MyPlate and You

MyPlate and You

By Gillia M. Olson

Capstone, 2012

Health and You Body Series

ISBN:  9781429668095

Grades PreK-2

"My plate teaches people about healthy eating. This guide show how much to eat from each food group every day."

I've always loved the food groups. I started with the four basic food groups, progressed to the food pyramid, and now there's the MyPlate guidelines. I've taught health many times and have enjoyed the food and nutrition information. I love to cook—maybe that's why! Right before Thanksgiving is a good time to write about this book, even though butter becomes a food group for me when preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

This book for early readers follows five basic groups, separating fruits and vegetables into separate plate graphics. Each groups discusses what's in the group and gives the amounts that should be eaten for a healthy diet.

Large photographs show the foods on the right-hand side of the spread. Five fun facts about food complete the final spread. The book includes a glossary, read more section, sites, and a thorough index.

This book would be a great way to introduce a nutrition unit or spark a discussion of good eating. It would be helpful when introducing ounces and pounds in math, too. It's an interesting book written in a simple way to help kids learn about food in a time when fast food is starting to tempt them at earlier and earlier ages.

Activity

Use the graphic here to draw and color in the different groups. Under the graphic or on the back, label five columns with the name of each group and cut out or draw pictures of foods. Put them in the proper column and write their names.

Learn more about food groups here.

The book shows readers the federal site and recommendations.

See my post on Rah, Rah, Radishes by April Pulley Sayre for more food activities.

National Science Standard: growth and development in organisms

Book provided by Capstone Press