Nutrient Science Activities for Kids

Obesity has become a major problem for kids growing up in the United States today. As portions have grown larger and poor food choices have become available around every corner it has become important to teach students about nutrition at an early age. As food choices have grown, so has our understanding about nutrition. Nutrient science activities can help students think twice about the food they're eating.

Food Pyramid Room

• Mark off a giant food pyramid using tape on the floor. Create necklaces from string and index cards for your students, each picturing a type of food, such as bananas, cereal, bacon, etc. Each student wears a different food necklace. The objective for your students is to try to get into the right food group in the pyramid as quickly as a class as possible. Switch foods each time you do the activity. Do it a few times to help your students to become familiar with the food groups. This game works best for younger students.

Vitamin C Test

• Different fruits and juices have different levels of vitamin C. Since humans cannot manufacture this vitamin themselves, it is important for us to know we are getting an adequate amount. A 2% iodine solution mixed with water and cornstarch creates a dark purple-blue color. Purchase the 2% iodine solution at a local pharmacy. Add 1 tbsp to 1 tbsp of water and keep adding water until you have a pastelike consistency. Add 250 ml of water to the solution, boil it for 5 minutes, let it cool, and add it to an eye dropper. Put 10 drops of the solution in 75 ml of water and add a few drops of iodine until it reaches a dark purple-blue color. Put 5 ml of the new solution with iodine into a 15-ml test tube. Add 10 drops of the juice from the fruit or drink you wish to test. The solution will begin to turn lighter due to the presence of vitamin C, and the solution that is the lightest is the one with the highest amount of vitamin C. Test several different fruits or drinks.

Calcium Test

• Show your students why calcium is so important for bones with this activity. This activity requires water, vinegar, jars, and chicken leg bones. Place one chicken bone in each jar and pour water into one jar and vinegar into the other. Seal the jars for three days or more. Tell your students that vinegar dissolves calcium. Unseal the bones and wash them off. Have your students take out the bones and test their flexibility. Discuss how calcium is important in the human body for strong bones and foods you can get it from.

Fat Test

• Discuss the importance of fat in the human body, both its positive and its negative aspects. Talk about how the fat looks when viewed directly and why it is oily or greasy. Using a brown paper bag, you will test which foods have a high fat content. Cut a brown paper bag into 5 by 7 inch pieces and get together a selection of food like potato chips, potatoes, frosting, peanut butter, etc. Rub a bit of the food into each piece of brown paper bag and label them. Let the bags dry for around ten minutes and then have your students hold the bags to the light to look for the greasy fat spots. Talk to your students about which foods should be eaten in moderation due to fat content.