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The Ultimate Wellness Challenge
This final Making Better Food Choices challenge focuses on MyPyramid, the
symbol and food guidance system from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) that encourages Americans to make healthier food choices and to be
active every day.
What is MyPyramid?
MyPyramid is the symbol and interactive food guidance system developed by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that encourages consumers to make
healthier food choices and to be active every day. It recommends the proportion
of foods from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart
food choices from every food group each day.
Recognizing that “one size does not fit all,” MyPyramid uses a personalized
approach to nutrition. An individual’s age, gender and activity level influence
the amounts of food needed from each of the five food groups every day.
MyPyramid incorporates recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans.
For more information, visit www.mypyramid.gov.
See the Organizing a Successful Challenge section for additional information about
each of the five keys to a successful challenge outlined on the following pages.
See the Moving More section for information on an accompanying physical activity
challenge that focuses on sustaining the challenge through goal-setting.
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Build Awareness and Excitement
This challenge builds on the three preceding Making Better Food Choices
challenges, which focused on individual “Food Groups to Encourage,” as outlined
in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Now, the focus is on the “big picture” of
healthy eating as reflected in MyPyramid.
Emphasize
Activities
See the Organizing aHands-on
Successful Challenge
section for a menu of possible challenge
COMMUNICATION
ideas, and Communication Tools for sample resources you can adapt as you
highlight MyPyramid during this challenge.
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Below are tools and resources you may want to use.
— and into the Community
Announce the Posters
challenge
Numerous posters are available to help you promote MyPyramid and the key
messages it conveys:
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• “MyPyramid for Kids” 1 (includes links to “simplified” and “advanced”
PDF versions)
• “El Plan MiPirámide” 1 (Spanish language version of MyPyramid for adults)
• “How Much Do YOU Eat?” 1
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Schools can order MyPyramid
posters from the USDA at:
http://tn.ntis.gov
• “Guide to Good Eating” 2 (English and Spanish language versions available)
1
Resource from Team Nutrition (U.S. Department of Agriculture,
www.teamnutrition.usda.gov)
2
Resource from Nutrition Explorations (National Dairy Council,
www.nutritionexplorations.org)
Sample morning announcements
Adapt the sample announcements below — or write your own!
You know that it’s important to eat fruits and vegetables, whole
grains, and low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products. But did
you know it’s important to make sure you eat foods from all five
of the food groups — and to balance the foods you eat? Learn all
about it as we feature MyPyramid during the Pyramid Challenge!
Eat healthy, move more, learn better as [Name of School]
moves into the final stretch of Game On! The Ultimate Wellness
Challenge. You’ve learned a lot this year about making better
food choices and moving more. In this challenge, we’ll see how
these healthy choices fit together to make a happy you!
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Good morning, wellness champions! By now, you might think it’s
easy to make better food choices and move more. But it’s always
important to keep setting new goals and to use your tracker to
see how you’re doing. Keep score as you become a more healthy you!
Free samples of combination foods will be offered in the cafeteria
today! Combination foods blend several different food groups —
bringing MyPyramid to life! Be sure to stop by, taste the samples
and vote on your favorites! And don’t forget: get a sticker for your
tracker!
Build MyPyramid flyers, games, puzzles, activity sheets
student
excitement All Grades
• “MyPyramid for Kids” 1 (flyer; simplified version)
• “How Much Do YOU Eat?” 1 (flyer)
• “MyPyramid Crossword Puzzle” 1 (p. 15)
• “MyPyramid: Interactive Pyramid” 2 (online activity)
• “A Close Look at MyPyramid” 1 (flyer)
• “Food for a Day: Putting it All Together” 1 (flyer)
Elementary
• “Color MyPyramid” 1 (coloring sheet, p. 14)
• “Eat Smart with MyPyramid for Kids” 1 (activity sheet, p. 11)
• “MyPyramid Maze” 1 (p. 10)
• ”MyPyramid Blast Off Game” 1 (online activity)
• “Learning the Lessons of MyPyramid” 1 (activity sheet, p. 12)
• “Crack the Secret Code” 1 (activity sheet, p. 13)
• “Tips for Tracking ‘Energy In’” (flyer, see Additional Resources of this Toolkit)
• “Little D’s Nutrition Expedition” 2 (four online games)
• “Arianna’s Nutrition Expedition” 2 (four online games)
1
Resource from Team Nutrition (U.S. Department of Agriculture,
www.teamnutrition.usda.gov)
2
Resource from Nutrition Explorations (National Dairy Council,
www.nutritionexplorations.org)
Note: Students could be encouraged to visit the online resources (interactive tools and games) at
home. If school time is available during which students are allowed to explore online resources on
their own (e.g., in a computer-enhanced homeroom or during a library period), these links could
be featured as students log into the computers.
