4.1 The Pyramid Counts
This upper elementary nutrition lesson, “The Pyramid Counts” (Unit 4), teaches students about the USDA Food Guide Pyramid as a guide to healthy eating. Students learn the five major food groups, sort familiar foods into categories, identify appropriate daily serving amounts, and explore how “mixed foods” like pizza count across multiple groups. The lesson includes an interest approach, guided objectives, review activities, and two student activity sheets.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- Explain how the USDA Food Guide Pyramid is a guide to healthy eating.
- List the five major food groups and place familiar foods in the appropriate categories.
- Choose the appropriate number of servings from each food group.
- Discuss what a mixed food is and how it counts on the pyramid.
- Time required
- 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Grade level
- Upper elementary
- Materials
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- Writing surface
- Copies of Activity Sheets 14:1 and 14:2
- Cards for $10,000 Pyramid
- Key Term(s)
- The USDA Food Guide Pyramid