MUSCOGEE COUNTY School District
Muscogee County School District’s Nutrition Services department is proud to be participating in Wellness Wednesdays celebrating & teaching kids the importance of nutrition education during National Nutrition Month!
Celebrating the importance of nutrition education!
Carrots | Cherries | Beans | Dragon Fruit
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Carrots
Carrots are a type of root vegetable underground
Carrots are 88% water.
WINTERS underground!
Carrots are biennials, which means they have a 2-year life cycle.
Vitamin A
more vivid colors during the day
How far can you read down this eye chart?
speed up the healing process of cuts & scrapes. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin.
How do you know carrots are good for the eyes?
You never see a rabbit wearing glasses!
Vitamin A supports the immune system to fight off infections.
Cherries
Cherries are a type of stone fruit - a fleshy fruit that contains a hard “pit” inside.
Honeybees
cherry trees main pollinators.
Bing cherries –the most popular variety of cherry.
Tart cherries are most often used for baking.
2 main types of cherries: tart & sweet.
Cherry trees can grow up to be 33 feet tall!
Cherries grow on trees that are known for their flowers – the cherry blossom.
Over 1,000 varieties.
An entire cherry tree can be harvested in just 7 seconds.
A typical cherry tree produces ~ 7,000 cherries.
A cherry tree can survive and produce fruit for around 100 years.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C supports the immune systemthe body’s defense against infections.
ENERGY booster!
Vitamin C is also referred to as “ascorbic acid.”
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect against damage caused by exposure to harmful substances in the environment.
The body cannot make vitamin C on its own - it has to come from food.
Vitamin C helps keep you happy & healthy! What do you call a vitamin that improves your eyesight?
A
Vitamin C!
Vitamin C is a very important vitamin for healthy gums & teeth.
Beans
Beans are the seeds plants – typically grown in pods.
Beans have been cultivated by humans for 6,000 years.
Most Popular Types of Beans:
1. Green Beans
2. Kidney Beans
3. Pinto Beans
4. Lima Beans
All beans are a part legume family.
Try growing some beans in your garden!
There are over 40,000 types of beans.
Pods come in various shades green, , red purple.
Iron carries oxygen in the blood, supports the immune system & proper brain function
2 forms of iron: Heme & Non-heme.
Heme comes from animal meat and is easily absorbed into the body after eaten. comes from plant foodslike beans!
Iron is found in EVERY cell of the body.
Non-heme sources of iron are best absorbed into the body when eaten with a source of vitamin C, like an orange.
Iron helps muscles function by carrying oxygen to their cells.
Supports a healthy immune system.
Human blood is RED because of iron and oxygen reacting with each other.
The body uses iron to make hemoglobin.
80% of the Earth’s crust is composed of iron.
Hemoglobin helps carry and transport oxygen in the blood to other parts of the body…like a backpack!
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is a type of tropical fruit that grows on a cactus plant.
Dragon fruit is also known as “pitaya. ”
The darker the skin of a dragon fruit, the sweeter it is.
4
Types of Dragon Fruit: 1. Red skin/white flesh 2. Red skin/red flesh 3. Red skin/purple flesh 4. Yellow skin/white flesh
Dragon fruit plants grow to be up to 20 feet
Dragon fruit is a night-blooming plant.
Peak dragon fruit season is Aug – Sept.
Dragon fruit taste like a mix between a kiwi and a pear.
Dragon fruits with red skin & white flesh are the most common.
Calcium
Calcium supports healthy bones as well as proper blood &
Calcium is the 5th most abundant chemical element in the Earth’s crust.
99% of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones blood, muscles & other tissues. muscles
Calcium supports heart health .
Calcium helps form bones and teeth and keep them healthy.
Calcium helps to heal cuts & wounds.
Calcium is the MOST abundant mineral in the human body.
Milk is a type of dairy product –most commonly made from cows. essential nutrients
Milk is made up of 85-95% water with the rest being fats, proteins, carbohydrates & vitamins
Breeds of Dairy Cows: 6
1. Ayrshire
2. Brown Swiss
3. Guernsey
4. Holstein
5. Jersey
6. Milking Shorthorn
Holstein cows all have a unique pattern of spots!
1 cow produces around 6 gallons of milk per day. Cows can SEE almost 360 degrees and SMELL up to 6 miles away!
dairy farms!
Protein
Protein builds, maintains and replaces the tissues in the body.
Protein helps to transport & store nutrients throughout the body.
18 - 20% of the body is protein.
EVERY cell in the human body contains protein.
The body cannot store protein long term… which is why protein needs to be consumed daily.
Protein is made
blocks.
Protein plays a big role in building and repairing muscles.
Protein is a MACRONUTRIENT . A macronutrient is a nutrient that the body needs in LARGE
Protein helps maintain fluid balance throughout the body.
Word Scramble
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ZNCI CIMUALC ORNI
AOIDXTAITNN
TVAIINM C
YDARI TAREH HALTEH
BEIRF ENPRTOI