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Build Awareness and Excitement
Emphasize Hands-on Activities
Healthy snack taste tests
Action for Healthy Kids research shows that when you’re helping kids make
better food choices, a successful strategy is to let them taste new and healthy
foods. Taste tests can be a fun and extremely effective way to share with students
the great ways to make better food choices by following the key concepts of
MyPyramid.
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— and into the Community
For information about how to host successful tasting events, see “Taste Tests” in
the introduction to the Making Better Food Choices section.
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Foods to taste
During the MyPyramid challenge, you can feature healthy snacks that incorporate
foods that include a mix of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat and
fat-free milk and milk products.
The following taste test ideas feature instructions for assembling the foods and
have accompanying send-home recipes (listed in “Take the Challenge Home —
and into the Community”).
• Healthy snack ideas and recipes in ReCharge! Energizing After-school™
(available at www.ActionForHealthyKids.org)
• “Fruit and Krunch Kebabs” 1 (p. 134)
• “Mix It Up!” 1 (p. 76)
• “Terrific Tortillas” 1 (p. 160)
1
in the School Community
Resource from Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! (National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development, www.nichd.nih.gov/msy)
Taste Tip: Food Allergies and Sensitivities
Some children may be allergic to or have sensitivities to certain foods. Let parents
know in advance you’ll be hosting a variety of taste tests and physical activities.
If appropriate, ask them to sign permission slips verifying that their children
do not have known food allergies or sensitivities. If students with allergies or
sensitivities are identified, make sure that all staff and volunteers involved with
Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge events are aware of these students.
5
Extending the experience: other things you can do
• Combination Foods Bar
Think about adding a Combination Foods Bar to the cafeteria during the challenge
— or include in a health fair. Make sure the design of the Combination Foods
Bar includes all of the Food Groups to Encourage — fruits and vegetables,
whole grains, and low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products — and that
it enables students to look at, learn about and (of course!) taste a variety of
fabulous combination foods. Include information about the foods featured
in the Combination Foods Bar. Make small education cards for each food,
including the following information: the name of the food, where it is grown,
how to eat it, what nutrients it contains, how to store it, where to buy it and
how much it costs. Copy the education cards on brightly colored paper.
Make enough cards so that each participant can take one for each food that’s
offered. You might also develop an evaluation form that students can use to
rate the combination foods they taste.
Build Awareness and Excitement
Emphasize Hands-on Activities
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— and into the Community
COMMUNICATION
For ideas on how to communicate consistently and effectively with families and
community members, see the Organizing a Successful Challenge section as well as
Communication Tools.
