# data[].attributes.body
This is an example of a good balanced diet for children. As you can see, it is important to get a good dose of fruits and vegetables. It is also good to receive carbohydrates and protein. You want to limit your fat intake to once maybe twice a week.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a good video to help the children understand the importance of making healthy eating habits.

# data[].attributes.body
This website shows simple nutrition facts for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Healthy eating in childhood and adolescence is important for proper growth and development and to prevent various health conditions. 1,2 The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 recommend that people aged 2 years or older follow a healthy eating pattern that includes the following ²:

A variety of fruits and vegetables.

Whole grains.

Fat-free and low-fat dairy products.

A variety of protein foods.

Oils.

These guidelines also recommend that individuals limit calories from solid fats (major sources of saturated and trans fatty acids) and added sugars, and reduce sodium intake. ² Unfortunately, most children and adolescents do not follow the recommendations set forth in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. ²⁻⁴

Healthy eating can help individuals achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, consume important nutrients, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as 1,2

High blood pressure.

Heart disease.

Type 2 diabetes.

Cancer.

Osteoporosis.

Iron deficiency.

Dental caries (cavities).

The US Department of Agriculture provides healthy eating plans through MyPlate.gov.

Schools are in a unique position to provide students with opportunities to learn about and practice healthy eating behaviors.¹⁵

Eating a healthy breakfast is associated with improved cognitive function (especially memory), reduced absenteeism, and improved mood.¹⁶⁻¹⁸

Adequate hydration may also improve cognitive function in children and adolescents, which is important for learning.¹⁹⁻²³

Between 2001 and 2010, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among children and adolescents decreased, but still accounts for 10% of total caloric intake.¹⁰

Between 2003 and 2010, total fruit intake and whole fruit intake among children and adolescents increased. However, most youth still do not meet fruit and vegetable recommendations.11,12

Empty calories from added sugars and solid fats contribute to 40% of daily calories for children and adolescents age 2-18 years-affecting the overall quality of their diets. Approximately half of these empty calories come from six sources: soda, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, grain desserts, pizza, and whole milk.4 Most youth do not consume the recommended amount of total water.¹³

1. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2015.

2. US Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Agriculture. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.

3. Krebs-Smith SM, Guenther PM, Subar AF, et al. Americans do not meet federal dietary recommendations. Journal of Nutrition. 2010;140:1832-1838.

4. Reedy J, Krebs-Smith SM. Dietary Sources of Energy, Solid fats, and added sugars among children and adolescents in the united States. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2010;110:1477-1484.

5. Institute of Medicine. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2004.

6. Kushi LH, Byers T, Doyle C, et al. American Cancer Society guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: Reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 2006;56:254-281.

7. Kaiser LL, Townsend MS. Food insecurity among US children: Implications for nutrition and health. Topics in Clinical Nutrition. 2005;20:313-320.

8. Alaimo K, Olson CM, Frongillo EA. Food insufficiency and American school-aged children's cognitive, academic and psychosocial developments. Pediatrics ,2001;108:44-53.

9. Kleinman RE, Murphy JM, Little M, et al. Hunger in children in the United States: Potential behavioral and emotional correlates. Pediatrics, 1998;101:1-6.

10. Mesirow MA, Welsh JA. Changing beverage consumption patterns have resulted in fewer liquid calories in the diets of US children: National health and nutrition examination survey 2001-2010. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2015;115(4):559-66.

11. Kim SA, Moore LV, Galuska D, et al. Vital Signs: Fruit and vegetable intake among children-United States, 2003-2010. MMWR. 2014; 63(No. RR-31):671-6.

12. Drewnowski A, Rehm CD. Socioeconomic gradient in consumption of whole fruit and 100% fruit juice among US children and adults. Nutr J. 2015;14:3.

13. Drewnowski A, Rehm CD, Constant F. Water and beverage consumption among children age 4-13 years in the United States: Analyses of 2005-2010 NHANES data. Nutr J. 2013;12(1):85.

14. US Department of Agriculture. MyPlate.gov.

15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School health guidelines to promote healthy eating and physical activity. MMWR. 2011;60(RR05):1-76.

16. Taras HL. Nutrition and student performance at school. Journal of School Health. 2005;75:199-213.

17. Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, et al. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105:743-760.

18. Hoyland A, Dye L, Lawton CL. A systematic review of the effect of breakfast on the cognitive performance of children and adolescents. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2009;22:220-243.

19. Popkin BM, D'Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutrition Reviews. 2010;68(8):439-458.

20. Kempton MJ, Ettinger U, Foster R, et al. Dehydration affects brain structure and function in healthy adolescents. Human Brain Mapping. 2011;32:71-79.

21. Edmonds CJ, Jeffes B. Does having a drink help you think? 6 to 7-year-old children show improvements in cognitive performance from baseline to test after having a drink of water. Appetite. 2009;53:469-472.

22. Edmonds CJ, Burford D. Should children drink more water? The effects of drinking water on cognition in children. Appetite. 2009;52:776-779.

23. Benton D, Burgess N. The effect of the consumption of water on the memory and attention of children. Appetite. 2009;53:143-146.

