I have the pleasure of working with some great moms at our elementary school on an upcoming school assembly (for the students) that is all about real food! This is something we’ve never done before at our school, and it supports the initiatives for our new Healthy Child and Earth Committee. When we first started planning out the assembly we were honestly not sure where to start – I mean I talk to adults all day long about real food (you guys!), but a couple hundred kids? Some of which are brand new to the topic? So thankfully another local food blogger, Adri Warrick with The Whole Tulip, shared with us that she uses the red light/green light concept from a kids book called Eat Healthy, Feel Great when she talks to the kids at her school. That bit of information was exactly what we needed to get started, and today I want to share a version of our presentation, that was inspired by this concept, with you that you can easily share with the kids in your life. :)
Thanks to the team of moms I am working with on our school assembly, here is a kid-friendly transcript about eating "real food" that you can literally sit down and read together with your children:
How To Fuel Your Body
Close your eyes and pretend that you are sitting in the coolest, fastest race car you can imagine. Maybe it's a red race car or a green one or even a car with racing stripes or flames painted down the sides. Now start up that engine, push your foot down on the gas pedal, and start zooming around the race track. Be sure to watch out for other cars - Vroom Vroom!! Wait a second...you are low on gas, which means it is time for a pit stop. What do you think is the best way to fuel your new high-performance machine? Top quality gasoline of course! Only the best quality will give you the best performance. But what would happen if instead you decided to fill your new race car with gloppy, thick mud? Yuck! How do you think that would make your car perform? How fast would it go? I bet it would be slow and feel weighed down. And that's because - just like with your own body - the fuel that you use is very important to doing your best. Getting exercise along with the food you eat impacts how you feel, think, and perform tasks. Without a balanced and healthy diet - tasks like reading, writing, and even thinking can be harder for your body. So today we are going to learn how to make healthy food choices so you know how to "fuel" your body so you can feel and do your best.
Traffic Light Foods
To understand what foods are good for your body we are going to use this traffic signal. Green Light Foods are "go" foods that will fuel your body in the best way possible by giving you the energy and nutrients your body and brain need to feel top notch. We will also talk about Yellow Light Foods, which are "sometimes" foods - these are okay to eat sometimes. And lastly we will go over Red Light Foods, which are foods you should avoid and try to not put in your body.
Green Light Foods
Once again, Green Light Foods make your body feel and work the best. Many Green Light Foods come from plants. These foods can be picked out of a garden, out of a field, or off of trees. These are foods like bananas, carrots, oranges, avocados, apples, grapes, berries, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, cucumbers, artichokes, broccoli, green beans, peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and more! There are so many healthy fruits and vegetables to choose from - which ones are your favorites?
Some other Green Light Foods that also come from plants are beans, nuts, seeds, and whole-grains. Beans like black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, and kidney beans are all great for fueling your body. There are also many types of nuts including cashews, pecans, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, and many more. Seeds can come from plants like sunflowers or pumpkins. And when you think about breads and grains - whole grains are the most nutritious because they still have all the important parts intact - and you can see the difference in bread, pasta, and rice that is brown or tan in color. Not white or light yellow.
Lastly, some Green Light Foods can come from healthy animals as well. Think about foods like eggs, milk, and cheese that come from happy animals. And some meat products like fresh fish and also chicken and beef that come from animals that roam on wide open, grassy fields are good for you as well. The best and most nutritious animal products almost always come from small, local and/or organic farmers. So be sure to get those Green Light Foods from the farmers' market - or look for the word "organic" on the label.
Remember...Green Light Foods are "go" foods that will give your body the fuel it needs. Just be sure to wash down all those healthy Green Light Foods with lots of water!
-
Yellow Light Foods
Yellow Light Foods are foods that are okay to eat sometimes. Just like the yellow stop light means to slow down, you don’t want to eat too many of these foods. A lot of yellow light foods are made with white flour and sugar. Think about treats you make at home with sugar like cookies that you mix up in a bowl or homemade birthday cake. Also, packaged foods like pretzels, crackers, and white bread are Yellow Light Foods because they are oftentimes made with white flour instead of the healthier whole-wheat flour. Some other yellow light foods are lemonade, chocolate milk, and other sugary drinks. Treats like ice cream as well are yellow light foods, which again means these foods are okay to eat sometimes. But you do have to watch out because some of these foods can also have red light ingredients, which you will learn about next.
