Food for thought-200

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Can a cookbook save your life?

We need food to live, but are we making the best choices when it comes to nutrition? A healthy, well-balanced diet can help people achieve optimal health and reduce the risk of illness. In this project, students will learn to make healthier choices by diving deep into the world of nutrition. Students will use their creativity to design and test healthy recipes. They will think like dieticians, using data to improve on their delicious designs. Finally, they’ll present their nutritious dishes to a live audience and create a cookbook to sell for a charitable cause.

Imagine if thousands of students just like yours, all around the country, made small changes to improve their lifestyles. It could add up to an incredible force for good!

Project Learning Targets

Lesson 1: Students understand that nutrition is really, really important.

Lesson 2: Students evaluate whether foods are healthy or not.

Lesson 3: Students discuss and debate perspectives on nutrition.

Lesson 4: Students think mathematically to analyze nutrition labels.

Lesson 5: Students use creative thinking to generate multiple recipes.

Lesson 6: Students collaborate to make their healthy recipes.

Lesson 7: Students use data to improve their recipes.

Lesson 8: Students present their food with poise, polish, pizzazz, and also panache.

For lesson descriptions, download the project overview.

For K–8 content connections, download the content correlations.

What is included with your project? 

Sample Online Resources
  • “Your Heart or Mine” Card Game
  • Why Kids Should Eat Healthy and Exercise                    (YouTube 2:27)
  • “Is it Time to Label GMO Foods?” Article
  • Chef Hat Template
  • “All That and a Bag of Chips!” Activity
  •  And so much more!
Kit Supplies
  • Star Stickers
  • Healthy Track Cards 
  • Gregory, the Terrible Eater Book
  • Chef Hat Cardstock
  • Chef Hat Tissue Paper
  • English Language Arts: Writing Explanatory Texts
  • Math: Equivalent Fractions
  • Science: Sensory Information
  • Social Studies: Role of Science and Technology
  • Social-Emotional Learning: Self-Awareness and Self-Management
  • Advice from kids.gov
  • Meet a Nutritionist
  • Learn from a Toxicologist
  • Connect with the Community
  • Publish and Sell
Recipe Swap

After your class has made their culinary creations, do this activity again with students from a partner class or school. Students will “eat up” the opportunity to have some more food fun!

  • Applying Creative and Critical Thinking
  • Student Choice and Voice

To see a complete list of what’s included in your project, download the project overview.

About the Author

Edwin Maisonet

STEM Teacher
McCleery Elementary School
Aurora, IL

Each Blue Apple Project Includes:

Are you a DIY-er?
FREE

Don’t have time for DIY?
$60

Edwin Maisonet

STEM Teacher
McCleery Elementary School
Aurora, IL

Hello! My name is Edwin Maisonet and I received my B.A. in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University. I subsequently earned a Masters Degree in Teacher Leadership and Life Science from Aurora University. In the past I have taught self-contained elementary classrooms in grades 2-6. Currently, I am employed by Aurora West School District 129, and serve as the STEM teacher at McCleery Elementary School. My hobbies included English literature, playing the electric bass, and talking science.