Food Groups

This week we have begun learning about the five main food groups. The approach to teaching about foods changes from time to time. What I have been using are resources that come from the USDA called Choose My Plate (more can be found on www.choosemyplate.gov). The five food groups we are learning about are: fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein. Today we did a sorting activity and described characteristics of each food group based on this program. Some foods like beans and black beans are considered to be both a protein and a vegetable. I generally consider tomatoes to be a fruit, yet Choose My Plate categorizes it as a vegetable. Grains were really difficult to sort for some reason today. Grains include rice, corn, wheat, and things made from those things. However, when kids look at a noodle that looks like a macaroni noodle, many of the kids automatically seem to think that it belongs with cheeses (dairy) because it is often found with Mac n Cheese.

Thank you to everyone that has turned in information about foods found at Thanksgiving dinner. I am going to be creating opportunities for kids to sample different types of foods that they may see at Thanksgiving.