So just remember, yellow light means slow down and don’t eat too many of these because they are "sometimes" foods.
-
Red Light Foods
Red Light FoodsRed Light Foods are foods you want to avoid as much as possible. Most Red Light Foods are made in factories and come in packages. The best way to know if something is a Red Light Food is to read the ingredients on the back of the package. And that is because Red Light Foods contain Red Light Ingredients. Here are some examples...
More About Red Light Ingredients...
--> Red Light Ingredient #1: Artificial Dyes
- If a packaged food is bright in color it probably contains artificial dyes.
- These are bad because they are fake additives made by food scientists from petroleum (the same substance used to make gasoline!) – so they are not good for your health. These chemicals make some kids so hyper they cannot sit still in class.
- Look on the ingredient label for words like Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, and Artificial Color – and avoid them.
--> Red Light Ingredient #2: Hydrogenated Oils
- If a food is made with Hydrogenated Oil that means it contains trans fat – some examples are store-bought frosting, sprinkles and margarine (fake butter).
- This is bad because eating a lot of trans fat is not good for your organs including your heart, which is part of your body's engine!
- Look for the words Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Oil on the ingredient label – and avoid them.
--> Red Light Ingredient #3: High Fructose Corn Syrup
- High Fructose Corn Syrup is a sugar made from corn – corn kernels are not bad, but High Fructose Corn Syrup is and it is in a lot of packaged sweet treats like soda, fake syrup, and also things that don’t even look like they are treats, like jelly.
- Eating too much of any kind of sugar can make you overweight and unhealthy, which can really slow you down.
- Look for the word High Fructose Corn Syrup on the label and avoid it.
--> Red Light Ingredient #4: Words You Cannot Pronounce or Would Not Cook With At Home
- Avoid other ingredients that you have never heard of and would not cook with at home.
- Here are some examples – can you even pronounce these words?
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG – a salty additive)
- Maltodextrin (another highly processed food additive made from corn)
- Aspartame (fake sugar)
- Sodium Benzoate (a chemical to make food last longer – what’s also called a preservative)
- Propylene Glycol (also used as antifreeze in cars and boats!)
Pictured are some foods that contain Red Light Ingredients and are not good for your health – instead focus on eating foods and ingredients that you are familiar with and would cook with at home…like the Green Light Foods we talked about earlier!
One more Red Light Food to watch out for is all "fast food." Think again of the Green Light Foods, like a pumpkin for example. What would happen if your Halloween pumpkin was still sitting on your front porch? It would be all rotted and nasty. Well believe it or not fast food meals that are even as old as you...6, 7, 8 years old or even older still practically look brand new! That is because the chemical additives that aren’t good for you can make processed food last for what seems like forever. That doesn't sound like something that would do a good job fueling your body! So remember, red light means stop - so the next time you pick up a packaged food "stop" to see if it contains any red light ingredients.
Be A Label Detective
Now, it is your job to be a label detective so you can figure out if the food you are about to eat is a Green Light Food, Yellow Light Food, or Red Light Food. Even if a food package has a fun cartoon character on the front or you see a commercial about it on TV it or it says "fruit" on the box it can still contain Red Light Ingredients, which is why you have to turn the package over and read the ingredient label. Let's start by reading a couple labels together.
At first these look like they could possibly be yellow light foods, but read the ingredient label next to it to find all the Red Light Ingredients (items that are hard to pronounce and that you would not cook with at home)!
Remember if a Green Light Food has an ingredient label at all the list will be short (5 or less ingredients) and it will not contain any white flour, sugar, or Red Light Ingredients. But the best Green Light Foods for your body do not even come in a package or have an ingredient list at all!
It is really important to fuel your body with LOTS of Green Light Foods every single day - especially fruits and veggies - so you can feel good and be healthy! Plus don't forget to wash down all those Green Light Foods with plenty of water and also be sure to get lots of exercise as well. When you feel your best...you do your best!
