How To...Use Technology to Teach Nutrition

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October is a great time to begin a year-long nutrition study – fall is harvest time; School Lunch Week begins October 10; World Food Day is October 16. Meet the new federal regulations for nutrition and health by using these web resources to help your students learn the new food pyramid and achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Download the new logo and mini- poster of MyPyramid from the USDA at www.mypyramid.gov

Local Wellness Policy.
Federal law (Public Law 108: Section 204) requires that a local wellness policy be in place by July 1, 2006, for all schools/districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). To help meet these requirements, the School Nutrition Association (www.schoolnutrition.org) has several web resources including an 11-page pdf file with policy guidelines, sample wellness and nutrition policies and a PowerPoint slide show about the requirements.

Timeline for change
Many educators grew up with the Food Group Wheel with four food groups. In 1992, the Food Pyramid was introduced. On April 12, 2005, the revised Food Pyramid was revealed. www.MyPyramid.gov

The new Food Pyramid is updated to match the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (www.healthierus.gov). In the new rainbow of food groups, orange= grains, green=vegetables, red=fruits, blue=milk products, purple=meat and beans and yellow=oils. The new pyramid includes steps on the side to remind us we need physical activity every day.

• MyPyramid Plan. Customize your food plan by answering questions on your food and exercise habits. Print a pdf of all results individualized to your needs. A MyPyramid for kids will be available later this fall.

• MyPyramid Tracker. With this tool, you can register and begin tracking a healthier you. Assessment for Food Intake and Physical Activity lets you record foods eaten daily and then analyze the results, which can be saved. Graphs make it easy to show primary students what they have eaten and the food's nutritional values. You can chart the school menus for breakfast and lunch so students can see what percentage of their daily nutrition requirements they've met. Clicking on hyperlinks give pop-up windows with the definitions and sources of food for each nutrient. You can even get a Healthy Eating History graph by day, week, month or year!

• Inside the Food Pyramid. Learn the food groups and see how much physical activity you need. Just click on each color to learn more about the food group, requirements and portions/serving sizes for individual foods within each group. There are even key tips for each food group, including what to look for on labels.

Additional Resources

1. The President's Challenge. Click on Teachers for guidelines or start your challenge by selecting an age group. www.presidentschallenge.org

2. Kidnetic. "Bright Papers" are printable articles on kids health and fitness. Click the Parents tab for ideas or the Food or Fitness tabs for specific articles on foods and the new food pyramid. www.kidnetic.com

3. Nutrition Explorations. Educators will find lessons and downloadable resources, all to be updated in the fall to match the new Food Pyramid.
   www.nutritionexplorations.org

4. Dole 5 a Day. Click Teachers for lessons and activities with a scope and sequence matched to standards. www.dole5aday.com

5. Blue Zones. Download a Health Tracker Chart from the two-week Blue Zones LifeQuest starting October 31. Use the Vitality Compass to track nutrition and exercise to identify your health lifestyle. (See the review on page 30 for more details.)
   www.bluezones.com

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Linda K. Lindroth is Technology Editor and Web Coordinator for Teaching K-8. She is also a Technology Resource Teacher in a K-5 computer lab in Lexington, KY.