First grade students at Meadow Heights learn the power of nutrition during field trip Friday

PATTON, Mo. (KBSI) — First grade students at Meadow Heights School District got a hands on lesson in healthy eating during a special Field Trip Friday visit from nutrition expert Hannah Schellman.

Schellman joined Mrs. Penford’s class to teach students the basics of nutrition and how what they eat affects their bodies and minds.

“So this is first grade, right? So, we’re big kids,” Schellman told the students. “We’re growing every day, learning every day, playing every day. So, we’re going to talk about more foods today that help your body and help you keep growing, playing, and running all those things we like to do.”

The lesson talked on engaging young learners with the fundamentals of nutrition.

“Everything we eat affects not only how we feel, but it affects how our brain works,” Schellman said. “All those nutrients in the food we eat help us do everything even sleep. Isn’t that crazy?”

Students eagerly responded with examples like watermelons, bananas, and grapes as healthy choices.

Schellman encouraged creativity by asking students to draw their favorite healthy foods and explain the benefits.

“If you, for example, want to draw a banana,” she said, “then you’re going to tell us out loud what it does for you.”

Schellman asked the students to share their knowledge beyond the classroom.

“We want to make sure we share all the things we’ve learned about fruits, veggies, grains, proteins,” she said. “We’re going to share it with our friends and family, right? So that we all start eating better.”