As we get into the clinical research around child health and wellness, and it is important, we sometimes lose sight of the fact there are things we can agree on. We can agree on these things because we have a common goal.

Supporting Each Individual Child’s Journey to Health and Wellness

This is a goal we can all get behind. There are millions of messages a day infiltrating our children’s lives that tell them how they should look and what “healthy” means. However, what does healthy mean to you? What does healthy mean to me? Certainly, our definitions will be different.

Every Health Journey Will Look Different

If we, as educators, can do a better job of remembering to support each child’s health journey we can make a greater impact. Our goal is to discuss health and healthy lifestyle choices while decreasing shame and guilt. The newest piece from Savor Education is an Affirming Health and Wellness Journal for kids in grades 1-3.

What does affirming and inclusive language look like around health? You are creating an ally. You are validating an experience. Here is a tip:

You don’t have to agree with the statement, thought process or belief

to affirm and validate their experience.

Validate: What might this look like with a child talking about health? Here are a couple of examples:

Child 1: “Refined sugar is bad for you. It is a sometimes food we shouldn’t eat.”

Affirming response: Thank you for sharing that. I can see where you are coming from. Would you like to discuss some solutions? Did you know there are natural sugars in fruit? What is your favorite fruit?

Affirming response: I hear you. It can be tricky to know how much sugar we should have.

Normalize: What might this look like with a child talking about health? Normalization happens more naturally in a group setting. Here are a couple of examples:

Child 2: “I don’t eat vegetables they taste bad.”

Affirming response: “You know, you are not the first child to tell me they feel that way about vegetables.”

Affirming response: “You shared that vegetables are not your favorite. I have felt the same at times. I’m wondering if there is one you haven’t tried yet that you might like?”

Affirming response: I remember feeling like that about asparagus when I was little. I am curious if you would consider a health goal this week about vegetables.

Enjoy the journey!

www.savoreducation.com

Over the years I have worked with Physical Education and Health teachers across Washington State and what I have found is there is so much misinformation out there that condensing scientific information into a lesson plan is NOT that simple!

Let’s take a walk through my Google Slides created for Middle and High School teachers and really, anyone who wants to teach MyPlate. There are only 36 slides designed to be a 45-60 minutes lesson plan.

This is what we will cover. Download the full google slides presentation here. Discount code for 10% off: C8D8ADA

1. USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans: MyPlate is their communication tool for current, peer-reviewed, scientific information.

2. The Five Food Groups: Why are there five food groups? This is something students are encouraged to consider throughout the presentation. The goal is to have them come to the conclusion that each food group provides our bodies with different, and important, nutrients.

3. The Nutrition Facts Panel: The ability to reach a Nutrition Facts Panel and make conscious decisions about how to select healthful, nutrient-rich foods, is a life skill. A calorie is a measure of energy and we all need energy! However, the sum of calories says nothing about the nutrient content of a food. Have you ever heard the term overweight but undernourished? Informed decisions about food begin with a better understanding of the nutrition facts panel.

4. Foods Included in a Food Group + Tips for Selecting Healthy Options: Consider which foods are in a food group and how to choose the foods that meet your needs.

5. Nutrients by Group: Different food groups provide different “lead” nutrients our bodies need to thrive. We next discover the nutrients behind the food groups and the benefit each provides us.

6. Assess Learning - the Food Groups: How better to assess learning on the food groups than to graphically show the nutrients in a serving of food? What food group do you think the graph below portrays? Notice the lead nutrients are fiber followed by vitamin C and vitamin A.

Answer: Vegetable Group
Bonus: The Food is Green Beans

7. Physical Activity Recommendations: Healthy food choices are only one piece of the wellness puzzle. Being physically active for 60 minutes a day, in ways you enjoy is equally important.

Finished this presentation by discussing individual health goals. Everyone is on their own health and wellness path. We provide the information and skills that assist in making healthier choices without judgment. We can ALL make healthier lifestyle choices. Supporting wellness goals by teaching healthy lifestyle habits can truly last a lifetime.

Download the full presentation here.

Why is agriculture the way of nutrition education’s future? Customer choice and their definition of healthy food. The way we choose our food and beverages dictates how we educate on nutrition. As practitioners and educators, the goal is to provide evidence-based recommendations that support lifelong healthy habits. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the younger Gen Z reports environmental sustainability is top-of-mind with (33%) saying it has a “great” or “somewhat” of an impact on their decision to buy foods and beverages. This data is from the 2022 IFIC Generation Z health survey.

This means that as we speak to educators working in elementary and secondary education, we need to be tailoring our message to meet children where they are. If food choices are being made based on how food is grown or produced, let’s learn more about growing practices and link them to the science our students are learning in school. Positive experiences with food can happen in the classroom and at home.

NEW RESOURCE

Pumpkin Parts and Lifecycle

Discussion: Did you know most parts of a pumpkin or squash can be eaten? That’s right! Pumpkins taste great roasted, in soups, broths, pies, bread, cookies and more! Even the skin of smaller pumpkins and squash is edible when tender. Pumpkin seeds are excellent on top of salads, oatmeal, muffins and so much more.

In a world where too much food is wasted, let's give our world a break by giving a pumpkin the chance to be delicious! Most of the pumpkin can be eaten. Far too many pumpkins are wasted each year with over 1.3 billion pounds reported to be grown by the U.S. Department of Energy. Consider other ways to reduce food waste by composting your pumpkin or maybe even turning it into pumpkin soup.

Lesson Includes:
Coloring
Lifecycle Identification
Labeling the parts of the pumpkin
Discussion on food waste

The new agricultural resources are designed to meet national next-generation science and health standards.

Pumpkin Lifecycle and Parts meets the following:

Kindergarten:

PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
- Sunlight warms Earth’s surface. (K-PS3-1),(K-PS3-2)

Cause and Effect
-Events have causes that generate observable patterns. (K-PS3-1),(K-PS3-2)

First grade:

LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
-Adult plants and animals can have young. In many kinds of animals, parents and the offspring themselves engage in
Patterns in the natural world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence. (1-LS1-2),(1-LS3- 1) Structure a