8th Grade
Addressing nutrition with your 8th graders is a must. Overweight teenagers have an 80% chance
of becoming overweight adults, and over 90% of American high schools have vending machines stocked with unhealthy
food and soft drinks. Use Active Eating to provide adolescents with the information they need to make healthy choices
now, throughout high school and beyond.
The activities are divided into the following categories:
Studies indicate that kids who eat breakfast concentrate better, have better attendance, are less irritable and fatigued, and have better control of their weight.
Breakfast Memory
Students will understand the benefits of eating breakfast and will identify some healthy breakfast foods.Breakfast Behaviors
Students will recognize the importance of eating a variety of healthy breakfast foods.Stop N’ Go!
Students will distinguish between "energy" ("go"/healthy) and "empty" ("slow"/less healthy) breakfast foods.A What?! (Fruit Version)
Students will recognize a variety of less common fruits they can eat for breakfast.Alphabet Toss
Students will review the five food groupings and identify some healthy breakfast foods.
School lunches are often rushed and filled with peer pressure and unhealthy or unappealing food. Students often skip lunch or eat only junk food, made easy in 19% of the country's middle school cafeterias that have fast food chains like Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, or Subway. Help your students commit to eating a healthy lunch.
The Hot Seat
Students will brainstorm ways to overcome obstacles to eating a healthy lunch.Food Detective
Students will recognize a variety of healthy lunch foods.Loopy Laps
Students will distinguish between "energy" ("go"/healthy) and "empty" ("slow"/less healthy) lunch foods.Protein Toss
Students will identify a variety of protein-rich foods they can eat for lunch.Lunch Tag
Students will recognize some healthy foods they can eat for lunch.
Kids that regularly eat dinner with their family are less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, like skipping meals, or eating disorders, like anorexia. Frequent family meals are also associated with better grades. Encourage your students to play active roles in planning healthy dinners with their families.
Dinner Moves
Students will recognize their dinner-time habits and set a dinner-related personal health goal.Eat the Rainbow!
Students will recognize the importance of eating a variety of foods for dinner.Stop N’ Go
Students will distinguish between "energy" ("go"/healthy) and "empty" "slow"/less healthy) dinner foods.Vegetable Scramble
Students will recognize a variety of vegetables they can have for dinner.Alphabet Toss
Students will identify some healthy dinner foods.
Today kids consume a significant amount of calories from snacks and nearly all middle schools have vending machines, school stores, or snack bars where students can purchase unhealthy food and drinks without restriction throughout the day. Encourage your students to make wise decisions about when and what to eat as a snack.
Snack Mime
Students will identify the five food groupings and share how preparing and eating snack makes them feel.Snack Scramble
Students will recognize some healthy foods they can eat for snack.Loopy Laps
Students will distinguish between "energy" ("go"/healthy) and "empty" ("slow"/less healthy) snack foods.Wheat, Barley, Rye, GO!
Students will identify a variety of whole grain foods they can eat for snack.Foods on Five!
Students will identify a variety of healthy snack foods.
Supplement your students' knowledge and continue the fun with these additional activities.
