ReCharge! Training Center | Tools for Instructors | Coach's Clipboard: Nutritional Information


		Click on a question below to be directed to the answer. Why teach kids about nutrition? What's a nutritious diet? What are the key nutrients for each food group and why are they important? How many servings do children need from each food group? What is a "serving"? What are Combination Foods? Are "Others" foods "bad" foods? How can instructors most effectively promote good nutrition in situations where students represent diverse cultural backgrounds and food preferences? How are the most recent dietary guidelines incorporated into ReCharge!? Why teach kids about nutrition? Nutrition education benefits children today and into the future. Nutrition education lays the groundwork for lifelong health habits. Research shows that the knowledge and skills children acquire at an early age help them choose more nutritious foods during childhood as well as adulthood. Good nutrition and learning go hand-in-hand. When children's nutritional needs are met, it's easier for them to focus and learn. Well-nourished children have higher test scores, better school attendance and fewer classroom behavior problems. What's a nutritious diet? Teaching children that a nutritious diet is based on the Five Food Groups is the best way to help them make healthy food choices. The food group system is like a puzzle. The puzzle pieces are Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk and Meat & Beans. When children eat the recommended servings from each food group, the puzzle is complete. They get the 40-plus nutrients they need for growth and good health. Two simple steps make it easy for children to eat a nutritious diet. Eating foods from all Five Food Groups every day! Each food group provides different nutrients for active, growing children — and adults too! Eating different food from each food group every day! Each food provides different amounts of nutrients. Children are more likely to get all the nutrients they need for growth and good health when they eat a variety of foods from each group. What are the key nutrients for each food group and why are they important? Foods from each group are pictured on the ReCharge! "Energy In-Energy Out" poster (PDF) and listed on the Five Food Groups Chart (PDF). Key nutrients are: Grains Group — Carbohydrates provide energy and aid digestion. Vegetables Group — Vitamin A helps you see in the dark and promotes healthy skin. Fruits Group — Vitamin C helps heal cuts and bruises and fights infection. Milk Group — Calcium builds strong bones and healthy teeth. Meat & Beans Group — Protein builds strong muscles and helps you grow. How many servings do children need from each food group? The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend eating more nutrient-dense foods like lowfat and fat-free milk and milk products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Most children ages 8 to 11 need: 5 servings from the Grains Group 4 servings from the Vegetables Group 3 servings from the Fruits Group 3 servings from the Milk Group 2 servings from the Meat & Beans Group See the Five Food Groups Chart (PDF) for more information. What is a "serving"? Research shows that Americans are eating larger and larger portions, which may contribute to the current epidemic of overweight and obesity. For example, a typical bagel today may count for two, three or even four servings from the Grains Group. Serving sizes listed on food labels may be, and often are, different from Five Food Group serving sizes. The Five Food Groups provide standard servings for foods in each group. For example, 1 cup of milk, 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese or an 8-ounce container of yogurt counts as one Milk Group serving; and 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce of dry cereal or 1/2 cup of pasta counts as a Grains Group serving. The number of servings we need from each good group depends on our age, gender and physical activity level. Label serving sizes are set by the food labeling law so that consumers can use nutrition labels to compare similar foods. While the nutrition labels tell us what people might typically eat, they are not recommendations for how much we should eat. However, they are good guides for comparing portion sizes, or what consumers typically eat. What are Combination Foods? Many of the foods we eat combine foods from more than one of the Five Food Groups. Foods like pizza, sandwiches, tacos, casseroles and even salads, depending on which foods are included, are Combination Foods. Cheese pizza, for example, combines three food groups: Mozzarella cheese from the Milk Group Tomato sauce from the Vegetables Group Pizza crust from the Grains Group A taco combines four food groups: Tortilla from the Grains Group Beef, chicken or beans from the Meat & Beans Group Lettuce and tomato from the Vegetables Group Cheese from the Milk Group Combination Foods are a great source of nutrients because they combine nutritious foods from the Five Food Groups and make it more efficient to get the number of servings children need each day. Combination Foods are sometimes criticized for being high in calories, but calorie for calorie, Combination Foods are nutritious choices. Are "Others" foods "bad" foods? There are no "good" foods or "bad" foods. All foods, when eaten in moderation, can fit into a nutritious diet. While foods from the "Others" category are not "bad" foods, they don't provide enough nutrients to fit into any of the Five Food Groups. What is key is that children do not eat these foods in place of meals or as a primary source of snacks. Examples of "Others" foods include sweetened soft drinks and fruit juice drinks, chips, doughnuts, candy and salty snacks, as well as condiments, fats, oils and spreads. These foods can be a significant source of calories in children's diets. Active children can eat limited amounts of "Others" foods, as long as they eat the recommended amount of foods from the Five Food Groups. How can instructors most effectively promote good nutrition in situations where students represent diverse cultural backgrounds and food preferences? Remember the Five Food Groups represented in MyPyramid are just that — food groups. Foods that can be categorized into these groups are not limited to foods commonly eaten in the American diet. Foods eaten by any cultural group can fit into these groups as well. For example, tortillas are in the Grains Group, mangos are in the Fruits Group, bok choy is in the Vegetables Group and squid is in the Meat & Beans Group. If you work with a culturally diverse group of children, include time at the beginning of the program to brainstorm a list of foods they eat for meals, special occasions, snacks, etc. When you introduce Five Food Groups Roster (Activity 3, Module 1), take time to go through the list and decide to which group each food belongs or whether some of them combine more than one food group (Combination Foods). Keep the list posted for reference and add to it during future activities. Include these examples in activities and discussions. The foods listed in the activities can, and should be adapted as needed to fit your program. Prepare and taste recipes from the cultures represented in your group. Invite children to share their experiences preparing and eating these foods at home. Work with the nutrition professional for your program or school district or talk to the registered dietitian at your local hospital if you have questions about different foods. How are the most recent dietary guidelines incorporated into ReCharge!? MyPyramid is the symbol developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that encourages consumers to make healthier food choices and to be active every day. It recommends the proportion of foods from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart food choices from every food group each day. Recognizing that "one size does not fit all," MyPyramid uses a personalized approach to nutrition. An individual's age, gender and activity level influence the number of servings needed from each of the Five Food Groups every day. MyPyramid incorporates recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Guidelines give positive advice on eating more nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat and fat-free milk products. In addressing overweight and obesity, the Guidelines place a stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity. ReCharge! focuses on key messages of MyPyramid and the Dietary Guidelines. However, instead of focusing on calories, which can lead to unsafe dieting by children, ReCharge! teaches children the importance of balancing their "Energy In" with their "Energy Out" to help them maintain a healthy weight. Key to the "Energy In-Energy Out" concept is the importance of getting at least one hour of daily physical activity, eating the minimum recommended servings from each of the Five Food Groups, and limiting intake of "Others" foods that provided few nutrients compared to calories. Serving recommendations used in the ReCharge! program are: Grains Group — 5 servings Vegetables Group — 4 servings Fruits Group — 3 servings Milk Group — 3 servings Meat & Beans Group — 2 servings Through this program, children find out if they are on target for meeting these recommendations by setting "Energy In" and "Energy Out" goals and tracking their progress in a personalized Playbook and Tracker. More in-depth information and tools for individualizing MyPyramid are available online at MyPyramid.gov. Visit www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines for more information about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.