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Speaking of kids, one of the ways I make my children's real food lunches fun is by adding little notes from Lunchbox Love. Yes, I could probably write my own notes on my own paper, but let's face it - they wouldn't be nearly as cute or creative or fun and chances are at some point I would probably forget to keep doing it. Having the Lunchbox Love cards with our school lunch supplies is a great reminder for me, and not only do they have a heartfelt message (or a blank spot where you can write your own!), but the other side also has fun facts, jokes or other tidbits. I started sending these cards in my 2nd grader's lunch at the beginning of the school year and she was so excited about them she said to me, "Mom, can you please buy me a frame to keep all these notes in?" We settled on a little box and sure enough she has quite the collection now that the school year is mostly over. And now that my kindergartener is learning to read we've been sending them in her lunch as well...just like big sis. :) So anyway, yes Lunchbox Love is one of sponsors, but I am here to tell you even if they weren't I'd still be buying and sending these little notes with my girls (who in turn share them with their friends) so you'll have to take a look at what they offer. Also be sure to check out their "grown up" notes as well that would be great to give with teacher gifts at the end of the year or to moms on Mother's Day. Just like the name - we love these cards
Michelle says
I love this!
Kate says
This is great work, but I have to second what someone else said about MSG. It is as common as salt and pepper in some homes, easily found at Asian markets in the US, and just not correct to say it would not be used in someone's home kitchen. Just a word of caution so you don't turn off an entire group of people.
Lisa says
Kate - As I responded to the other commenter (and as stated above) Red Light Ingredients are ingredients you cannot pronounce OR that you would not cook with at home. I personally think Monosodium Glutamate is hard to pronounce – not to mention it isn’t good for you.
Dana says
Keep up the great work Lisa! I will be ordering this book soon!!
Lisa G says
Yesterday at the grocery store I heard a young kid begging his dad for baby carrots. He even had his own little mini shopping cart! Unfortunately the dad had to decline since they had just bought carrots, but there is hope for the younger generation yet :) Made me smile!
Rachel says
Yesterday 2 fifth grade were fighting over the last few carrots I had brought as a snsck for my after school club. .. it made my day (and I let them know it too).
Nancy Hamline says
Gross. Yet another reason I'm glad my kids are homeschooled. Maybe if schools actually spent more time teaching basic math and reading skills instead of promoting personal convictions our educational system would not be such an embarrassing joke. Do you really think kids don't know that eating chips and soda is not healthy and apples and carrots are? They eat it because it tastes good and their parents aren't bothered by it. And guess what, they're allowed to make that choice. I'd like to know if the kids were allowed the choice to get up a and walk out if they disagreed with you or just weren't interested. Or were they forced to be subjected to your personal crusade. I have been eating unprocessed foods exclusively way before it was trendy but I have yet to approach a child and tell him not to eat the food his parents serve him. I also don't presume to know the budgetary constraints of other families that might effect the decisions they make at the grocery store.
Sunnie says
Maybe if our schools taught more about health and taking care of our bodies more than 1/3 of the youth in America wouldn't be obese or overweight. And I honestly do think that some kids don't know an alternative to junk food because they aren't given an opportunity to choose healthier food. It doesn't have to be all organic to be better for you. And she's not forcing anybody to change anything, just suggesting ways for kids to be healthier. I don't understand why anyone would have such a problem with that.
ibatxrn says
Well Nancy when parents are not intelligent enough or too lazy to teach kids how to eat right, someone else has got to do it. Kids deserve to be taught why good foods are good for their bodies. I wish I would have learned a lot sooner than now!!
Elizabeth says
I knew they were unhealthy when I was younger, but as a child I looked up to the adults in the assemblies, especially when they made the presentation in a way I could understand it. The way Lisa puts it here, a child could easily understand it, and it might not convince ALL of the children to start eating better, but maybe more of them will ask for fruits and vegetables. It always made it more personal to me when someone came to my school to talk to us about things, instead of just seeing it on television. Also, I think with the kids seeing it at school, they could take it home with them and teach their parents something as well :)
Lisa Y says
We have to start somewhere! The younger generation needs to be better educated about healthy eating since it's obvious our generation has fallen into the processed food trap. As the saying goes; it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks...well if the parents aren't going to change we need to teach the young pups about the importance of whole foods so they will be the leaders of change for a healthier society in the future!
Lisa Y says
We have to start somewhere! It's obvious something has gone wrong with our generation and the way we eat when you look at the obesity rates and diet related health issues that have been on the rise over the last several decades...along with the popularity of processed foods. Since the parents have fallen into the processed food trap we have to try to educate the younger generation and the best way to do that is in school. It's like the saying goes "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"...if the parents aren't going to make the change toward healthier eating then we have to teach the young pups and hope that future generations will get back into eating whole foods.
