At the Springs School, Susan Blacklocke presented a dynamic nutrition unit in 4th and 5th grade Health classes. There were three sessions for each grade.
- The plant based food pyramid introducing the essential nutrients in whole foods. Students learned the advantages of local, healthy, sustainable, organic food. They discussed how foods affect their health, and learned how to steam vegetables, season cooked beans, make brown rice or grain and a sauce with herbs , sunflower seeds, olive oil and garlic. The kids ate a complete balanced meal and learned the importance of chewing for digestion and assimilation.
- Next was a lesson on how to make healthy smoothies. The class made a shake with cacao, avocado, maple syrup, vanilla and coconut water. Kids were stimulated to talk about what they like for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a discussion about how to make healthy choices.
- This lesson was about how to read food labels. On the practical side, kids made power bars with their own choice of ingredients, including oats, seeds, dates ,raisins, cranberries, coconut, cinnamon or cacao powder. They divided into teams to design a label for their product, and put it on the container, each student having one to proudly bear home.