Click on a question below to be directed to the answer.

Why teach kids about nutrition?
What's a nutritious diet?
What are the key nutrients for each food group and why are they important?
How many servings do children need from each food group?
What is a "serving"?
What are Combination Foods?
Are "Others" foods "bad" foods?
How can instructors most effectively promote good nutrition in situations where students represent diverse cultural backgrounds and food preferences?
How are the most recent dietary guidelines incorporated into ReCharge!?

Why teach kids about nutrition?

Nutrition education benefits children today and into the future.

Nutrition education lays the groundwork for lifelong health habits. Research shows that the knowledge and skills children acquire at an early age help them choose more nutritious foods during childhood as well as adulthood.
Good nutrition and learning go hand-in-hand. When children's nutritional needs are met, it's easier for them to focus and learn. Well-nourished children have higher test scores, better school attendance and fewer classroom behavior problems.

What's a nutritious diet?

Teaching children that a nutritious diet is based on the Five Food Groups is the best way to help them make healthy food choices. The food group system is like a puzzle. The puzzle pieces are Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk and Meat & Beans. When children eat the recommended servings from each food group, the puzzle is complete. They get the 40-plus nutrients they need for growth and good health. Two simple steps make it easy for children to eat a nutritious diet.

Eating foods from all Five Food Groups every day! Each food group provides different nutrients for active, growing children — and adults too!
Eating different food from each food group every day! Each food provides different amounts of nutrients. Children are more likely to get all the nutrients they need for growth and good health when they eat a variety of foods from each group.

What are the key nutrients for each food group and why are they important?

Foods from each group are pictured on the ReCharge! "Energy In-Energy Out" poster (PDF) and listed on the Five Food Groups Chart (PDF). Key nutrients are:

Grains Group — Carbohydrates provide energy and aid digestion.
Vegetables Group — Vitamin A helps you see in the dark and promotes healthy skin.
Fruits Group — Vitamin C helps heal cuts and bruises and fights infection.
Milk Group — Calcium builds strong bones and healthy teeth.
Meat & Beans Group — Protein builds strong muscles and helps you grow.

How many servings do children need from each food group?

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend eating more nutrient-dense foods like lowfat and fat-free milk and milk products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Most children ages 8 to 11 need:

5 servings from the Grains Group
4 servings from the Vegetables Group
3 servings from the Fruits Group
3 servings from the Milk Group
2 servings from the Meat & Beans Group

See the Five Food Groups Chart (PDF) for more information.

What is a "serving"?

