AgEducation Resources- February is Heart Month
Grains are heart-healthy! February is Heart Month, a great time to talk about the role of whole grains in good health. Helping students develop good nutrition habits sets them up for a lifetime of healthy eating. To help you get started, learn more about heart health from the University of Ottawa.
Cereal Slayer
From Alberta, the Cereal Slayer activity will teach students how to recognize sources of whole grains and how to read the product labels. The activity included discussion questions and supplementary resources about the shocking facts about sugar.
Nutrients for Heart Health (video)
Although people know fibre is important, many people don’t know how to incorporate it into their diet. Watch Michelle Jaelin, Registered Dietitian, discuss heart-healthy nutrients on CTV Kitchener News at Noon.
Canada’s Food Guide
Canada’s Food Guide provides a good foundation for understanding nutrition, including the role of whole grains. Bonus: it complements Ontario’s curriculum requirements for Health and Physical Education (gov.on.ca) (D.2.2 Making Healthy Choices) . And check out Canada’s Food Guide Digital Activity for grades 4 – 6, including a teacher guide and downloadable resources.
Lesson Plan: Whole Grains
From Super Healthy Kids, a resource for talking to students about whole grains and a poster activity to identify different types of grains. Includes links to other resources.
Food & Fun After School
Harvard College provides Food & Fun After School to teach children the importance of eating whole grains. Activities include Mosaic Creations, Red Hen relay, a variety of recipes (print and send home!) and a whole grain taste test.
Heart Health in Women
You spend your day taking care of others—don’t forget about yourself. As Statistics Canada reports, 84% of elementary and kindergarten teachers and 59% of secondary school teachers are women. As women are more affected by heart disease and stroke, Good in Every Grain offers Whole grains are important for heart health in women with information about the role of whole grains in women’s heart health.