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Materials to share with parents and other caring adults
To communicate to parents and other caring adults the importance of healthy
eating and MyPyramid, consider the following take-home materials:
• “MyPyramid Tips for Families” 1 (two-sided send-home flyer for parents; elementary
schools can order these at http://tn.ntis.gov)
• “El Plan MiPirámide” 1 (Spanish language version of MyPyramid for adults)
• “How Much Do Kids Need to Eat Every Day?” 1 (pp. 4-5) (two-sided flyer for
parents of children in elementary school or middle school)
• “Super Us” 1 (pp. 129-130) (two-sided activity sheet for parents and their
children; could be used with parents of any age children)
• “Grocery Store Treasure Hunt” 1 (p. 8) (activity sheet for parents to use with
their children in elementary school or middle school)
• “Food and Activity Calendar” 1 (p. 9) (flyer for parents to use with their children
in elementary school or middle school)
• Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook 2 (32-page booklet that
shows parents how to help their families balance “energy in” and “energy out”)
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• “We Can! Parent Tips: Healthy Families, Healthy Weight” 2 (two-sided flyer that
shows parents how to help their families balance “energy in” and “energy out”)
• “We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More” 2 (two-sided flyer for parents
and their children of any age)
• “Who Can Make It Happen? All Parents Can!” 2 (poster/flyer for parents;
consider posting this at PTA meetings and other events/venues where
parents will gather)
• Healthier Eating: Getting Where You Need to Be 2 (two-page flyer with tips
on eating more of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines’ “Food Groups to Encourage”);
Spanish language version also available.
Send-home recipes designed to accompany taste test foods include:
• “Healthy Snack Ideas” (from ReCharge! Energizing After-school™, available at
www.ActionForHealthyKids.org)
• “Fruit and Krunch Kebabs” 3 (p. 134)
• “Mix It Up!” 3 (p. 76)
• “Terrific Tortillas” 3 (p. 160)
Parents might also want to know about the following online activities and games
their children could try at home. Include these links on send-home flyers and/or
on the school website.
• “MyPyramid: Interactive Pyramid” 4 (online activity)
• ”MyPyramid Blast Off Game” 4 (online activity)
• “Little D’s Nutrition Expedition” 4 (four online games for lower elementary students)
• “Arianna’s Nutrition Expedition” 4 (four online games for upper elementary students)
And finally, parents might want to go online themselves and check out “We
Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition.” 5 It’s full of great ideas for
parents who want to help their families make better food choices and move more.
1
Resource from Team Nutrition (U.S. Department of Agriculture,
www.teamnutrition.usda.gov)
2
Resource from National Dairy Council (www.nationaldairycouncil.org)
3
Resource from Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! (National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development, www.nichd.nih.gov/msy)
4
Resource from Nutrition Explorations (National Dairy Council,
www.nutritionexplorations.org)
5
Resource from We Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition
(National Institutes of Health, http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov)
Build Awareness and Excitement
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— and into the Community
2
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Emphasize
Activities
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Tracking daily health choices is a central feature of Game On! The Ultimate Wellness
Challenge — and in this challenge, students should be encouraged to keep
track of all the healthy food choices they make each day. And as you track the
challenge, don’t forget to assess the larger lessons learned for your school. Taste
tests, for example, have greater, longer lasting impact when students have the
chance to rate the foods, vote on what they liked or complete tasting surveys.
Collate this information — and use it as input as your school continues to develop
school nutrition policies and practices.
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and into the Community
TRACKING
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For more ideas on tracking and evaluation, see the Organizing a Successful
Challenge section. You can find sample survey forms in Tracking Tools.
As you conclude the challenge, you’ll want to take the opportunity to reinforce
key messages about MyPyramid. You’ll also want to recognize the achievements of
students and adults, thank staff and volunteers who contributed to the challenge
and take pride as a school and as a community in what you accomplished.
RECOGNITION
For more ideas on celebrating success, see the Organizing a Successful Challenge
section. You can find sample resources in Communication Tools and Recognition Tools.
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Elementary
• Eat Smart. Play Hard.TM 1 (includes activity sheets and flyers)
Secondary
• Power of Choice 1 (booklet featuring healthy eating, physical activity and goal setting
• Bridges to Wellness 2 (a set nutrition education lessons for students in grades 5-10 with complementary
cafeteria-based activities that focus on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines’ “Food Groups to Encourage”)
• Healthier Eating: Getting Where You Need to Be 3 (English and Spanish language versions available)
1
Resource from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services (www.teamnutrition.usda.gov)
2
Resource from School Nutrition Association in association with the National Dairy Council (www.schoolnutrition.org)
3
Resource from National Dairy Council (www.nationaldairycouncil.org)
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