The following materials are designed to help make hosting 

your event easy. Each of the reproducible handouts can be 

copied directly from this booklet and used in your activities; 

the customizable materials can be repurposed with your 

school’s information and used to share your events with 

family, the media, and other schools.
[Photo] A group of students in Fairfax County, VA, brainstorm how to design a car built from fresh produce.
79

Appendix

Reproducible Handouts

Try-Day Taste-Testing Ballot.............................................................................................................81

For use with Try-Day Fridays: It’s Fun To Find New Favorite Foods (see page 68) and any other 

event where elementary school students vote on healthy food choices.

Farmers Market Salsa Recipe............................................................................................................82

For use with Food Explorer: A Scavenger Hunt To Power Up (see page 30)

Food Explorer Clue Sheet..................................................................................................................83

For use with Food Explorer: A Scavenger Hunt To Power Up (see page 30)

Healthy Food Heritages Interview Questions..........................................................................84

For use with Healthy Food Heritages: Investigating Nutrition Across Cultures (see page 44)

You Control the School Menu: Vote for Your Favorite .......................................................85

For use with You Control the School Menu: Vote for Your Favorite (see page 74)

MyPlate Grocery Store Treasure Hunt .......................................................................................86

For use with Shop Smart: A Mock Grocery Store (see page 62)

MyPlate Food Drive Wish List...........................................................................................................87

For use with MyPlate Food Drive: Lending a Healthy Hand (see page 53)

Food Explorer Ingredient Coupons................................................................................................88

For use with Food Explorer: A Scavenger Hunt To Power Up (see page 30)

Customizable Materials

Letter to Community Members.....................................................................................................89

For any events where community participation is desired

Letter to Family Members/Guardians (English)........................................................................90

For any events where family participation is desired

Letter to Family Members/Guardians (Spanish).......................................................................91

For any events where family participation is desired

Letter to Other Schools.....................................................................................................................92

For From East to West, Eat What’s Best: A Pen Pal Program (see page 38) and any other events 

where participation from other schools is desired

Sample Press Release............................................................................................................................93

For informing local media about your event
80

Appendix (cont’d)

Event Resources

Curricula......................................................................................................................................................94

Posters..........................................................................................................................................................96

Parent Handouts......................................................................................................................................96

Trackers and Journals...........................................................................................................................97

Children’s Stories.....................................................................................................................................97

Videos...........................................................................................................................................................98

Games...........................................................................................................................................................98

Widgets........................................................................................................................................................99

Graphics.......................................................................................................................................................99

Recipes..........................................................................................................................................................99

Resources for School Nutrition Services....................................................................................100

Online Resources....................................................................................................................................100

Additional Handouts for Any Event

MyPlate Coloring Sheet .....................................................................................................................102

Eat Smart To Play Hard........................................................................................................................103

Fuel Up With Fruits and Veggies......................................................................................................104

Fuel Up With Milk at Meals..............................................................................................................105

Snack Like a Superhero.........................................................................................................................106

Eat Smart To Play Hard MyPlate Mini Poster...........................................................................107
United States Department of Agriculture

Try-Day Taste-Testing Ballot

Copy, cut out, and distribute the ballots to elementary school students so they can share their thoughts on new foods 

they have tried.

The food I tried:

It’s fun to find new favorite foods!

Write the name of the food you tried and then

circle the faces below to tell us how you feel

about it.

The food looked:

The food tasted:

The food smelled:

The food

made me feel:

The food I tried:

It’s fun to find new favorite foods!

Write the name of the food you tried and then

circle the faces below to tell us how you feel

about it.

The food looked:

The food tasted:

The food smelled:

The food

made me feel:

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
United States Department of Agriculture

Farmers Market Salsa Recipe

Eat smart to play hard. Power up with fruit and vegetable snacks! The ingredients you discovered 

during your Food Explorer scavenger hunt mix together to make this delicious, healthy salsa.

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill until serving time. 

2. Drain before serving.

3. Serve with whole-grain pita chips, baked tortilla chips, 

or fresh vegetables.

Salsa recipe adapted from Kansas Family Nutrition Program, by way of the SNAP-ED Recipe Finder Database, 

National Agricultural Library, United States Department of Agriculture.

INGREDIENTS 

1⁄2 cup corn 

1 can black beans (15-ounce, drained and rinsed) 

1 cup tomatoes (diced) 

1⁄2 cup onion (diced) 

1⁄2 cup green bell pepper (diced) 

2 tablespoons lime juice 

2 garlic cloves (finely chopped) 

1⁄2 cup picante sauce

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
United States Department of Agriculture

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Food Explorer Clue Sheet

Clues based on the recipe for USDA’s Farmers Market Salsa (see appendix, page 82)

Station 1 

I’m a vegetable and a protein food. My dark color is part of my name. 

People enjoy me with rice, in soups, or in burritos.

Station 2 

I’m a-MAIZE-ing. My golden kernels are eaten on a cob or off.

Station 3

You can find me on a salad bar, in pizza and pasta sauce, or growing on a vine. 

Sometimes I squirt juice and seeds when you take a bite!

Station 4 

The first half of my name sounds like something that rings between classes or in a church. 

The second half of my name can be confusing, since I’m not hot or spicy.

Station 5

I make some cooks cry when they peel and slice me. I am a vegetable that adds 

flavor to many foods. 

