Month: June 2021

Sizing Up Your Plate with MyPlate

by Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Happy birthday, MyPlate! MyPlate is 10 years old this year. It’s a good reminder to think about how we can use MyPlate concepts. How does your plate stack up to MyPlate?

Plate divided in sectionsWhat is MyPlate? MyPlate is a nutritional food guide that was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help people become more aware of what they eat and to assist them in making better food choices. The MyPlate icon shows the five food groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy. It features a simple picture of a plate, which offers a visual cue that is easy to relate to, with sections of a plate representing how much of each food group people should consume relative to the other groups.

The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes the importance of an overall healthy eating pattern with all five groups as key building blocks. Each food group includes a variety of foods that are similar in nutritional makeup, and each group plays an important role in an overall healthy eating pattern.

Current intakes show that from an early age, dietary patterns are not aligned with the Dietary Guidelines.

  • Average intakes for 5- to 8-year-olds are generally within the range of recommended intakes for protein, fruits, and grains (although this is achieved with refined grains, not whole grains), but below in vegetables and dairy.
  • Diet quality declines for the 9- to 13-year-old and 14- to 18-year-old age groups. Grains are within the recommended range, again with whole grains below recommended amounts. Protein foods are at the lower limit of the recommended intake (with older teen girls dropping below). Fruit intake drops, and vegetables and dairy remain low.
  • The difference between recommended food group amounts and current intakes is greater for adolescents ages 14 through 18 than for any other age group across the lifespan. As a result, adolescents are at greater risk of dietary inadequacy than are other age groups.
  • Vegetable intake is especially low and increasing vegetable consumption tends to be particularly difficult. In addition, most diets exceed the recommended limits for added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

A recent study found that diets of children in the U.S. have improved modestly but remain poor for most. This improvement in diet quality is promising. However, another report found that more than a third of U.S. children and adolescents consumed fast food. Other researchers have examined sugar-sweetened beverages and junk foods. The results of these studies are cause for concern because fast food,  sugar-sweetened beverages, and junk foods have been associated with higher caloric intake and poorer diet quality. These dietary patterns contribute to overweight and obesity, as well as increasing the risk for chronic diseases later in life.

MyPlate Talking Pointsseveral fresh vegetables

  • Fruits – Make half your plate fruits and vegetables: Focus on whole fruits.
  • Vegetables – Make half your plate fruits and vegetables: Vary your veggies.
  • Grains – Make half your grains whole grains.
  • Protein – Vary your protein routine. Choose protein foods like beans, fish, lean meats, and nuts.
  • Dairy – Move to low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt. Drink fat free or low-fat milk or water instead of sugary drinks.

MyPlate is not perfect–for one thing, the size of the plate matters. The specific amounts of food needed in each group vary by age, gender, and activity level; the Dietary Guidelines provides more detailed information on this topic. Some foods contain ingredients from multiple groups, making them difficult to classify.

The MyPlate icon focuses on incorporating healthful foods; however, all foods in a group are not the same. Foods vary in their nutrient density, that is, the amount of key nutrients they provide relative to the energy (calories) they provide. The key is choosing a variety of foods and beverages from each food group. Nutrients to encourage include protein, fiber, and a range of vitamins and minerals, while those to limit are saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium. That includes cakes, cookies, ice cream, candies, sweetened drinks, and fatty meats like sausages, bacon, and hot dogs. Use these foods as occasional treats but not everyday foods (think of them as “sometimes foods”). Although they do not identify the nutrient density as such, the nutrition facts label can help in identifying specific nutrient content.

Today’s Takeaway: Developing healthy eating habits can go a long way to ensure a better lifestyle now and in the future. MyPlate provides a guide for making healthful choices.

References

Drewnowski, A. (2009). Defining nutrient density: Development and validation of the Nutrient rick Foods Index. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 28(4) 421S–426S. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2009.10718106

Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M. D., Ahluwalia, N., & Ogden, C. L. (2020). Fast food intake among children and adolescents in the United States, 2015–2018 (NCHS Data Brief No. 375). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db375.htm

Gold, A., Larson, M., Tucker, J., & Strang, M. (2017). Classroom nutrition education combined with fruit and vegetable taste testing improves children’s dietary intake. Journal of School Health, 87(2), 106–113.  https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12478

Leung, C. W., DiMatteo, S. G., Gosliner, W. A., & Ritchie, L. D. (2018). Sugar-sweetened beverage and water intake in relation to diet quality in U.S. children. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(3), 394–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.11.005

