Healthy Eating Start

Year Level

Year 1

Duration

30 minutes

Class Size

4 students

---

Unit

Healthy Habits for Life

Lesson 1 of 3

Introduction to Healthy Eating

---

Australian Curriculum Links

Health and Physical Education

• Content Description:
  AC9HP2P06 - Investigate a range of health messages and practices in their community and discuss their purposes. Including exploring The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and recognising how eating a variety of fresh foods can influence health and wellbeing.
• Content Description:
  AC9TDE2K04 - Explore how food can be selected and prepared for healthy eating. Students identify foods according to the 5 food groups based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and understand the contribution of fruits and vegetables to health and wellbeing.
• Content Descriptor:
  AC9TDE2K03 - Explore how plants are grown for food including understanding food origins. 

(Aligned to achievement standards for Year 1 in Health and Technologies subjects)

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify the five food groups described in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
• Recognise fruits and vegetables as important components of a healthy diet.
• Demonstrate healthy food choices by creating a "healthy plate" using pictures of foods from various food groups.
• Discuss why eating a variety of fresh foods supports their health and wellbeing.

---

Materials Needed

• Large printed pictures / flashcards of different foods categorised by the 5 food groups:
  1. Vegetables and legumes/beans
  2. Fruit
  3. Grains (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain
  4. Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
  5. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives
• Blank paper plates (one per student)
• Glue sticks or tape
• Australian Guide to Healthy Eating plate poster (simplified for Year 1)
• Storybook or short video about healthy eating (optional)
• Markers or crayons

---

Lesson Structure

1. Welcome & Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet students warmly and introduce the lesson topic: "Today, we will learn about healthy eating and how to make good food choices."
• Show the simplified Australian Guide to Healthy Eating poster and briefly explain the five food groups in simple language.
• Ask: "Can you name any fruits or vegetables you like to eat?" to activate prior knowledge and engage students.

2. Storytime or Video (optional - 5 minutes)

• Read a short story or play a short video about healthy eating or eating fruits and vegetables.
• Example: A story about a character choosing a variety of healthy foods for a meal.

3. Food Sorting Activity (10 minutes)

• Lay out the food picture flashcards on a table.
• Ask students to sort them into the five food groups as you discuss each group and its benefits.
• Emphasise fruits and vegetables as important for giving us vitamins and helping us grow strong.
• Talk about how eating a range of these foods helps keep our bodies healthy.

4. Create a Healthy Plate (7 minutes)

• Give each student a blank paper plate.
• Provide pictures of various foods.
• Guide students to select and glue pictures on their plates making a healthy balanced meal using at least three different food groups, focusing on fruits and vegetables.
• Encourage sharing and explaining why they chose those foods.

5. Wrap-up and Reflection (3 minutes)

• Gather students and ask them to share their healthy plates.
• Recap the importance of choosing foods from all groups, especially fruits and vegetables.
• Ask: "What will you try to eat more of to be healthy?"
• Praise all attempts and participation.

---

Assessment for Learning

• Observe students' ability to correctly identify and sort foods into the five groups during the activity.
• Listen to student explanations when sharing their healthy plate to assess understanding of healthy food choices and the role of fruits and vegetables.
• Use simple oral questions during wrap-up to gauge learning, e.g., "Why are fruits and vegetables good for us?"

---

Differentiation Strategies

• For students needing support: Provide fewer food pictures to sort.
• For students requiring extension: Encourage them to explain how certain fruits and vegetables help the body (e.g., carrots help eyes).
• Use visual and tactile materials to support diverse learning needs.
• Encourage peer support in group activities to foster collaboration.

---

Opportunities to Integrate General Capabilities

• Literacy: Reading and discussing storybook; explaining food choices.
• Critical and creative thinking: Sorting foods and designing a healthy meal plate.
• Personal and social capability: Sharing ideas respectfully; recognising healthy choices promote wellbeing.

---

Teacher Reflection Notes

• Were students engaged and able to identify foods correctly?
• Did the students understand the importance of eating fruits and vegetables?
• What foods did students find unfamiliar? Consider follow-up with taste tests or cooking simple snacks in future lessons.

---

This lesson plan provides a creative, interactive, and curriculum-aligned introduction to healthy eating for Year 1 students, ensuring a strong foundation for the "Healthy Habits for Life" unit. It uses concrete visual aids and hands-on activities tailored for a small group, facilitating deep understanding, and aligns directly with Australian Curriculum Year 1 Health and Technologies content descriptions and elaborations.