December Tip of the Month
Breakfast GO POWER!

Eat breakfast to THINK-LEARN-GROW-PLAY!

Activity Idea: Math Tasks using Breakfast Ratios

Source: Healthy Kids Challenge, A La Cart, Breakfast Fun booklet
Healthy Smiles, Healthy Bodies in Platte County
Description: Kids use breakfast food group servings to compute ratios
Grades: 4-5
Supplies:  A flipchart or blackboard
   

Directions:

1.   Before beginning the activity, copy the following on a flipchart or blackboard.

  
Jose’s Breakfast
½ cup low-fat yogurt with ½ cup sliced strawberries and ½ cup banana
1 cup cornflakes with ½ cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup grated low-fat cheese melted on 1 small whole wheat tortilla
Note: 1 serving Fruit = 1 cup
  1 serving Grain = 1 ounce (1 cup flaked cereal, 1-1/4 cup puffed cereal, 1 slice bread, or 1 small tortilla)
1 serving Milk = 1 cup low-fat milk, 1/3 cup grated low-fat cheese, or 1 cup low-fat yogurt

2.  Ask the students to look at the ratio of the number of servings of a) grains to fruit, and b) grains to milk in Jose’s breakfast.

3.   Ask students why breakfast helps shape how they learn and feel all day. Answer: Breakfast gives their brains and bodies GO POWER!

Note: Extend the activity by having students create other menu ideas for healthy breakfasts. Check the ratios of these menus.

This activity is found on page 22 of A La Cart, Breakfast Fun. For more activity ideas like the one above, check out HKC resource materials. See the order page for descriptors and to view the Table of Content and booklet sample pages.