Eat the Rainbow!

Saint Louis University

IPE 4900 - Team 1

Presented By:

Joseph Case, Emma DeNave, Grace Golembiewski, Alison Leinauer, Emily Mirsberger, Bey Thompson, Elizabeth Wood

General Overview

• WHO?
• Work with two Pre-K classes at Caroline Mission
• WHAT?
• Educate children on healthy eating habits (healthy vs “sometimes” foods, eating the rainbow, drinking water)
• WHEN?
• TBD - Based on availability with Patsy Mason, teachers, and our team
• WHERE?
• In-person visits to Caroline Mission (outdoors)
• HOW?
• Educate the kids through interactive games, songs, videos and worksheets
• We will also be sending the parents/guardians home with an infographic that covers what we talked about in our sessions with the kids and tips for creating easily accessible, quick, healthy snacks

Overall Project Goal

To increase healthy eating habits in preschoolers attending Caroline Mission.

SMART Goals

SMART Objective 1:

80% (16/20) pre-schoolers at Caroline Mission will be able to identify one healthy and accessible food by the end of the last site visit.

SMART Objective 2.

80% (16/20) preschoolers at Caroline Mission will be able to verbalize why eating healthy foods are important.

SMART Objective 3.

80% (16/20) preschoolers at Caroline Mission will be able to verbalize one healthy snack option that they can make at home.

Pre-Test

(Session #1)

In-Person (1st Session):

• Along with getting to know the kids and playing with them…
• This or That game
• Show two pictures of foods, and have kids stand up or sit down for what food they like better
• Show two pictures of foods, and have kids walk to one side of the playground or the other for which food they think is a healthy food and which one is a “sometimes” food
• Record # of kids who identified the “healthy” option
• What can healthy vs “sometimes” foods do to your body? Ask the kids to act it out.
• Record # of kids who can verbalize or show why healthy foods are good to eat
• Then, we act out running or hopping or skipping vs a sugar rush (act slow and sluggish)
• Ask, “What are some healthy snacks you can eat at home?”
• Record # of kids who can name a snacks

MAterials Provided for Use in the Classroom

“What are healthy vs ‘sometimes’ foods?” IPE 4900 - Team #1 Video:

“Why do we need to eat a healthy diet?” IPE 4900 - Team #1 Video:

https://youtu.be/vwNNl9Xftd4

“Eating the Alphabet” Read Aloud - Youtube Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVLwjj6DSBE

​

“The Healthy Eating Song” - Youtube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JldSBUQB34

Worksheets

We will drop off a worksheet for the pre-k classes to fill out with their teachers as time permits. Teachers can also print off their own worksheets to use as they see fit.

Post Test

(Session #2)

In-Person (Outside):

• Odd one out game
• Show pictures three foods (one healthy food and two unhealthy foods) and ask kids to walk over to the person holding the food that they identify as being a healthy food
• Record # of kids who can identify the healthy food
• Pack a lunch relay race
• Divide students into teams for a relay race. Have students run to the other side to grab foods for a healthy lunch. Have at least 1 fruit, 1 veggie, 1 dairy, 1 protein, and 1 grain. You can have them just collect one of each or place the cut out or real food (in a bag) in a bin labeled “fruits” or “dairy”, etc.
• Ask, “Why do we want to eat a bunch of colorful, healthy foods?”
• Record # of students who can verbalize a component of this answer
• Ask kids, “What healthy snack are you going to make and eat when you go home?”
• Record # of kids who can verbalize a healthy snack option
• Play a guessing game
• “I’m thinking of a fruit (or vegetable or grain) that is…..” describe what color food is, how big it is, texture, what it looks or tastes like, what you often eat it on or with
• Then show kids a picture of the food we were describing

Infographic for Parents

Full Infographic:

Close up of First Half:

Close up of Second Half:

References:

Cooke, L. (2007). The importance of exposure for healthy eating in childhood: A review. Journal of Human Nutrition and

Dietetics, 20:294-301.

Evans, S., McKenzie, J., Shannon, B., & Wechsler, H. (1996). Guidelines for school health programs to promote lifelong

healthy eating. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U.S.

Faulks, B., & Webb, R. (2017). The Healthy Eating Song. YouTube. EYNpartnership. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JldSBUQB34.

Healthy v. Sometimes Food. (2022). Retrieved April 14, 2022.

Ipe Team #1 - Why Eat A Healthy Diet? (2022). YouTube. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://youtu.be/vwNNl9Xftd4.

Omar, M.A., Coleman, C.G., & Hoerr, S. (2001). Healthy eating of rural low-income toddlers: Caregivers’ perceptions. Journal

of Community Health Nursing.

ReadaRoo Kids. (2021). Eating the Alphabet Read Aloud | Kids Books | Read Along. YouTube. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVLwjj6DSBE.

Unleashing Potential. 2022. Unleashing Potential St. Louis. https://upstl.org/