My Plate Gets “Organ Wise”©

The Gallatin County Nutrition Education Program Assistant made monthly visits to the Gallatin County Elementary School and presented My Plate the "Organ Wise Guys" Way curriculum to five second grade classrooms.  This fun and informative curriculum brings to life the Organ Wise Guys characters who are used to personify the major body organs and to teach four healthy eating messages, which are low fat, high fiber, lots of water and plenty of exercise.  The United States Department of Agriculture, My Plate, is used as a guide to teach the food groups, the foods in them and how they fit with the four healthy eating messages. Most of the students were knowledgeable as to which foods belonged to the fruit and vegetable groups, but had difficulty placing foods like fish, nuts, eggs and yogurt into the dairy and protein groups.  Because of this, importance was placed on students becoming more knowledgeable about these two food groups. 

Students learned that eggs fit into the protein group and are a nutritious, inexpensive food that can be used for any meal or snack.  Some of the students are from limited resource families.  The United States Department of Agriculture November 2016¹ data shows that eggs are only 1.1% of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program household food expenses, compared to 9.3% for soda, 6.9% for prepared desserts, and 2.1% for candy.¹  Evaluation results showed the students’ healthy snacks knowledge increased from 26% to 32%, and dairy foods knowledge increased from 57% to 70%. 

As a result of this increased knowledge, the students have learned which foods to choose that will include dairy and protein to make their meals and snacks fit the four healthy My Plate “Organ Wise Guys”© Way messages.  Their decision to make these healthy choices will add variety, the spice of life, to their diet!

 ¹Egg Nutrition Center, Nutrition Closeup publication, Summer 2017.