Page last reviewed:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
centers for disease control and prevention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schools are in a unique position to provide students with opportunities to learn about and practice healthy eating behaviors.15 Eating a healthy breakfast is associated with improved cognitive function (especially memory), reduced absenteeism, and improved mood.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a nice little activity that helps children separate different foods into their food group.

# data[].attributes.body
This video is about how the food you eat effects your brain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How the food you eat affects your brain - Mia Nacamulli

# data[].attributes.body
This would be a game I would use to get the kids active by participating in an interactive game.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition is an educational nutrition game that will help teach students about building healthy meals while using nutritional guidelines from countries around the world!

# data[].attributes.body
I would show them this nutrition label to help them better understand what and how much nutrients is in what they eat.

# data[].attributes.body
At the end of the lesson, I would have every one complete this project as a way to show what they have learned.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
4-H Project Ideas for Food & Nutrition

Source: University of Minnesota Extension

Enrolling in the Food & Nutrition project area doesn't mean you have to bake cookies to exhibit at the county fair. Check out these great ideas.

Ideas for Your Project:

1. Ask your grandma to share some favorite recipes of hers (or yours) and ask her if she'll even teach you how to make them. You'll have a great time learning how to make old family favorites and spend some quality time with your grandma.

2. Check out some international cookbooks from the local library. Experiment with some recipes from your family heritage or just try some new ideas. You may discover that you like true Danish pastries or authentic Korean food. Invite your friends and neighbors to participate in an international potluck and sample a variety of food from around the world.

3. Experiment with sugar and various substitutes. Make the same recipe multiple times and vary only the sugar or substitute used. Have your family and friends participate in a blind taste test and see if they can tell the difference between each one.

4. Visit a bottling companies and ask if you can take a tour of their facilities. Have some questions prepared beforehand and interview them about their packaging or bottling processes. Find out how they follow proper nutrition and food safety guidelines.

5. Develop your own fitness or healthy eating plan. Be sure you are getting the appropriate nutrients within the normal range of calories for your age range and are participating in the correct amount of exercise. To learn more about the food pyramid and calories, stop by the Extension Office for a copy of the new food pyramid.

6. Study how long it takes for foods to spoil and what happens as they do. (You may want to get your parent's permission before trying this one!) Leave perishable food items in room temperature for several days, checking to see what happens to them over time. Compare this to the same item left in refrigeration for the same amount of days. Record your results and create a display for your fair project.

7. Research some careers in the food industry. You might be able to interview or shadow a local person in their food industry job. Find out what level of education they needed to get their job and what kinds of tasks they do. You might look at other jobs in the food industry to understand the diversity of jobs available.

8. Compare the needs of an athlete to a sedentary person. Create eating plans for both and see how they are similar and different. You might also do a consumer study on food products marketed at athletes: sports drinks, energy bars, etc. Are they meeting the athlete's needs? Click here for ISU's Food for Fitness and Fun web site.

9. Compare prices on generic and brand name food items in the store. Or, compare prices on one item in different stores. Which was a better deal? Can you compare on price alone? What other characteristics might you need to consider?

10. Ask for a cookbook as a gift for your next birthday or holiday. Try some new recipes and cooking techniques. Cookbooks with pictures and step by step directions are handy for the beginner chef or someone wanting to learn some new tricks in the kitchen.

11. Research the food safety guidelines used by local restaurants or food stores. Put together a presentation for your 4-H club or a poster on food safety. Click here for ISU's Food Safety web site.

12. Come up with your own activity, or call the Extension Office for more great ideas. We also have several project books you can check out or purchase. These books are full of hands-on ideas for you to learn more about food and nutrition.

Links to Visit for Further Information and Ideas:

***Please note: these links will take you to non-ISU Extension web sites.

Extension Minnesota's Family Page: Topics covered: Dairy Products, Food, Food Preservation, Food Safety, Health, Human Nutrition, Meat

Fantastic Foods: Indiana 4-H has created a web page to supplement the Fantastic Foods 4-H Curriculum. Even if you don't have the books, this is a great web page to check out.

Food and Nutrition Information Center: Click here for a variety of Food and Nutrition information. It is part of the USDA and ARS.

Foods PLUS Sheet: This Foods PLUS Sheet gives you great ideas of how to start your project and what you could do for a fair exhibit. Created by Naomi Fruechte, former Houston County Extension Educator.

WebMD Food and Nutrition page: Get health and nutrition information from a variety of doctors. And better yet, it's free advice from a doctor!

If you need more help or ideas, we have a variety of resources for you in the Extension Office. Feel free to stop by or give us a call at 563-568-6345.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
4-H Project Ideas for Food & Nutrition Source: University of Minnesota Extension Enrolling in the Food & Nutrition project area doesn't mean you have to bake cookies to exhibit at the county fair. Check out these great ideas. Ideas for Your Project:

# data[].attributes.body
This is an example of a food journal. Kids can keep up with what they eat by writing it down.

# data[].attributes.body
After teaching a lesson I would use this as a simple activity to help them better understand nutrition.