Overview

Research shows, families who eat together have better communication and their children do better in school. This lesson has 2 parts:

• Learning how to build a healthy plate using the Plate Method
• Improving communication skills by talking, writing and sharing about experiences at family meal time

 

Objectives

The Plate Method is a way to correct size food portions without weighing or measuring foods. Encourage students to share this method with their family. Students can help serve plates at family meal times. The "My Favorite Family Meal Time Experience" is a take home worksheet for the student to complete with their family. It's a way to create conversation at home about what the child is learning at school.

 

Materials

• Pencils for students
• Print out My Plate Method Student Handout for class
• Print out Teachers Tip Sheet - What's In This Food Group?
• Print out My Favorite Family Meal Time Experience student handout for homework

Print materials: Download print materials. Included with the print materials is a full PDF version of the same lesson plan. (1.45MB PDF)

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the prinit materials.

 

Teacher Talking Points

Think about when you eat a meal with your family - who serves the food? Do you get to choose how much food goes on your plate? Do you get to pick what foods you want to eat?

Every day its important to choose and eat foods from all the food groups. Let's name the FIVE food groups: Meat/Beans, Dairy/Milk, Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains.

Today, we're going to learn about something called the "Plate Method." It's an easy way to make sure you're eating the right amount of food. You can share this with your family and help serve your family's plates of food. (See visual representation in printout.)

• Fill 1/2 of your plate with Fruits and Vegetables - (Name foods in this group)
• Fill 1/4 of your plate with Grains and Starches - (Name foods in this group)
• Fill 1/4 of your plate with Meat/Protein - (Name foods in this group)

Plates have actually gotten bigger. When we have bigger plates, we put more food on them. (Draw a model on the board) Copy the drawing on the board by marking off your dinner plate to match it.

Your homework is to complete the My Favorite Family Meal Time Experience worksheet. When families take time to sit down and share a meal together - it's important. It's a time to talk and share what happened in your day. Pick out your favorite family meal time experience and fill in the blanks of the worksheet and bring it back to share with your classmates.