Liu, J., Rehm, C. D., Onopa, J., & Mozaffarian, D. (2020). Trends in diet quality among youth in the United States, 1999-2016. Journal of the American Medical Association, 323(12), 1161–1174. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.0878

Liu, J., Lee, Y., Micha, R., Li, Y., & Mozaffarian, D. (2021). Trends in junk food consumption among US children and adults, 2001-2018. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, nqab129. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab129

Snelling, A. M., Newman, C., Ellsworth, D., Kalicki, M. Guthrie, J., Mancino. L., Malloy, E., Van Dyke, H., George, S., & Nash, K. (2017). Using a taste test intervention to promote vegetable consumption. Health Behavior and Policy Review, 4(1), 67–75. https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.4.1.8

U.S. Department of Agriculture. MyPlate. https://www.myplate.gov/

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Service. (2020). Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (9th ed.). https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/

Scavenger Hunts

by Theresa Ferrari, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development

Getting outside is good for your health! If you’re looking for some fun this summer, how about doing a scavenger hunt. A scavenger hunt is a game that starts with a prepared list of specific objects for participants to gather or locate. Scavenger hunts are more than just a way to keep busy, they are a way to build critical thinking skills and have fun at the same time. Scavenger hunts with players working in groups has the added benefit of fostering social connections and teamwork. They lend themselves to a variety of situations for many reasons.

  • They don’t require many supplies, which makes them affordable and easy to implement.
  • They can be as simple or elaborate as you want.
  • They can be played as individuals or with teams.
  • They can be customized to a variety of age groups.
  • They are adaptable to small or large groups.
  • They can be played in various ways.

Adults or teens can plan the scavenger hunt or turn the task over to younger children to create it (given some parameters and guidance). For example, camp counselors could plan a scavenger hunt for a Cloverbud day camp.

To create a scavenger hunt, you’ll need to decide on the elements such as the type and theme. Make sure to define if anything is off limits. Then follow these basic steps.

  1. Make a list of items for participants to find or things to do. A Google search will also turn up printable scavenger hunt sheets, such as this one.
  2. Define the search area (backyard, neighborhood, park, etc.)
  3. Decide on a time limit for completion.
  4. Decide how you will complete the game: Is it finding the most items? Or is the goal for everyone to find the items and share what they found? Are you going to do something with the items once your find them?

Scavenger Hunt Ideas

group of children

Scavenger hunts are a great way for kids of all ages to have fun and be active

  • Items that are a particular color or shape
  • Items that involve the senses: something smooth, something soft, 3 things you can hear, etc.
  • Items to correspond to letters of the alphabet
  • Items in nature: leaf, flower, feather, rock, twig, acorn, pine cone, bird’s nest, animal tracks, etc.
  • Items in a neighborhood: traffic light, street sign, mailbox, flag, fire hydrant, fence, etc.
  • Local landmarks or points of interest in the community (park, water, building)
  • Players doing certain activities (making a silly face, climbing on a rock, standing on one foot, etc.)

Mix and match to add some challenge: a red door, a blue flower, a white car.

Scavenger Hunt Variations

  • In a photo scavenger hunt, instead of collecting objects, players take a photo of the items they find, the places they have to locate, or the activity they have to perform. It would require participants to have a camera or smartphone to complete.
  • A virtual scavenger hunt is a great way to connect with friends and family in different locations. The hunt occurs in various locations, but the items you search for are the same. Participants complete the scavenger hunt and then connect with other players over a video conferencing platform.
  • Being outside is a way to get in some physical activity. Being out in nature has other positive benefits. Direct exposure to nature and the outdoors has been found to have a restorative and calming effect. It shifts focus and provides an escape. Check out this site for some ideas for a nature scavenger hunt.
  • If fitness is your focus, direct participants to go to various locations and add in a physical activity to do at each location: 10 jumping jacks, walking lunges, push ups, etc.
  • There’s an app for that! Scavenger hunts have gone digital! You can create one using the Goosechase. This free app lets you create and organize your own scavenger hunt, or you can use the bank of 100+ tested games.

Whatever format you decide on, have fun doing it! Happy hunting!

References

Beighle, A., &  Darst, P. W. (2004). Fitness scavenger hunts for middle school students. Strategies, 17(6), 13–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2004.11000369

Gruno, J., & Gribbons, S. L. (2020). Incorporating nature-based physical activity in physical and health education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 91(3), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2019.1705210