This post provides Nurture materials (curricula) to support positive change for health in our world.
Although Nurture has curricula for various ages, this particular post is focused on content to support nutrition education for kids.
I’ll start with a question: How can we best talk to kids about food without creating blame/shame but instead reinforce a positive attitude about healthy foods?
In my opinion, it starts with establishing a simple vocabulary to talk about food.
We call it the go vs. slow-down lesson, using words that make sense to kids and refer to what they want to do.
Do they care that canned frosting has fats that may be bad for their heart? Not so much.
Do they care if eating unhealthy foods will make them slow down, not have sustained energy, or make them sleepy? Yes!
By understanding why the body needs food, it becomes much easier to decipher what types of food provide the best fuel.
Any food with calories provides energy for the body. However, not all calories are created equal.
A powdered-sugar donut has the same number of calories as a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries and slivered almonds. Yet, while the body feels hungry several hours after eating the donut, the oatmeal is filling and nutritious.
What foods give the body long-lasting energy?
-Carrots
-Apples
-Meat
-Cheese
-Strawberries
-Broccoli
These answers are right on target. Note the absence of low-fat energy bars, fast food, baked chips, and processed foods.
The only responses were whole foods, mainly fruits, and vegetables, which Nurture calls go foods because they fuel the body with long-lasting energy, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support growth and activity.
Go foods include fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, nuts, legumes, eggs, milk, and whole grains.
Go foods fuel the body so it can move!
What foods slow the body down?
-Cookies
-Cake
-Ice cream
-Brownies
-Potato chips
-French fries
-Candy
-Soda
Nurture refers to foods that have little nutritional value as slow-down foods or sleepy foods. These foods may provide a short burst of energy, but they soon leave the body feeling hungry or tired. Slow-down foods slow down the body.
“If slow-down foods make us sleepy, does that mean we can never eat them?” your child might ask.
What answer do I suggest? “Slow-down foods are okay every once in a while.”
What I love most about this Nurture lesson is how even kindergarteners understand that go foods are the best, but slowdown foods can be part of a balanced diet when consumed in moderation. We are not making anything bad or creating shame. By promoting a positive relationship with food, we are setting the stage for a healthy, energized relationship with food. Energy is a buzzword that is loved by kids and adults because it implies movement and fun. Go foods, on the one hand, capture this liveliness. Slow-down foods, on the other hand, promote sleepiness.
And not many children want to feel sleepy!
FUN NUGGET: LEARN TO VIEW FOOD AS FUEL, LIKE NURTURE TEACHES KIDS AT SCHOOL.
THE NURTURE CURRICULA FOR GO OR SLOW (FOOD FOR FUEL)
For younger kids (K-2)
| Food for Fuel: Go or Slow? | Energy Balance Tug of War | Go/Slow Foods Relay Slow, Slow, Go! |
Go or Slow Food Handout |
For grades 3-5
| Food for Fuel: Go or Slow? | Ingredient Spelling Test | Go or Slow Food Handout | ||||
More Materials:
| Food for Fuel: Go or Slow?
Discuss why we eat and how to sort foods by go & slow |
Go and Slow Relay
Sort foods by Go & Slow |
Go Slow Cartoon
Draw how you feel after eating Go foods and after Slow foods |
Go and Slow Foods
Peanut Buttery Oatmeal |
| From Go to Slow
Case studies of helping students to reinforce concepts from the year |
Simon Says Go or Slow
Reinforces categorizing Go and Slow foods |
All About Me
Describe and draw things they do to stay healthy |
Fun, Fresh, Family
Watermelon Smoothie |
