A Brief History of Nutrition Education

The way we teach kids about nutrition has changed so much over the past few decades. When I was in fifth grade our teacher played a video from “Mulligan Stew” where the kids in the show sang “four, four, three, two, that’s the way for me and you“. My siblings and I loved this catchy song and would sing it to each other over the dinner table!

Four-four-three-two was a nutrition education program promoted by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and encouraged four servings a day from the grain group, four servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings from the milk group and two servings from the meat group. The guidance was simple: eat from all the food groups. (Note the change from milk group to dairy group and meat group to protein group).

In the 1990s the US shifted to the Food Pyramid. The Food Pyramid was actually introduced in Sweden in 1975, around the same time that we were singing 4-4-3-2 in the United States. The emphasis was on eating grains and reducing fat and cholesterol. By 2005 exercise was added to the pyramid to emphasize the importance of body movement as part of good health.

The USDA replaced the Food Pyramid with MyPlate in 2011. The idea was to make creating a balanced meal simpler with a visual representation of a plate. There was emphasis on portion size and healthy cooking methods.

MyPlate is still in use today but we understand how important it is to individualize nutrition (by age, health conditions, and culture for example). In addition to the actual nutrients in the food, we realize how important it is to have a positive relationship with food.

In short: Nutrition education has shifted from simple nutrient-focused messages to a more holistic, personalized, and realistic approach that considers health, environment, and equity. Nutrition information will continue to evolve and you can rely on Dietitian Nutritionists to help guide you.

Snack Idea:

Sliced cucumbers and hummus for dipping

Reach out at Karen@CoastalFamilyNutrition.com or call the office at 603-674-2479.

Please feel free to share this with someone who may like to learn more about feeding kiddos!