Vocabulary
Define nutrition in one clear, complete sentence.
Nutrition is how food helps your body grow, stay healthy, and get energy.
True or False: Eating a sugary snack always gives you long-lasting energy. Explain.
False! Sugary snacks give you quick energy, but it does not last.
After a short time, your energy level drops, and you may feel tired or hungry again.
Jaime skipped breakfast and felt sleepy in class. How could this affect them during the day?
Skipping breakfast doesn't give you the fuel you need to have energy! This can reduce energy and focus.
Name one food that helps the brain focus and why.
Eating foods that are high in carbohydrates (like grains) can give you the long-term energy that helps you focus.
What is one small food habit you can try this week?
Example: Add one piece of fruit to your snack or lunch each day.
Define habits and give a food-related example
Habits are actions you do over and over again that can affect your health.
True or False: Nutrition only matters if you play sports. Explain
False! Nutrition matters for everyone, not just athletes. Every person needs healthy food to help their brain think, their body grow, their mood stay balanced, and their energy last through the day.
Your friend drinks soda before a test and then feels shaky. Explain what might happen and a healthier choice.
Your friend had a sugar rush and then crashed. A healthier choice would be water or a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or yogurt.
How does protein help the muscles after PE/gym?
Protein repairs muscle fibers and helps them grow stronger after exercise.
Name a food from your culture and suggest one way you can eat it in a balanced, healthy meal.
Example: Tamales - include a side salad and a protein to balance the meal
Define healthy and give one example of a food that is healthy and why.
Healthy is taking care of your body and mind so you can feel good, have energy, and live your best life.
True or False: All breakfasts improve concentration equally. Explain.
False! Some breakfasts help you focus more than others.
Foods with protein, whole grains, and fruits give steady energy for learning, while sugary breakfasts may cause an energy crash later.
June eats chips everyday after school and wants more energy. Suggest one realistic habit change and explain why it helps.
Explain how unhealthy food choices during the day can affect attention during class.
Explain how family food habits influence what you eat during the day.
Family routines decide what food is available at home, which can carry into how we eat at school and in other places too.
Define unhealthy and give one example of a food that is unhealthy and why.
Unhealthy is something that is not good for your body or mind, makes it hard for you to live your best life.
True or False: A food being traditional to a culture always makes it unhealthy. Explain.
False! Cultural foods can be healthy, balanced, and meaningful. Whether a food is healthy depends on what it’s made of — not the culture it comes from.
Take a small piece of cake and a larger serving of fruit with some water. Moderation lets you enjoy yourself but keeps you from overdoing it!
Describe one way fruits/vegetables support the immune system.
Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that help keep us from getting sick.
Foods from different cultures can be cooked in many ways. Some versions may be healthier than others. What is one example of how someone could enjoy a cultural food in a healthier way?
Grilling chicken instead of frying it, adding vegetables, eating smaller portions.
Define moderation and explain how it applies to snacks and treats.
Moderation is making balanced choices about how much and how often you eat certain foods. Snacks and treats should be eaten in moderation because they often have a lot of salt, sugar and fats and don't typically contain many nutrients.
True or False: Small, repeated choices can become habits that affect health. Explain.
True! Little choices you make each day — like drinking water, eating fruit, or choosing soda — can turn into habits. Over time, these habits can help your health or hurt your health.
Create a two-sentence response explaining how poor nutrition over time could affect growth or learning.
Explain how balanced nutrition affects both mood and learning.
Eating a balanced and healthy meal helps keep us in a good mood, gives us the focus we need for learning, and gives us the energy we need to get through all of our activities!
Miguel loves a very sweet drink that is part of his family’s cultural celebrations. He starts drinking it every day at lunch because it tastes good and reminds him of home. After a few weeks, he notices he feels tired in the afternoons and has trouble focusing in class. What can he do to feel better?
Miguel can use moderation by only drinking the sweet drink a couple of days a week, or only drink a small amount each day to keep it more balanced.