Lesson Plan
Meal Magic Outline
Students will identify the five food groups and practice building balanced meals by exploring colorful slides, drawing their own plate, and sorting foods in a collaborative game.
Understanding nutrition empowers students to make healthy food choices, supports growth, and builds lifelong wellness habits through engaging, hands-on activities.
Audience
3rd Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Combining vivid slides, hands-on drawings, and an interactive sorting game.
Materials
- Colorful Food Groups, - My Balanced Plate Activity, - Food Group Sorting Game, and - Pencils or Crayons
Prep
Preparation
10 minutes
- Print one copy of My Balanced Plate Activity for each student
- Prepare and cut out the food cards for the Food Group Sorting Game
- Queue up the Colorful Food Groups slide deck on the classroom computer or projector
- Review key talking points for each food group in the slide deck
Step 1
Introduction
5 minutes
- Display the Colorful Food Groups cover slide
- Ask students: “What makes a meal balanced?” Record answers on the board
Step 2
Explore Food Groups
5 minutes
- Navigate through slides highlighting Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy
- Discuss examples, key nutrients, and benefits of each group
Step 3
My Balanced Plate Worksheet
10 minutes
- Distribute the My Balanced Plate Activity
- Students draw and label one food they enjoy in each food group section on the plate
- Encourage creativity and correct labeling
Step 4
Food Group Sorting Game
8 minutes
- Divide students into small groups and give each group a shuffled deck of food cards from the Food Group Sorting Game
- Groups work together to sort cards into the correct food group piles
- Circulate to prompt discussion and correct any misplacements
Step 5
Wrap-Up & Assessment
2 minutes
- Invite volunteers to share one balanced meal they could build using all five food groups
- Collect worksheets for review and provide quick feedback on their choices
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Colorful Food Groups
Let’s explore the five food groups that make our meals balanced and healthy!
Welcome students! Today, we’re exploring the Five Food Groups. Explain that each group gives our bodies different nutrients to grow, play, and learn. Get them excited about colorful foods.
Why Balanced Meals Matter
Balanced meals help us:
• Fuel our bodies with energy
• Grow strong muscles and bones
• Concentrate better in school
• Stay healthy and fight off germs
Ask: “Why do we need different kinds of foods?” Guide them to answers like energy, growth, concentration, and staying healthy.
Fruits
Examples: apples, bananas, berries, oranges
Key Nutrients: vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants
Benefits: support immunity, healthy digestion
Show pictures of apples, bananas, berries, and oranges. Explain vitamin C boosts immunity and fiber helps digestion. Prompt: “Who loves strawberries?”
Vegetables
Examples: carrots, broccoli, peppers, spinach
Key Nutrients: vitamins A & K, fiber, minerals
Benefits: strong eyes, healthy bones, full tummies
Show carrots, broccoli, peppers, and spinach. Point out they come in many colors. Prompt: “What’s your favorite veggie?”
Grains
Examples: whole-wheat bread, rice, oatmeal, pasta
Key Nutrients: carbohydrates, fiber, B vitamins
Benefits: long-lasting energy, healthy digestion
Show whole-wheat bread, rice, oatmeal, and pasta. Explain grains give us energy to play and learn. Ask: “Which grain do you eat at breakfast?”
Protein
Examples: eggs, chicken, beans, nuts
Key Nutrients: protein, iron, B vitamins
Benefits: build and repair muscles, support growth
Show eggs, chicken, beans, nuts. Explain protein builds muscles and repairs our bodies. Ask: “Who’s had beans in a meal?”
Dairy
Examples: milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified soy milk
Key Nutrients: calcium, vitamin D, protein
Benefits: strong bones and teeth, healthy muscles
Show milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified soy milk. Describe calcium and vitamin D strengthen bones and teeth. Ask: “Who likes yogurt?”
Review: The Five Food Groups
Fruits | Vegetables | Grains | Protein | Dairy
Remember: A balanced plate includes all five groups to fuel your body and help you grow!
Review each group by asking students to name one food and nutrient per group. Emphasize filling plates with all five for balanced meals.
Worksheet
My Balanced Plate Activity
Instructions: Use the blank plate diagram below. For each food group slice, draw and label one food you enjoy eating. Then answer the reflection questions at the end.
Blank Plate Diagram
(Divide your plate into five sections: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, Dairy. Draw and label foods in each section.)
Fruits
Draw and label one fruit in the Fruits section of your plate:
Vegetables
Draw and label one vegetable in the Vegetables section of your plate:
Grains
Draw and label one grain in the Grains section of your plate:
Protein
Draw and label one protein-rich food in the Protein section of your plate:
Dairy
Draw and label one dairy (or dairy alternative) food in the Dairy section of your plate:
Reflection Questions
-
Why is it important to include all five food groups on your plate?
-
Which food group did you find most challenging to pick a food for? Why?
-
What balanced meal would you choose for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? List the foods and their food groups:
Activity
Food Group Sorting Game
Objective: Students will collaborate to sort a variety of foods into the correct food groups and explain their choices, reinforcing their understanding of Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy.
Materials:
- Printed and cut food cards (one deck per group)
- Sorting mats or large paper labeled: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, Dairy
- Timer or stopwatch
Preparation (10 minutes):
- Print and cut out the set of food cards so each card shows one food (e.g., apple, broccoli, rice, chicken, yogurt)
- Shuffle all cards together and divide into envelopes—one envelope per student group
- Place or tape five sorting mats around each group area, each labeled with a food group
Instructions
1. Introduction (1 minute)
- Remind students of the five food groups and ask: “Why do we need each of these groups?”
- Explain: “Today you’ll work in teams to sort food cards into their matching groups!”
2. Sorting Round (5 minutes)
- Give each group their envelope of shuffled food cards and their five sorting mats
- Start the timer for 5 minutes
- In groups, students take turns placing one card at a time onto the mat they believe matches the card’s food group
3. Review & Discussion (2 minutes)
- When time is up, groups exchange mats to check each other’s work
- Prompt discussion:
• Which cards were easiest to sort?
• Which cards were tricky or surprising?
• How did you decide where to place those cards? - Correct any misplacements and reinforce key nutrients and benefits for each group
Extension (if time allows):
- Ask each group to pick one food from their sorted mats and tell the class why it’s important for a balanced meal.
Teacher’s Notes:
- Circulate during sorting to guide students who are unsure (e.g., “Why do you think beans go in Protein?”)
- Encourage students to use vocabulary from the slide deck: carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, etc.
- Celebrate successful teamwork and correct placements to build confidence in nutrition knowledge.