MyPlate and You

Gr 3–6—In a fast-paced and entertaining style, this video introduces students to MyPlate, the new USDA Guidelines for Americans that explain how to eat a balanced and healthy diet. Comparing our bodies to cars, the two teen narrators explain that food and calories are fuel for our bodies and help us grow strong and healthy. The kind of food that we eat is as important as the amount that is consumed, and the narrators use entertaining examples and definitions to demonstrate the value of eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, proteins, and dairy products. The influence of advertising on our diets and the dangers of fast-food are addressed in a very impressive demonstration. A typical fast-food meal is analyzed for its fat and sugar content, and then an alternative fast-food meal is recommended. The teens stress the importance of regular exercise, and warn viewers to limit television viewing and computer use. The impressive 44-page teacher resource book, available on the DVD, contains a pre- and post-test, as well as a program summary, journals, games and activities for students, and fact sheets. This fact-filled production targets typical adolescents and provides an excellent introduction to a healthy lifestyle.—MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, Binghamton, NY