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The deck contains four suits: FRUITS, VEGETABLES, GRAINS and PROTEIN/MILK. Each set of numbers goes together to create a balanced meal or snack. Included in each deck is a list of age appropriate games to reinforce each lesson. The cards can also be used as a regular deck of playing cards. We've found that children are enthusiastic about learning about food and nutrition and what's necessary to build a healthy body...especially when it's presented in a positive way. Children enjoy using the cards because they get nutrition facts about the food groups, they are visually appealing, and they can hold them and actively learn and play the games themselves. General Curriculum IdeasFollow-up: Tomorrow we will make a list of what vegetables you ate for dinner. For Older Students - Servings needed of Vegetables each day. How much do you need (use servings card)? Take turns picking from deck and discarding until one person has required amount of vegetables. Share w/ class. Talk about how to increase. Variation: Table creates hand w/ all foods needed for one day. Do 24-hour recall w/ class. Lunch-Mania is a fun passing game that lets students create a balanced meal. Each table of 4-5 students gets a deck of cards. See rules. Teacher uses a clicker to indicate time to Pass. When one person has 4 of a kind - (Balanced meal: i.e.: four 3's: turkey, bread, apple, snap peas - s/he stands and says "Lunch Mania". Teacher: What's in your hand/lunch? Fruit, Veg, Pro, Grain. Would you eat that? If protein isn't calcium, ask what's missing- show food pyramid. What can you drink/eat so you get calcium? Follow-up: each table group writes a balanced lunch they can make themselves. Note cafeteria selections meet the food groups + milk. Many children eat from one or two food groups leading to high sugar/fat intake. A balanced lunch might include adding an apple and carrots to replace Gushers and Cheetos. Crazy Not Lazy - variation of Crazy 8's/UNO - objective is to identify the benefits of major nutrients in foods, benefits of exercise and healthy eating habits. One deck per table of 4/5. Play matching suit or number. Kings/Exercise cards have the power to change the suit. Queens - Great Snacker cards (ex. drink water)-give player extra turn. Junk Food Jack - must draw two cards. Familiar, fun, brings up great discussions. What's wrong w/ junk food? Takes the place of healthier foods, bring in discussions of calories, exercise, relationships w/ nutrition and weight gain. Snacker's Wild - poker type game w/ best hands - See rules. Queens are wild, Kings raise value of hand, Jacks - don't help in any way. 6th grade and up. Twenty Questions- An easy and fun game for all ages, Pass out cards to each student, then try and identify the card in a students hand by asking about the food category, color of food, plant, animal, nutrient in food, number of calories, etc. Helps students build nutrition knowledge of foods. Other Uses: Heart healthy Valentine's Day party - pick out red f/v from deck for students to bring in for party; Science - how does this plant grow - do we eat the root? Math - add up numbers in hand/for table, add up calories in your hand, table w/ highest number excused first; Art/Science - create your own card. Research food value w/ label reading. We recommend one deck per table of 4 students, so 5 decks per class of 20 (7-8 decks for classrooms with 30 students). The decks are $9.95 a piece, but with orders of 100 or more, the price drops to $8 a deck. The cost is about equal to one textbook per class. Our goal is to have children playing with these cards so they will absorb this information and realize that eating well is something they do have some control over. They don't have to buy Power Bars or Vitamin water. It doesn't serve them to throw away their salad. When they eat well, they feel better, are stronger and do better in school. I hope you enjoy these cards as much as we enjoyed creating them. Sincerely, Sharon Applegate |
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