Food for Health and Sport Senior Project Guide

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Georgia 4-H Project Achievement empowers young people with skills for a lifetime. Through a competitive process, students explore their interests, unleash their creativity, share their work, and celebrate their achievements! This guide provides 9th – 12th graders with examples for getting started with their project exploration.

Overview of Project Achievement Process

1) Choose project
2) Develop skills in leadership and service
3) Prepare portfolio for work completed from January 1 – December 31
4) Prepare presentation
5) Practice
6) Compete
7) Reflect

Description of Food for Health and Sport Project

4-H’ers may explore areas of foods and nutrition as it relates to exercise, athletics, and healthy living. Through this project 4-H’ers may:

• utilize MyPlate.gov to plan, select, and purchase appropriate foods for
good health and nutrition
• explore the relationship between healthy eating and healthy living using
the MyPlate guidelines
• investigate the balance of appropriate foods, according to nutrient, fat,
and calorie content, and daily exercise
• learn to read and interpret nutrition labels
• develop an understanding of the relationship of calories and exercise to
health
• acquire skills in planning, preparing, and serving nutritious meals on a
budget using MyPlate
• discover the importance of good nutrition for sports performance and
healthy living
• explore career opportunities related to foods, nutrition, and fitness

Examples of Project Development Experiences

• Develop a weekly meal plan based on recommended nutrition and available monthly budget
• Use comparison shopping to purchase groceries and then prepare healthy meals for fitness
• Keep a food journal to monitor intake of various nutrients and adjust diet as needed
• Investigate MyPlate.gov to learn about recommended nutrition and physical fitness
• Interview a dietician, school cafeteria manager, sports trainer, and/or physical education teacher
• Research careers in food, nutrition, and fitness industries
• Become a healthy living ambassador or health officer for your club or community

Project Sharing and Helping Examples

• Teach younger 4-H’ers how to plan and prepare various meals using MyPlate.gov and low cost foods
• Teach day camp class on comparison shopping
• Prepare a healthy snack for club meetings or social gatherings
• Plan and implement exercise activities at club meetings
• Host career fair focusing on food, nutrition, and fitness industries
• Plan and publicize healthy living programs
• Invite chefs, food/nutrition specialists, or exercise instructors to speak at club meetings or social gatherings
• Lead a group in maintaining a program of exercise appropriate for counter-balancing excess calories consumed above the recommended caloric intake for healthy weight maintenance
• Prepare a presentation on healthy habits and present to local groups in your community
• Make and display a healthy foods exhibit for a fair, library, etc.
• Promote Walk Georgia to classmates and start a team
• Write a blog featuring nutritious recipes you’ve tried and include photos
• Organize a project club for pre-4-H youth
• Mentor a younger 4-H’er in a Food for Fitness project

Special Considerations

• Food should not be prepared as part of this Project Achievement competition presentation.
• Research charity organizations using charitynavigator.org before donating or raising money.
• Youth should practice internet safety when communicating with new people online or in-person. A best practice is to take a friend or parent to shadow your interview or copy your parent/guardian on online communications with adult mentors.
• Contact your local county Extension staff to discuss your plan of community involvement

Recommended Resources

• Georgia4h.org/ProjectAchievement
• myplate.gov/
• heart.org
• fcs.uga.edu/extension
• extension.uga.edu/topic-areas/food-health.html

At Competition

Food for Health and Sport 4-H projects may use posters, artifacts, biofacts,
and/or technology to support their presentation.

The time limit for these presentations is 12 minutes.

Computers, projectors, screens, and other technological devices may be used.

Prepared by: Cheryl Varnadoe, Elyse Daniel, and Keri Hobbs
Reviewed by: Jason Estep and Steve Walker