Musical MyPlate!

Using the completed MyPlate Food Cards, students will play a fun kinesthetic game set to music that will allow them to practice identifying and sorting foods into food groups, and collaborating to “make” MyPlate meals.

Explain to the students that while the music plays, they will move around the room with their MyPlate Food Cards. But when the music stops, they will need to assemble into new groups of five students, with one food from each food group represented in each student group: a fruit, a vegetable, a grain, a protein, and dairy.

Play several rounds until students get the hang of it. As soon as students have formed their groups, ask them to share their MyPlate meal with the rest of the class. If they make a mistake, and, for example, have two protein foods but no fruit, let them switch with another group to make a MyPlate meal.

If they are missing a member, ask them to name a food they could add to make it a MyPlate meal. Tell students that they are showing how the MyPlate foods can be “mixed and matched” – and that it’s fun to see what creative varieties of healthy meal options the groups represent!

If resources permit, glue or staple each completed MyPlate Food Card to a colored piece of paper corresponding to the food group. This will make it easier for students to identify food groups as they “make meals,” should their drawings not be easily identifiable.

Add a piece of string to each so students can hang their food cards from their necks to play the game next time

MyPlate Reflection.

Provide a copy of the MyPlate Coloring Sheet to students, and have them color in each food group with the correct icon colors. Ask them to think about a MyPlate meal they would like to eat. Have them paste pictures of foods from magazines or grocery store circulars onto their sheets. Staple completed coloring sheets onto colored card stock and display in the classroom or cafeteria.

 If resources permit, laminate the finished MyPlate Coloring Sheets to be used as actual re-usable placemats in the classroom or taken home.

Extend the Lesson.

Create a large MyPlate Weekly Tracker to record what food groups and foods the class is eating and/or

trying every day. Designate the far left column with the days of the week, and then add five columns to the right, one for each food group. After lunch, have students identify what foods they ate and what food groups they belong to.

Expand the challenge to other classes to see who can eat more healthy MyPlate foods within a specific time frame, e.g., one month or term/semester.

Home Connection.

Talk to parents about MyPlate by sharing what their children learned in class. Invite them to learn more by visiting www.choosemyplate.gov and explore healthy kid-tested and budget-friendly recipes on https://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/ sample-menus-recipes.html If you have laminated the placemats, present them to parents on Family Night.