Dawn R says
This is an amazing article. I've been on an overwhelming journey to find healthier choices for my family, including a toddler. This is a great way to share valuable information with kids of all ages (even sometimes the parents that don't think "we eat all that bad". Thank you so much for putting this together!
Lora Downie says
Will you be sharing the slides so we can use this as a resource for our schools? I'd be willing to pay!
Lisa says
I appreciate that Lora, but when I created the PowerPoint I didn't exactly go through the proper channels when obtaining the clip art (I was thinking it was just for the school and not the web) so unfortunately it's not something I can share publicly! I went and purchased the clip art above before writing this post.
Heather Novak says
Even though this is aimed at kids, it has inspired me to go juice instead of take a nap...I am OBVIOUSLY out of fuel...nap would be lovely, but so would some SAHM productivity! THANKS!!!!
Lisa says
I have always heard that fully hydrogenated oil is not the same as partially hydrogenated and therefore is not considered trans fat. Only the partially is. Fully hydrogenated is still not great for you, but is not considered trans fat.
Sari says
I am trying to put together some information about real foods for the Parent Council at my kids' school and this stuff is great. Would you mind if I copied the info to hand out to them (I would definitely give your website credit)?
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Sari - Sure feel free to share according to our terms of use policy here https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/terms-of-use/#sharing.
Edward says
Interesting, but I'm 14, I need an article> How to talk to your parents about real food? lol
Cathy says
Leatn to cook, either at home or through school then cook healthy recipes for your parents. My daughter has always been a healthier cook than me. She taught me a lot, because parents love to cook meals that are healthy and make their kids happy.
Andrea says
Hi Edward,
Funny you should say that. I just printed it out in 2 copies for both of my parents, leaving off the intro and the title. My parents have grown up in a very different era - in communism, I am from Hungary - where the notion of food was very different from what are on shelves today. So not only are they uneducated about food choices, they are also unfamiliar with processed foods, and believe any label that says "healthy" or else, without thinking critically (or at all). Now that I kindof grew up, started to cook for myself, try to make wise food choices, I am doing my best to talk sense into them, but it is a challenge. I am fully on whole foods, and my mom is starting a diet with meal replacer shakes next week. I am not saying they should eat like me, but I am worried, sad, and angry at the world about it sometimes...
Andrea
Edward says
If you have Netflix, watch the movie: Hungry for Change. (with your parents. Companies do this just to make a profit. Meal-replacer shakes are definitely not good. I shared some links with you below for more information.
(http://the-illuminati.net/2013/04/nine-reasons-to-never-eat-processed-foods-again/)
(http://www.blackherbals.com/dirty_secrets_of_the_food_processing_industry.htm)
(http://www.naturalnews.com/019957_food_marketing_companies.html)
(http://www.rodale.com/food-additives)
(http://www.cracked.com/article_19433_the-6-most-horrifying-lies-food-industry-feeding-you.html)
Also, to let you know what aspartame is. Aspartame comes from the fecal matter of ecoli. Just thought you should know. Good Luck!
Elly says
I love this article and I would like to share it with my classroom next school year. Is there a way I can access it again in September? Thank you for making such a kid-friendly message!!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Elly. The article will remain on the blog. Just use the search bar when you need to pull it back up again. :) ~Amy
Cathy says
Some racial bias here. I have MSG sitting in my spice cabinet. It is used frequently in the Chinese home. I personally don't use it often.
Lisa says
Cathy - As stated above Red Light Ingredients are ingredients you cannot pronounce OR that you would not cook with at home. I personally think Monosodium Glutamate is hard to pronounce - not to mention it isn't good for you.
Cathy says
Really? It's harder than Sodium Chloride (salt), or tumeric or cinnamon (had to even look up how to spell that one). It's hard for you because you didn't grow up with it. There's a lot of research showing that it's not as bad as all the lay press makes it out to be and for the few who react it's pretty immediate, not insidious, kind of like how some Asians react to alcohol. The thing is most packaged foods in the US with MSG have a bunch of other junk too.
Lisa says
Cathy - Your comments are getting a little off-topic from the post here. Yes, I think it's hard to pronounce and so do my children. That's all there is to it.
Amanda says
MSG causes me and my grandmother both to have migraines that last at least 24 hours and usually around 2 days.
