Course Sample for Our Kindergarten Health Homeschool Course

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Kindergarten Health

Nutrition for Kindergarteners, Part 1

Stewardship is a word that means using, not abusing, all that God has given you. One way to be the steward God wants you to be is with food. God has given you all you need to help your body grow strong and stay healthy. There are a lot of foods at the store and at restaurants that taste yummy, but they do not help your body grow strong; in fact, they could harm your body if you eat too many of these foods. Try to decide which three foods are healthy and which three foods are unhealthy for you: soda, water, fish, chips, candy, and fruit.

Our foods are grouped into carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. When you look at the foods that belong in each group, you will be amazed at what food can do for you!

These foods help give your body something called energy, which allows your body to feel rested, grow, think, and move. They also give your body strength and help your brain to develop. But when you eat too many foods that are not in these groups, your body becomes tired and sick, and you may feel cranky.

In the carbohydrate group, God has made grains like wheat, oats, rice, and corn. He has made so many more grains you can discover, too. Guess what else is in the carbohydrate group? All your fruits and vegetables. In order to help your body to stay fuller longer, the better choice is to eat all these types of foods instead of candy and chips. Your grains, fruits, and veggies have the nutrients and minerals God designed them to have, and the chips and candy do not. Things like chips and candy make you hungrier and more tired over time.

Another food group is called the protein group. This is the food group that will help give you stronger muscles and healthier organs, like your heart, and will help your body fight sickness. The best foods in this group are beef, poultry (chicken and turkey), fish, eggs, dairy products (milk and yogurt), nuts, seeds, and legumes like black beans and lentils.

The last important food group is called the fats group. The name, “fats,” sounds like something you shouldn’t eat, and there are unhealthy fats, but these healthy fats are something you need to help your brain and nerves develop well. They include nuts, oils, butter, fish, and beef.

You can also have fun with your food while you learn to make good habits and choices. Play a guessing game with your family by pretending to eat certain foods that are healthy for you (peel a banana, grate some cheese, or scramble some eggs). You could also make a picture out of macaroni (a healthy grain) and glue it on paper into the shape of your favorite healthy food.

Ask a parent to find some pictures of food online that can be printed and cut out, or pictures of food in a magazine. Then glue the pictures of food to a paper plate to make a healthy meal.

Color the picture of all the yummy fruits and vegetables at the fruit stand on the next page.

Remember that God wants you to take care of the body He gave you, and you can when you choose the right foods!