Choosing nutritious meal options for breakfast, lunch and dinner is a lesson that should be had in every preschool classroom. By introducing healthy food concepts at an early age, better diet choices are more likely to be made as children grow and develop. This, in turn, will benefit their present health, as well as, their future well-being. There are several ways to incorporate lesson plans concerning healthy eating habits in preschool. Using the guidelines of the Smart School Snacks program, the support of food charts and photo cards, and the interactions of engaging games and activities, are all ways that children can be given the opportunity to learn about nutrition and what it means to eat healthy and wholesome foods.
Smart School Snacks
Smart School Snacks is a flexible preschool educational program designed to teach early childhood learners about the concepts of nutritious food choices, balanced meals, appropriate portion sizes, and other healthy practices. Pairing important lesson plans and curriculum with hands on activities, Smart School Snacks provides a foundation that introduces children to favorable individual and group eating practices. Early learners will begin to develop a sense of what a well-balanced diet entails, and start to make healthy choices on a day-to-day basis.
Snack centers are a great way to begin introducing the concept of healthy eating to young learners. By offering a snack center with tables and chairs during class activity time, children can make healthy food selections on their own and learn to choose appropriate portion sizes. Displaying a variety of nutritious options in pre-portioned amounts allows preschoolers to develop skills regarding self-help and self-awareness, which, in turn, builds self-confidence.
Incorporating food charts, pyramids, and photo cards within and around the snack center can assist young learners in developing a successful wholesome eating routine. By providing a visual cue for learning, healthy food choices are promoted and literacy skills are strengthened. Presenting information about the four food groups, portion sizes, and other beneficial habits, like hand washing, children can increase their knowledge of food with the help of visual identifiers.
Learn About Food
Providing an array of learning games and activities about healthy eating will help to keep early childhood learners interested in the lessons of nutrition. Snacks-in-a-Box is one activity that focuses on the food groups. With color-coded index cards, preschoolers can have fun filing the cards in the correct food groups. Another great educational activity is the Sentence Strip. Here, children can match color-coded food cards to teacher created sentence strips for literacy learning. Preschoolers also really enjoy Frankie’s Food Truck Fiasco game. This fun game incorporates nutritional education with some elements of math. Taking orders and delivering a five-course meal, preschoolers will develop a love of learning with this activity.
Combining healthy food education in the classroom with at-home family participation is critical to the success of future nutritious eating. Incorporate activities and lessons from the school to the home by including young learners in creating the shopping list, reading a recipe, and cooking nourishing meals. By sharing information about the importance of fresh fruits, whole grains, and dairy into the daily diet, a lifetime of healthy food choices will be made.