Paths to Healthy Snack Options for Kids

Talk with students about the idea that food is fuel for their bodies. “Food” refers to what you eat and what you drink. The lessons in this unit use a stoplight as a tool to help students think about their food choices:

• Eat More: Green-light foods have the most nutrition for energy and growth, so eat them often! Examples: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, milk, and water.
• Eat Some: Yellow-light foods do not keep you fueled up the way green-light foods do, so eat them sometimes. Examples: canned or dried fruit, veggies with sauces, white bread or pasta, peanut butter, and juice.
• Eat Less: Red-light foods are the least nutritious. It's okay to have a red-light food once in a while. Stop and think about your choice and eat the red-light foods least often. Examples: chips, candy, fried foods, cakes, donuts, and soda. 

It's important that kids understand that some foods provide you with more nutrition than others. Check out the Eat More Eat Some Eat Less Food Chart for examples. For more information about the nutritional benefits of foods and different food groups, read Food is Fuel. 

Have kids turn and talk about their favorite nutritious snack foods. Don't forget nutritious drink choices!

To use this with your students click here.

Teach Kids to Identify Healthy Snack Choices

Students view the slideshow and classify snack choices as Eat More (Green Light), Eat Some (Yellow Light), and Eat Less (Red Light).

Learn About Healthy Snack Options

When making a snack choice, remember that nutritious snacks usually have a short ingredient list, like fruit, vegetables, water, and milk!

Check for understanding: Which green-light snack choices are your favorites?

Have Kids Make Healthy Snack Choices

Students identify green-light, yellow-light, and red-light food choices. Use the Eat More, Eat Some, Eat Less Food Chart to help identify and classify snack choices.

Today we identified nutritious snack options and categorized them into green-light, yellow-light, and red-light choices. Next we will learn about nutritious meal options.