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Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

Pick a better snack - Educator Lessons

The following lessons are for students in grades K-3 to promote fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. They are designed to be taught by a nutrition educator in the classroom once a month. The lessons coordinate with the Pick a Better SnackTM  bingo cards and family newsletters, which are sent home after each lesson.

There are three sets of lessons that are repeated every three years and follow a tasting schedule. Fact sheets and coloring pages available on this website may be used to supplement the lessons. Nutrition educators must review these important food safety steps before teaching and using proper food safety practices.

The lessons support Iowa's Academic Standards for health education and science. The specific standards are listed in each lesson. Additionally, an overview of the standards addressed can be found in these documents.

Most lessons are 30 minutes. While the lesson in this video is a little shorter, it provides an example of a typical lesson.

To learn more about the efficacy of the program, check out the SNAP-Ed Toolkit.

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image of page 1 from September lessons

Year 1 Lessons (2023-2024)

Note: All K-1 and 2-3 Lesson documents are PDFs unless labeled otherwise. 

September: Cantaloupe

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

October: Jicama

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

November: Cranberries

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

December: Broccoli & Cauliflower

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

January: Mangos

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

February: Peppers

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

March: Oranges

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

April: Asparagus

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

May: Strawberry

K-1 Lesson  |  2-3 Lesson

Year 2 Lessons (2022-2023)

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

 

Year 3 Lessons

The lessons below were designed for fruits and vegetables that can be sourced locally in Iowa. Nutrition educators can choose to offer a food tasting of one or more of the featured produce.

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

 

Additional Worksheets

Nutrition educators may use these worksheets with the lessons posted above or with nutrition education sessions held afterschool or during the summer.

 

You may use the Contact Us system to send us a question online. For more information on the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) SNAP Program contact 1-877-347-5678.

This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Read the full non-discrimination statement and learn how to file a complaint.