Now, that we have all created our own personal food diary for 3 days, what can we do with this information?  You have all this great knowledge at your fingertips, but how can you apply the knowledge you have learned to your own life?  Think back to the food guide pyramid website that you explored.  (The link is provided for you if you just click the words food guide pyramid.)  You should now be able to name each of the food groups and serving sizes.  Now, you are going to evaluate your own diet according to the suggestions made by the food guide pyramid. 

Your task for today is to evaluate and make improvements to your diet.  You will need a new worksheet for this assignement.  The next worksheet that we will use can be found on the nutrition explorations website under the activities section listed under the kids portion of the site.  You can also print the sheet directly from this blog by clicking on the words nutrition tracker  in this sentence.   You will need to print one copy of this worksheet.  Once you have printed this new worksheet you then need to look back at the food diaries that you have kept and select one day that you will use in this new activity.  Using your new worksheet called the nutrition tracker worksheet you are to make changes to your diet and improve the status of what you ate.  For example, I may look back at my food diary and notice that for breakfast I consumed a bowl of cereal, a doughnut and a can of soda.  I would want to improve the nutritional status of my meal on my new sheet and write that instead of what I was eating I would eat a bowl of cereal, a banana and drink a glass of milk.  You want to improve and change what you were eating to something that meets the guidelines of the food guide pyramid.  Make sure you follow all directions at the top of the nutrition tracker worksheet.   Just remember that you want to improve what you were eating and learn to make wiser food choices.  Here is to a healthier you.

Now we should all be familiar with the food guide pyramid and the information that can be found on it.  We should also be able to list each food group and examples of foods in each particular group.  Can you tell me which group a slice of bread would belong to?  If you guessed carbohydrates or the grain group, then you are correct.  So, now that we have all this information, what should we do with it? 

Task 2

For the next 3 days you will be required to keep track of everything that you eat or consume.  You need to write down everything that you put in your mouth, whether it is good or bad for you, it does not matter.  By writing down and keeping track of everything you eat, you are creating what is called a food diary.  You should also include anything that you may drink throughout the day as well.  You can keep track of your food diary however you choose.  For example, you can use a scrap piece of paper or a notebook.  The final copy, however, needs to be turned in on the my pyramid food diary worksheet sponsored by the USDA.  (You will need to print 3 copies of this worksheet. You cannot type your entries on the page.  Neatness DOES count. You need to have a separate sheet for each day of your food diary and make sure you label each day and include the date.  You can get to this website just by clicking the words in blue above.)  Follow the directions found on the worksheet and bring your completed food diary worksheets to class with you on the due date as discussed in class.

Remember to be honest about what you eat.  You and I are the only ones that will see your food diary entries.  Also, keep in mind that it will be easier if you write down things you eat right after you consume them rather than trying to remember what you ate at a later time.  Happy eating.

Happy New Year! As we move into the new year of 2008 I am sure that all of us are bombarded by all the commercials we see guaranteeing to help us lose weight or shed the few holiday extra pounds that we gained.  We, as 7^th graders though are not so concerned with joining the greatest new gym or trying to decide which diet plan would work best for us.  We as 7^th graders are more concerned with how we can learn to make good decisions for our lives now in regards to our diets as well as how our decisions now will impact our lives in the future. 

Task 1

So we all know that we should eat right and exercise, but how do I know if I am doing the right thing?  Where can I go to find information to help me become more educated about my food choices?  Our first stop should be at the food guide pyramid.  (This link can also be found on the left side of the screen and is titled, The Food Guide Pyramid.)  The food guide pyramid is sponsored by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).  While here at the site,  explore the food guide pyramid.  Make sure you click on the box on the left side of the screen labeled “My Pyramid Plan” and provide the necessary information to find out how many calories you should consume eat day.  You can also click the words “My Pyramid Plan” in this sentence to be taken to this place on the website.  (Please make note of this number in your interactive notebook along with any other notes you take while exploring this site.)  You should now continue to explore this site and the food guide pyramid.  Don’t be afraid to play around and click on different parts of the website.

Before you log off the food guide pyramid website you should know the following:

1.       You should be able to list each food group and give an example of foods that can be found in that particular food group.

2.       You should also be able to state how much you should eat on a daily basis from each individual food group.

3.       You should also understand that the choices you make, your overall health and diet and physical activity are all related on one another. 

Good luck!