I also think that it is unnecessary to put "flavor enhancers" in food. MSG is not a spice, it's a processed additive. I think the "if you can't pronounce it" rule is cute, but really the point is that these kinds of ingredients were made in a laboratory and are used as a means of making low quality food have more flavor and addictive qualities.
Have you looked up what MSG does to the brain? It is an excitotoxin which basically overstimulates your nerve cells to death. Wow, so delicious! and then dead brain cells.
Cathy says
Where do you get your info? MSG originally came from seaweed, so very natural. Now it's made in a fermintation process similiar to vinegar. I'm sorry MSG gives you migraines. Lots of folks gets migraines with cheeses or red wine. That doesn't make them bad foods for everyone, just something you are sensitive to and should avoid. In my book MSG is no worse than salt, small amouts are acceptable. There's a great deal of history about the MSG hysteria and much has to do for ethnicity. I have learned lots from this site, but maybe I'll have to find one with a wider world view.
Amy Williams says
I agree with MSG and headaches. My husband found that cutting out MSG really helped to shield from headaches (and refined salts - yay for Celtic sea salt and Himalayan salts!:))
ibatxrn says
Racial Bias??? Really??? I don't even understand where that came from!!!!
Cathy says
Sorry I should have said ethnocentric. You didn't grow up with Monosodium glutamate because you aren't Chinese. If you had it might be as common to you as salt and yes your Grandparents would have probably cooked with it too.
Debbie says
Love this, I'll be using it with my 5 year old for sure! I hope some parents are in attendance, too! Good luck, Lisa!
Cassie says
This really helpful. Thank you. I talk to my kids about this all the time, but it will be nice to just say red light food sometimes. I was wondering what you say to your kids about how other people eat. This comes up in our house sometimes. My 5 year old will tell people why they shouldn't eat certain foods or fast food and I feel like people get offended.
Katie says
Thanks so much for this. My kids (4 and 6) are very much on board with healthy eating and we talk about "sometimes" foods vs. "always" foods that are good for our bodies. The difficulty I am having is that I am trying to launch a wellness committee at our school where the majority of students receive free or discounted school lunch and there is a "free breakfast in the classroom" program available to all. If I were to approach school leadership about adopting the light system for healthy eating guidelines, the majority of the breakfast items and a lot of the lunch items would be red light foods. The food is provided by a food service company and while I would like to see changes made to improve what is offered, it will be a slow process. Any suggestions in the meantime?
Because me
Kristen says
This is great! When will you be doing the assembly? My 7 year old daughter goes to the same school so I'm very excited for her to hear what you have to say. We just moved here last summer and it took a friend of mine across the country to make me aware of your blog and how ironic you are in our own backyard. You do fantastic work and I thank you for the wonderful information you provide!
Pam says
This is awesome! I have been trying to talk more about real foods with my 8 year-old son and this will be a great way to teach him more. Thank you for teaching ME and helping me pass on this to my son (and husband!). I wish schools would include nutrition and fitness just like math and reading.
Bree {Skinny Mommy} says
I love this and will definitely share it!
sommer says
Hi. Love following your stuff. Can this be put onto a pdf so we can download and use for homeschool. If not, I can just read off the computer. keep up the good work!
Marcy Braun says
Research is clear that it's the adults in a child's world that need this info. In a better world, adults (at every level: government, teachers, parents, etc) would be watching out for kids so their "exposure" to things they shouldn't eat would be limited. While kids can get an "A" on a test of healthy eating, that doesn't mean that they have the sophistication to actually choose the right foods...that's the adult's job. In my work with eating disorders, I see a lot of guilt and conflict related in part to getting a message "I shouldn't WANT that Oreo." Please shield your kids from too much information!
Rachel says
I can see that perspective too, but I'm a bit worried about my daughter getting treased next year for eating only or mostly real foods at school when she starts kinder. I would think there would be less likelyhood of that happening if her classmates knew some of this info. I hope a handout is prepared for the parents too see after the assembly as well because the parents really do have most of the control.
Amy Williams says
Rachel, I can assure you there is no teasing about real food in Kinder. My boys, in fact, come home telling me stories about lunch time and how other kids wish they could have healthy food packed also! It's only been positive! :)
Kati says
This is immensely helpful. My 6 year old hears it from me to which I recieve many eye rolls. Any chance your older child could make a video hitting on these?? I've learned they're much more convinced if they hear something from someone closer to their age (like Birke Baehr). Love these ideas. Thank you for sharing!
