The kids ask: So, what do you know about nutrition?

Studies have shown that our generation of children are not exercising enough, are eating unhealthy foods, and are watching way too much television. Most children do not even know much about the new food pyramid. This is what we, as children, are concerned about. We are going to share some information that we’ve collected about the new food pyramid and other nutrition-related facts to help you live a healthier life. We recently had a chance to interview Mrs. Harvey, our Food and Consumer Science teacher at Byram Intermediate School. She stated, “Children should exercise at least thirty minutes each day.” This statement motivated us to conduct a survey. We questioned about 75 members of the Fifth Grade Gold Team at our school. Surprisingly, we learned that some kids do not spend much time exercising at all. This is one reason that childhood obesity is on the rise. Most parents also do not put a limit on how much television their children can watch. If your television viewing gets in the way of school, spending time outdoors, or any other physical activity, you need to cut back. On our survey, some children indicated that they watch about seven hours of TV each day. That is just too high! So, what are the six food groups? Do you know? Well, that is another one of the questions that we asked the fifth graders. Some know a great deal about this subject, while others know very little. For starters, the new food pyramid is very different from the old one. Appearance-wise the new model has stripes instead of boxes, and it does not tell you exactly how much of each food group you need. We’ve learned that you need ALL of the following food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein, fats, oils, and sweets. Each individual only needs a certain amount of each food group, and that all depends on your age and how active you are. You can figure out your calorie level and how much of each food group is best for your needs. If you’re interested in learning what your daily calorie intake should be, go to www.MyPyramid.gov. Not only will you learn more about the new food pyramid, but you will also receive tips on how to stay healthy. We have learned so much about the importance of good nutrition. We hope that we’ve gotten you interested in this subject as well. If you’re a parent, please share this information with your child. It’s never too late to make healthy choices!