Station 6

You can separate me into cloves. In stories, I’m used to ward off vampires.

Station 7 

I’m a type of bread with a pocket. My whole grains make me look tan or brown.

 1. Black beans, 2. Corn, 3. Tomatoes, 4. Bell pepper, 5. Onion, 6. Garlic, 7. Whole-wheat pita ANSWERS BY STATION NUMBER:
United States Department of Agriculture

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Healthy Food Heritages Interview Questions

Hello, my name is and I’m a student at . I am learning about healthy 

food choices from other cultures and regions. I would like to ask you a few questions about food traditions 

that are special to you and your family.

1. What is a traditional cultural or regional meal that you enjoy?

2. Does your favorite traditional meal include vegetables? Fruits? Whole grains? Low-fat dairy? Protein foods? 

3. How is your favorite meal prepared? 

4. What is a popular vegetable dish in your culture or region? What are the ingredients? 

5. What are popular protein dishes in your culture or region? Do they include nuts, seeds, beans, seafood, 

eggs, chicken, turkey, or lean cuts of beef, pork, or lamb? 

6. Does your family use whole grains such as whole cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, or barley to prepare any 

traditional dishes? 

7. Are there any fruits or vegetables that are eaten widely in your culture or region? 

8. Is breakfast customary in your culture or region? What do you most often eat for breakfast?

9. Are there foods available in your culture or region that aren’t available or common here? 

What do they taste like?
United States Department of Agriculture

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

You Control the School Menu: 

Vote for Your Favorite

Fill in a box in each row below to tell us how you feel about the food you tasted today. Then tell 

us whether or not you would like to see this food on the school menu and why. 

Food name:

Bad Fair Good Great

How did the food look?

How did the food taste?

How was the food’s texture?

How did it feel in your mouth?

How did the food smell?

How did you like the food overall?

Was the food served at the 

right temperature? YES NO

Would you like to see this food on the school menu? Why? Why not?
MyPlate Grocery Store Treasure Hunt

United States Department of Agriculture

Make at least 

half of your grains 

whole grains.

corn, or whole wheat.brown rice, oatmeal, rolled oats, whole oats, whole-grain cereal that has one of these listed as the first ingredient: Start every day the whole-grain way. Find a breakfast GRAINS

Check the box and name the cereal

wheat as the first ingredient.grain. Read bread labels and find one with whole The color of the bread does not mean it is wholeCheck the box and name the breadLook for a dark green and a red or orange vegetable.VEGETABLES

Check the box and name the dark green vegetable

Check the box and name the red or orange vegetable

Color your plate with 

great tasting veggies.

Take this sheet along with you 

Families and Friends:

supermarket, and have your child the next time you go to the 

memorable activity Make this a fun treasure hunt and a look for foods in each food group. for your child.

is 100% juice.Find a fruit. If you choose a fruit juice, make sure it FRUITS

Check the box and name the fruit

Fuel up 

with fruit.

teeth. Find a dairy food that is low-fat or fat-free.Dairy foods contain calcium for strong bones and DAIRY

Check the box and name the dairy food

Get your 

calcium-rich 

foods.

Find a bag of dry beans.Try fish, shellfish, beans, and peas more often. MEAT AND BEANS

Check the box and name the beans

Vary your 

proteins.

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
United States Department of Agriculture

MyPlate Food Drive WishlistHelp us collect non-perishable foods from each food group!

Fruits

Unsweetened 

applesauce

Canned fruits packed in 

100% juice or water 

(e.g., peaches, pineapple, 

pears, fruit cocktail)

Raisins and other dried fruit

Shelf stable 100% fruit juices

GrainsWhole-wheat flour Whole-grain barleyBulgur (cracked wheat) Oatmeal or rolled oats Whole-grain cornmeal Brown riceLow-fat popcornWhole-wheat pastaWild riceWhole-grain breakfast cerealWhole-wheat crackersQuinoa

Vegetables

Shelf stable reduced-sodium 

100% vegetable juices 

(e.g., carrot, tomato)

No-salt-added, low-sodium, 

or reduced-sodium canned 

vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, pumpkin, 

sweet potatoes, corn, green beans)

Vegetable soups 

*Beans and peas (such as black 

eyed peas) belong to both 

the Vegetable and Protein 

food groups.

ProteinCanned or dried beans* (e.g., kidney beans, pinto beans, white beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas)Canned chicken and seafood (e.g., salmon, tuna, sardines)Soups with beans or meat (e.g., stews, chili) Baked beansNutsPeanut butter

Dairy

Evaporated low-fat 

or fat-free milk

Powdered low-fat 

or fat-free milk 

Low-fat or fat-free shelf 

stable milk (also called 

U.H.T. milk)

Shelf stable calciumfortified soymilk

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
United States Department of Agriculture

Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet (2014) | http://teamnutrition.usda.gov | USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Food Explorer Ingredient Coupons

Write the name of each ingredient from your Food Explorer hunt on the coupons below. Copy and cut out the coupons, 

making sure there are enough for all students to have one of each ingredient. You may wish to copy coupons for different 

ingredients on different colors of paper. Hand out coupons at each ingredient station as described on page 30.

Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon

tomato

Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon

Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon

Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon

Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon Food Explorer Ingredient Coupon