Own Salsa
Rainbow Veggie Pockets
Cottage Cheese Parfait
•
•
Yogurt Smoothie in a Bag
Cheese Sampler
A taste of beans, peas,
nuts, and seeds
Variety Bean Salsa
Create Your Own Bean
Dip
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
•
•
•
Parent Letter
• NEP Youth Post-Test
Professor Popcorn Matrix
Experimenting with Food – Grade 6 Activities and Concepts
Experiential activities are highlighted in bold italic
Sixth Grade
Nutrition
Concepts
Nutrition
Activity
6:2 Make Half Your
Grains Whole
6:1 MyPlate
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dietary Guidelines
Introduce MyPlate
Amounts
Moderate and vigorous
physical activity
Where does it fit
Food and Activity Goals
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grain sources
Whole grains
How much?
Nutrition Facts Label
Nutrients, carbohydrates,
and energy
Breakfast
Create a meal
Make a change
Food and Activity Goals
6:3 Vary Veggies and
Focus on Fruits
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Why we eat veggies and
fruits
Vary veggies
Whole fruit
How much?
Energy and calories
Healthier choices
Healthy MyPlate
choices
Plan a week
Food and Activity Goals
6:4 Get Your CalciumRich Foods
6:5 Go Lean with
Protein
•
•
•
•
•
•
Build bones
Calcium
Osteoporosis
How much?
Nutrition Facts Label
Healthy choices
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plant and animal sources
Protein
How much?
Healthy oils
Added solid fat
Fast food
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fat or not
Fast food trade-off
Put it all together
Food and Activity Goals
•
Chicken Bone/Egg/X-rays
Think what you drink
Healthy drink choices
Healthier Milk Group
choices
Food and Activity Goals
Food Safety
•
•
Agar plate
Soapy solutions
•
Clean surfaces
•
Separate
•
Correct temperatures
•
Home food safety
checkup
Physical
Activity
•
Act out
•
Human mirror
•
•
Jumping jacks
Half jacks
•
Walking
•
Meeting together
•
Ethnic Grains Basket
Whole Grains Sampler
Cereal Mix
•
•
•
Veggie Dip Sundae
Design Your Own Salsa
Almost Pyramid Parfait
•
•
Yogurt Smoothie in a Bag
Cheese Sampler
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
•
Parent Letter
Design Your Own Tortilla
Wrap
Nuts and Seeds Trail Mix
Variety Bean Salsa
Hummus
Parent Letter
Home food safety
checkup
Recipes
•
•
MyPlate Sampler
Snack Mix
•
•
•
Take-Home
Handouts
•
•
Parent Letter
MyPlate
•
Evaluation
Tool
• NEP Youth Pre-Test
•
•
•
•
•
• NEP Youth Post-Test
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods
for a better diet. To find out more, contact the Office of the Ombudsman at 1-800-372-2973 or 1-800-627-4702 (TTY). The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national
origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal and, where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual
orientation, or if all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment
or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment
activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found
online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write
a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at
[email protected]. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities and wish to file either an EEO or program complaint
please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a
program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600
(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Adapted by Texas A & M AgriLife Extension from original work: Frischie, S. (1993). Switzer, B. (2002). Vandergraff, D., &
Coleman, G. (2006). Exploring My Pyramid with Professor Popcorn, Purdue University Extension/Consumer and Family
Sciences/4-H Youth Development.
Adapted with permission for use in Kentucky, from adapted materials: Scott, A. (2012). Exploring MyPlate with
Professor Popcorn, Texas A & M AgriLife Extension.
Brooke Howard-Jenkins, M.S.
Nutrition Education Program
Curriculum Coordinator
Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people
regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.