Activity： Healthy Diet

Group

Brownie Section

Time needed

15 minutes for each game

Learning Goal

A "Balanced Diet" is the basis for a healthy life because there is no single food that can supply all essential nutrients needed by human body. Members study the concept of "Food Pyramid" and "Food Label" and learn to choose the appropriate amount of food to achieve a healthy body.

Instructions

Game 1: Search in refrigerator

Prepare some food cards (eg raw beef, cooked beef, etc). Assume that there is a refrigerator on the floor and there are different trays in the refrigerator. Each team draws a food card and locate the food to the most suitable place. Repeat the practice to deepen the understanding.

Game 2: Treasure Hunt and Puzzle (Food Label)

Collect food labels from food packages. Cut them into pieces and hide them in different locations. Members search for the labels and complete the puzzles.

Game 3: New Recipes

Each member represents an ingredient for cooking. They move and form groups to create a new dish. Give the dish a name and explain the cooking steps.

Game 4: Food Pyramid

Collect the pictures of food.

Ask members to distribute the pictures to the correct locations of food pyramid.

Each team sends a representative to describe their own food pyramid and estimate the calories of the food

Game 5: Crossword puzzles

Find the words related to Food Pyramid.

Reference: Food Pyramid Tips

◇ Eat less sugar: Sugar easily lead to obesity, excess triglyceride and tooth decay. Desserts, which contain much sugar, should be avoided.

◇ Milk is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. We should drink 1-2 cup skimmed milk and low-fat milk per day. It is also okay to absorb low-fat dairy products. For example, a slice of low-fat cheese/ a cup of low-fat yogurt provides nutrients equivalent to a cup of skimmed/low-fat milk.

◇ Eat more vegetables: We should eat half of the bowl of vegetables or more every day, especially green vegetables and beans, which can provide a lot of vitamins, minerals and cellulose.

◇ Grains & cereals such as rice, noodles, bread, etc. serve as the major source of energy for our body.

◇ Eat more grains and cereals high in dietary fibre such as whole wheat bread, wheat, red rice and so on.

◇ Eat less bread, biscuits, or fried rice, fried noodles, instant noodles etc. with high fat

◇ Eat less fat: excessive intake of fat will easily lead to obesity and high cholesterol. We should eat less fried food, healthier cooking methods are steaming, boiling, baking, and freezing and so on.

◇ Eat the right amount of meat / fish / seafood / eggs / beans: choose lean meat, peeled poultry and fish. The daily consumption of seafood (shrimp, crab, oysters, clams, etc.) should not exceed 200-300 g. Dry beans are not only low in fat, but also rich in cellulose. It is a good protein supplement. Avocados contain a lot of fat and should be aware of the consumption amount.

◇ Eat 2-3 servings(each serving is equal to half bowl) of fresh fruit to provide adequate vitamins and cellulose.

◇ Eat all kinds of food to ensure a variety of nutrients intake.

◇ Eat less salt in order to reduce the chance of suffering from high blood pressure

◇ Eat more fibre to help digestion and reduce cholesterol in body.

Which elements of the method are used, and how?

☑ Learning in small groups – Members collect information at home and share their results with others. They can express their opinions based on their knowledge.

☑ My path, my pace – Members can make a recipe which fit their physical needs after studying the concepts of “Food Pyramid” and “Food Label”.  

☑ Learning by doing – Members learn to make a wise choice on food selection, distinguish between healthy and harmful food and develop a healthy diet.

How does the method give youth members a chance to take the lead?

After members learn and plan a heathy diet for their own, they need to practice with self-discipline. A leader should be a role model so as to convince the members.

How can you connect this activity to the values of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting?

Members develop healthy life style and they honestly follow the diet they choose. They share the experience with others.