Live Smart: Health and Safety Activities for Youth Clubs

Bulletin 907

The Nutrients You Need

YOU WILL TEACH CLUB MEMBERS

The six nutrients essential for good health. Where to find these nutrients.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Two sheets of poster board or construction paper (Label one: Foods We Ate Today; label the second: Nutrients.), tape, markers, an apple, a glass of milk, a stick or a tub of butter.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Ask club members: What are some things that you ate today? Write these answers on poster board or construction paper.

Ask club members: Of the foods we just listed, which do you think are the most nutritious? Draw a star next to the foods thought to be "nutritious."

Ask club members: How did you decide which foods were nutritious and which were not? Does knowing what the food is made of help you to decide whether or not it is nutritious?

WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW?

Tell club members: All foods are made up of tiny components called "nutrients." These nutrients are put into six groups. All of the nutrients in a group have many things in common. For example, everything in one group might provide energy and everything in another group might help to build body tissues.

On a second sheet of poster board, write "Nutrients" and below it, write the numbers 1 through 6.

Ask club members: Can anyone tell me what one of these groups might be?

Answer: Protein, Carbohydrate, Fats, Minerals, Vitamins, Water. Write the correct answers next to a number. They can be in any order. Discuss each group with the information provided.

Tell club members: Water is possibly the most important nutrient about 65% of your body is water. You might have heard that you should drink 8 glasses of water every day. Many people think that water can only be consumed in the pure form, but water is actually a big part of most foods.

Ask club members: Which of these foods contain a lot of water? (Point to the apple, milk, and butter.)
Answer: Milk or apple would be the best answer.

Tell club members: Protein helps to build cells and keep tissues healthy. Your blood contains proteins that carry oxygen from your head to your toes and also helps your body fight infection. Although most foods contain a small amount of protein, the most complete proteins come from animal sources.

Ask club members: Can you tell me which of these foods would be the best source of protein? (Point to the apple, milk, and butter.)
Answer: Milk

Tell club members: Carbohydrates make up the bulk of our diets. They provide us with energy so we can think, talk, and play. Like proteins, carbohydrates can be found almost anywhere; however, plant foods tend to be the best source.

Ask club members: Which food do you think contains the most carbohydrate?
Answer: Apple

Tell club members: Fats tend to get a bad rap, but really they are an important part of the diet. Fats are a very concentrated source of energy. In fact, fats provide twice as much energy as carbohydrate or protein; this is why we don't need a large amount of fat in our daily diets. Fats are needed to cushion our organs, and they help us to feel full.

Ask club members: Of the foods here, which would have the most fat? (Point to the apple, milk, and butter.)
Answer: Butter.

Tell club members: The last two nutrients, vitamins and minerals, are needed in small amounts. Most foods contain many different vitamins and minerals. Both help your body to carry out its everyday processes. For example, milk contains the mineral calcium which is necessary to build strong bones. Milk also contains vitamin A, which keeps the skin looking healthy.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

When planning meals or snacks, think about these six nutrients and how they are represented. Do your meals include all of these nutrients? If not, how might you add the missing nutrient(s) to your diet?

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