Rachel says
I second Kati's idea. It would be great for the kids to hear this from a kid if you're oldest is willing and able to lend a helping hand. Either way. .. thank you Lisa.
Jesse T says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I talk to my kids all the time about ingredients and good food, but this is such a clear explanation. I will certainly share it with them. Thank you!!!
Lori says
I love this article. I am going to read it with my tween daughter this weekend. Thank you!
lisa says
This should be done in EVERY school! What a great way for kids to learn about healthy eating. I especially love the idea of being a label detective to help make kids aware of what's really in the foods they are eating.
Stephanie O says
Thanks for this post it is so helpful.
Sara K says
There's a great discussion like this in several chapters of Dr. Sears' book "The Healthiest Kid in the neighborhood". Even with younger kids, you can have them look at food labels and count how many ingredients. More than 5 ingredients, or some that reading-age kids can't pronounce is usually not a good thing. I'd be curious about the response you receive, too.
Danielle says
I absolutely love this idea! I have a typical 6 year old who loves white bread, chicken fingers & cakes. In the past few years I've gained a new perspective on nutrition & fitness and have since then adapted a much healthier life style for myself and my children, cutting out things like white bread, chicken fingers & cakes, so my son wasn't started early on understanding the benefits of healthy food. (I got my 2 year old daughter hooked from the start.) This will be a great thing for him and I to sit down and read together, especially since they use the traffic light concept in school to teach behavior. I will definitely be sharing this with followers on my own facebook page! :)
Kristin says
Great Post! Loved that you put a picture of Kraft mac & cheese under the red light section, nice dig, Ha,Ha! I'm going to pass it on to my children's school guidance consular. The school is working on an overall healthy child initiative, physical, emotional, nutritional, etc.
Lisa says
I would like to start baking and cooking with lard. So far the only thing I can find is a brand that says lard and hydrogenated lard. I know hydrogenated isn't good but wouldn't this be better compared to vegetable shortening?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Lisa. Depending on where you live, you might have to order it online but you can definitely purchase non-hydrogenated lard. Any hydrogenated fat is not good for you. Hope that helps. ~Amy
Angela says
Forgot to add that besides the stoplight... One of my favorite parts is that the green foods have no label!!!!!
Ruth says
Great idea for older kids! Maybe a little too complicated (reading labels) and 'too much information' for younger ones! I think my kindergartener would tune out a lot of the red food explanation! We use the wolf and three pigs analogy with brick food, stick food, and straw food, and that has made a lasting impression on my kid!
Kudos to you for taking on this challenge at school!
Angela says
Excellent excellent job! Love it - great school presentation for kids and wonderful pictures to help apply the teaching points!!!
Lisa Bluford says
Awesome post! I've been trying to talk to my 5-year-old about it, but I knew I needed to go deeper into the subject with her. Thank you so much for a great tool for doing that.
Sara says
Love this concept and I'd love for you to do a follow up on how the kids respond and how their parents respond. It seems that there are two very distinct camps on Real Food and some of those who are blissfully ignorant REALLY don't want to know. Kinda like when I was a kid and hearing all of the anti-smoking info and then I'd run home and lecture my Dad about smoking. I wonder if you will have any parents who are less than thrilled to have their children suddenly informed and interested in Real Food! I hope it's all positive, but either way, I'd love to hear how it all goes! Thanks for your work, when my kids get to Elementary school I'll be looking back at these posts for inspiration. :)
Diana says
My thoughts exactly, Sara. I'm a 2nd grade teacher and we do a healthy eating unit later in the year. in the past, it's focused on fresh fruits and veg and avoiding fatty and sugary foods. I'd like to switch the focus to something exactly like this, but fear the parent feedback. So I'd also really love to know how they responded.
Karen says
Nicely done, Lisa. This is an easy way for kids (and adults!) to remember how to eat. :-)
Jass says
Luvi it! This is great thank u! For another awesome post! Blessings and have a great day! :0)
Victoria says
I am definitely sharing this with the friends of mine that have children!
Courtney @ FamilyGoneHealthy says
My oldest daughter is only 3 so I don't know if she will understand all of this quite yet, but I LOVE the approach of red/yellow/green light foods. It really simplifies the concept for kids and makes it easy for them to understand and hopefully teach their peers as well!
krista says
Awesome post!!! Love it.