Research shows that Americans are eating larger and larger portions, which may contribute to the current epidemic of overweight and obesity. For example, a typical bagel today may count for two, three or even four servings from the Grains Group.

Serving sizes listed on food labels may be, and often are, different from Five Food Group serving sizes. The Five Food Groups provide standard servings for foods in each group. For example, 1 cup of milk, 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese or an 8-ounce container of yogurt counts as one Milk Group serving; and 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce of dry cereal or 1/2 cup of pasta counts as a Grains Group serving. The number of servings we need from each good group depends on our age, gender and physical activity level.

Label serving sizes are set by the food labeling law so that consumers can use nutrition labels to compare similar foods. While the nutrition labels tell us what people might typically eat, they are not recommendations for how much we should eat. However, they are good guides for comparing portion sizes, or what consumers typically eat.

What are Combination Foods?

Many of the foods we eat combine foods from more than one of the Five Food Groups. Foods like pizza, sandwiches, tacos, casseroles and even salads, depending on which foods are included, are Combination Foods. Cheese pizza, for example, combines three food groups:

Mozzarella cheese from the Milk Group
Tomato sauce from the Vegetables Group
Pizza crust from the Grains Group

A taco combines four food groups:

Tortilla from the Grains Group
Beef, chicken or beans from the Meat & Beans Group
Lettuce and tomato from the Vegetables Group
Cheese from the Milk Group

Combination Foods are a great source of nutrients because they combine nutritious foods from the Five Food Groups and make it more efficient to get the number of servings children need each day. Combination Foods are sometimes criticized for being high in calories, but calorie for calorie, Combination Foods are nutritious choices.

Are "Others" foods "bad" foods?

There are no "good" foods or "bad" foods. All foods, when eaten in moderation, can fit into a nutritious diet. While foods from the "Others" category are not "bad" foods, they don't provide enough nutrients to fit into any of the Five Food Groups. What is key is that children do not eat these foods in place of meals or as a primary source of snacks. Examples of "Others" foods include sweetened soft drinks and fruit juice drinks, chips, doughnuts, candy and salty snacks, as well as condiments, fats, oils and spreads. These foods can be a significant source of calories in children's diets. Active children can eat limited amounts of "Others" foods, as long as they eat the recommended amount of foods from the Five Food Groups.

How can instructors most effectively promote good nutrition in situations where students represent diverse cultural backgrounds and food preferences?

Remember the Five Food Groups represented in MyPyramid are just that — food groups. Foods that can be categorized into these groups are not limited to foods commonly eaten in the American diet. Foods eaten by any cultural group can fit into these groups as well. For example, tortillas are in the Grains Group, mangos are in the Fruits Group, bok choy is in the Vegetables Group and squid is in the Meat & Beans Group.

If you work with a culturally diverse group of children, include time at the beginning of the program to brainstorm a list of foods they eat for meals, special occasions, snacks, etc. When you introduce Five Food Groups Roster (Activity 3, Module 1), take time to go through the list and decide to which group each food belongs or whether some of them combine more than one food group (Combination Foods).
Keep the list posted for reference and add to it during future activities. Include these examples in activities and discussions. The foods listed in the activities can, and should be adapted as needed to fit your program.
Prepare and taste recipes from the cultures represented in your group. Invite children to share their experiences preparing and eating these foods at home.
Work with the nutrition professional for your program or school district or talk to the registered dietitian at your local hospital if you have questions about different foods.

How are the most recent dietary guidelines incorporated into ReCharge!?

MyPyramid is the symbol developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that encourages consumers to make healthier food choices and to be active every day. It recommends the proportion of foods from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart food choices from every food group each day. Recognizing that "one size does not fit all," MyPyramid uses a personalized approach to nutrition. An individual's age, gender and activity level influence the number of servings needed from each of the Five Food Groups every day.

MyPyramid incorporates recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Guidelines give positive advice on eating more nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat and fat-free milk products. In addressing overweight and obesity, the Guidelines place a stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity. ReCharge! focuses on key messages of MyPyramid and the Dietary Guidelines. However, instead of focusing on calories, which can lead to unsafe dieting by children, ReCharge! teaches children the importance of balancing their "Energy In" with their "Energy Out" to help them maintain a healthy weight. Key to the "Energy In-Energy Out" concept is the importance of getting at least one hour of daily physical activity, eating the minimum recommended servings from each of the Five Food Groups, and limiting intake of "Others" foods that provided few nutrients compared to calories. Serving recommendations used in the ReCharge! program are:

Grains Group — 5 servings
Vegetables Group — 4 servings
Fruits Group — 3 servings
Milk Group — 3 servings
Meat & Beans Group — 2 servings

Through this program, children find out if they are on target for meeting these recommendations by setting "Energy In" and "Energy Out" goals and tracking their progress in a personalized Playbook and Tracker.

More in-depth information and tools for individualizing MyPyramid are available online at MyPyramid.gov. Visit www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines for more information about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.