Talk about table manners during each lesson.
Food is something that all children understand. Using this familiar subject helps children get excited about topics they might not otherwise find interesting. Teach lessons about counting, math and health using pictures of food or bring healthy treats in to illustrate a lesson. Children may have dietary restrictions, so get permission from parents before giving students any food.
Food Pyramid
Introduce students to the food pyramid by hanging a poster in your classroom. Explain the types of food in each section and how many daily servings are recommended. Scholastic suggests having children make their own pyramid. Give each student a large paper triangle, glue, scissors, markers and a few magazines. They must first draw the lines to break the pyramid into sections, then cut pictures of food out of the magazines. Each child creates his own food pyramid by gluing each food picture onto the proper section.
Animals Vs. People
Compare the foods animals eat against the foods people eat. Read books with students about animals and their eating habits. Explain the difference between herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. As a group, create a chart that has "Animals" on one side and "People" on the other. Break the animals side down into three sections for each type of diet. Children must first come up with ideas for types of food that each kind of animal eats. Next, ask for suggestions for foods that people eat. Ask children to compare and contrast between people and animals.
Healthy Meal Plans
Each student must design a full day's healthy meal plan. For younger children, pass out magazines and ask children to find pictures of healthy food. Children then create a meal plan collage by creating a section for each meal and gluing on photos. Older children can write out a meal plan including snacks and drinks for the day. To add a home economics element, assign a budget for the full day of food. Ask students to go to the grocery store to find prices for each food. They must make changes if their original plan doesn't fit into the budget.
Graphing and Sorting
Education Oasis suggests using food to teach graphing and sorting. Give each child a bowl full of trail mix and a piece of paper. Children must first sort the items of the trail mix into groups. They must line up each item in a group, count the number and record it. Once they've counted all the ingredients, they can create a graph on the paper. Ask them to show the same information in different ways, such as pie charts and bar graphs.
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