Lesson 4: Why is food important?
This Year 2 healthy eating lesson helps pupils understand why humans need the right amounts of different types of food to grow and stay healthy. Pupils explore the main food groups, consider how much of each type of food we need and apply their learning by designing a healthy meal.
The lesson directly supports the Year 2 Science National Curriculum requirement to describe the importance for humans of eating the right amounts of different types of food. Pupils develop their understanding of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, protein, and dairy and alternatives, while asking simple scientific questions about food and health.
What makes a healthy meal?
Pupils explore the different food groups and healthy eating by predicting the proportions needed for a balanced meal and comparing their ideas with the Eatwell guidance. They then use the Healthy Meal Worksheet to design their own meal, choosing appropriate foods and explaining why their choices are healthy.
Year 2 healthy eating lesson and resources
- Launchable teaching slides
- Teacher lesson plan
- Healthy Meal Worksheet
- Food groups and proportions activity
- Healthy meal design activity
- Assessment questions and further challenge ideas
✨ How to use the launchable slides
Launch the presentation directly in your browser and use it on your interactive whiteboard.
📝 Click Notes to see teacher guidance, answers and additional information where included.
⬅️ ➡️ To move through the presentation, click on the slides first, then use the left and right cursor arrow keys on your keyboard.
For technical and copyright reasons, these presentation slides are available to launch online rather than download.
Explore the full Year 2 Animals Including Humans – Growth resources, or explore our Year 2 science scheme of work and resources.
This resource is part of the Mrs Mactivity Science Scheme of Work →
