Follow along with SNAP-Ed Educator, Katie, as she goes through the Serving Up MyPlate curriculum, which is an awesome resource that combines Math, Science, English, and Health. After watching this video youth will be able to identify the five my plate food groups and name foods that go into each group. A little but through the video you will be introduced to Miss Kiersten in the kitchen for a recipe that includes all five MyPlate food groups!
What does it mean to be healthy?
You might’ve said things like “eat more fruits and vegetables”, “drink more water”, ”eat less”, or “try to avoid junk food”. All great answers!
To be healthy means that we eat healthily and get enough physical activity. A tool that’ll help you eat healthily is called MyPlate. MyPlate divides foods into 5 food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. MyPlate also shows us how much of each vegetable we’re eating. The larger food groups on MyPlate tell us that we should be eating more of these foods. Eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy can help us be healthier.
There are some foods that do not fit into a MyPlate food group because some of our foods are combination foods, which means that they go into more than one food group. For example, a chicken taco has a vegetable, the lettuce, a grain, the taco shell, a protein, the chicken, and if you chose to add cheese on top, a dairy.
My Plate Pasta Salad Recipe:
Serves 6
- ½ lb. (8 oz.) whole wheat pasta (vegetable)
- 1 red pepper (fruit)
- 1 cucumber (fruit)
- 1 large carrot (vegetable)
- 1 can of chickpeas (protein)
- ¼ cup of parmesan cheese (dairy)
To dress: ½ cup of your favorite low-fat or light dressing
You’ll also need: a pot and a strainer, a cutting mat/board and a knife, a can opener, a grater, a large bowl, a pot, a strainer, and a mixing spoon!
*have an adult help cook the pasta ahead of time
- Wash vegetables and fruit with cold water
- Using a cutting board and knife while paying attention very carefully: dice the red pepper, slice the cucumber into circles, and grate your carrot
- In a large bowl combine your cooked pasta, chopped vegetables, and chickpeas. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
- Mix in the dressing, serve, and enjoy!
