Teen Health, Course 1

Chapter 4: Nutrition

Parent Letters - English

Parent Letter and Activities
For use with Chapter 4

Dear Parent or Guardian,

In health class, your child is currently studying about the importance of good nutrition to maintain proper health. In this lesson we are focusing on the six main classes of nutrients—carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water—and how these fit into the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) dietary guidelines.

Your child will also be learning about the nutritional recommendations in the MyPyramid food guidance system in this chapter. You may be familiar with the USDA’s food pyramid, which has been the standard reference point for nutrition since 1992. As of 2005, this pyramid has been updated. You can view the new pyramid and study the related resources by visiting www.mypyramid.gov.

To support and extend our classroom work, please set aside some time during the next few weeks to talk to your child about nutrition. You may want to complete one or more of these activities with your child.

• Talk about the importance of good nutrition to proper health. Look over some of the things your family is eating during a typical day and see how they relate to the recommendations of the MyPyramid food guidance system.
• Suggest an evening of physical activity for your family. Play a sport in the backyard. Fly a kite in the park. Take a walk through your neighborhood. Go bike riding along a country trail or go hiking in the mountains.
• Encourage your child to respect his or her own body type and the body types of others. Help your child realize that bodies come in all shapes and sizes.