Activity:
Fishing for Healthy Foods
Overview
In this activity, participants will become familiar with a variety of healthy food options and learn
how different foods can be combined into healthy, balanced meals.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:
• Identify the five major food groups.
• Identify some common properties among foods in each group.
• Understand what it means to eat a balanced diet.
Audience
Kindergarten to 5th grade
Materials
• Pictures of healthy foods from all food groups, preferably laminated, with Velcro on back
and paperclip attached. Examples from all the food groups include:
o Grains: bread, cereal, pasta, flour tortillas
o Vegetables: broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant
o Fruits: apples, bananas, blueberries, 100% fruit juice
o Dairy: milk, yogurt, cheese
o Proteins: turkey, eggs, fish, peanut butter
• Fishing poles: dowel (can be found at department and craft stores), string, magnet
• Fish pond: container to hold food pictures
• Several paper plates (with 5 Velcro hooks) or Velcro board on which to assemble healthy
meals
• Laminating paper for best results
Duration
30 minutes
Activity Preparation
Cut out and laminate a variety of pictures of healthy foods (see examples above). Individual food
items work best so that participants can practice naming the items. Look for pictures of fruits and
vegetables that are larger than pictures of foods from other food groups. Place a small piece of
Velcro on the back of the picture and attach a paperclip to each picture. Make a fishing pole (or
several, depending on the size of the group doing the activity) by attaching a string to a dowel and
tying a magnet to the other end of the string.
Activity:
Fishing for Healthy Foods
String
Paperclip
Velcro Magnet
FRONT BACK
Dowel
Instructions
1. Begin this activity with a discussion about the major food groups, asking some or all of the
following questions:
o What are some healthy foods you enjoy eating? What makes it a healthy food? [Provides
you with a variety of nutrients like healthy carbohydrates, protein, good fats, vitamins and
minerals that give you energy and help keep your body strong.]
o Why should we eat those healthy foods? [Discuss which nutrients benefit different parts
of the body. Example: Calcium in milk is good for bones and teeth.]
o What are the 5 major food groups (based on USDA recommendations)? [Write the
following food groups on the board or flipchart paper: Meat/protein, Grains, Fruits,
Vegetables, Milk/dairy]
o Can you give examples of foods in those food groups? Which ones make a meal? [List
participants’ answers on the board or flipchart paper under the appropriate food group.]
2. Place all of the foods in a large tub or container in the room and invite participants to take
turns fishing for healthy foods.
3. Separate participants into small groups of 4-5 and have each individual fish for one food
item that could be part of a healthy meal. Once they each have had a turn to fish for a food
item, instruct each group to Velcro their food choices to one of the paper plates with 5
Velcro hooks to represent a healthy meal. Encourage them to choose an array of colors
when selecting fruits and vegetables.
4. Ask participants why they think the fruits and vegetable selections are larger than other food
choices. Explain that healthy eating includes eating 5 servings of a variety of fruits and
vegetables every day. Therefore, fruits and vegetables should make up a large portion of
what they eat during the day.
Variation: If time is limited, have each participant come up one at a time to fish for a food item,
Velcro each one onto a Velcro board (or tape to the wall/board) at the front of the room, and then
work together as a group to rearrange the pictures of food to make a healthy meal for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner.
Produced with a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30ES010126).
© The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. All Rights Reserved.
Fishing for Healthy Foods
Chicken
Bacon
Tuna Fish
Egg
Steak
Ham Beans
Peanut Butter Nuts
e a l
Cer
Bread
Cereal
Oatmeal
Crackers
Granola Roll
Tortillas Pasta
Pretzel
Popcorn
Apple Banana
Blueberries Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Kiwi
Raisins
Applesauce
Grapes Orange
Avocado Celery
Carrots Broccoli
Potato Eggplant
Salad
Corn
Peas
Tomato
Milk Milk
Milk Chocolate Milk
Cheese String Cheese
Cream Cheese Yogurt
Yogurt
Yogurt
