MyPlate Relay Race Activity

Objective: Students will identify and categorize foods into the five MyPlate groups by racing to match food picture cards to the correct plate sections, reinforcing nutrition knowledge and teamwork.

Time: 8 minutes

Materials:

• Picture cards of foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, dairy)
• Two large MyPlate plate outlines (posters or floor mats)
• Cones or tape to mark relay lanes

Setup (2 minutes)

• Clear an open space and use cones or tape to create two parallel lanes.
• Place one MyPlate plate outline at the end of each lane.
• Shuffle all food picture cards and pile them face down at the start line of each lane.
• Divide students into two even teams; have each team line up behind their start line.

Instructions (6 minutes)

1. On “Go,” the first student from each team races to the pile, flips over one food card, and runs it back to place it in the correct section on their team’s MyPlate plate.
2. Before tagging the next teammate, the student must name the food group aloud (e.g., “This is a fruit!”).
3. If a card is placed in the wrong section, the team must correct it before continuing the relay.
4. Once a student places their card and tags the next runner, that runner repeats the process until all five sections are correctly filled.
5. The first team to correctly fill all five MyPlate sections wins!

Teacher Notes

• Encourage students to speak the food group names loudly when placing cards.
• Rotate through all students so everyone gets a turn running and categorizing.
• For variety, swap cards between lanes or shuffle midway through the activity.

Return to Balanced Body Blueprint

Nutrition Label Detective Worksheet

Instructions: Choose one packaged food item. Examine its Nutrition Facts label and complete the questions below. Use the spaces provided to record your findings and thoughts.

1. Name of the Food Item:
   
   
   
2. Serving Size (as listed on the label):
   
   
   
3. Calories per Serving:
   
   
   
4. Total Sugars (g) per Serving:
   
   
   
5. Sodium (mg) per Serving:
   
   
   
6. Dietary Fiber (g) per Serving:
   
   
   
7. % Daily Value (DV) – List the DV for:
   • Sugar: _____%
     
   • Sodium: _____%
     
   • Fiber: _____%
     
     
     
     
     
8. Classification: Based on the sugar and sodium content, is this food an Everyday Food or a Sometimes Food? Explain your reasoning below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Healthy Swap: Suggest one simple change to make this snack or meal healthier (e.g., swap, add, or reduce). Explain how your change improves the nutrition.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Return to Balanced Body Blueprint

Stretch & Reflect Cool-Down

Time: 3 minutes

1. Breathing & Warm-Up (30 seconds)

• Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Inhale deeply as you reach both arms overhead.
• Exhale slowly as you lower your arms.
• Repeat 2 times.

2. Simple Stretches (2 minutes)

1. Side Reach Stretch (30 seconds)
   • Reach your right arm overhead and gently lean left.
   • Take 2 deep breaths, then switch sides and repeat.
2. Standing Quad Stretch (30 seconds)
   • Balance on your left foot, pull your right heel toward your back.
   • Hold for 2 breaths, then switch legs.
3. Forward Fold (30 seconds)
   • Hinge at your hips and reach toward your toes.
   • Keep knees soft and breathe deeply.
4. Shoulder Rolls (30 seconds)
   • Roll both shoulders forward 3 times, then backward 3 times.

3. Reflect & Share (30 seconds)

• Sit in a circle.
• Ask each student to name one new thing they learned about balancing food and movement.
• Invite them to share how they might practice it at home today.

Closing Reminder: Encourage students to try these stretches and balanced-health habits every day!