Sort, Learn, and Make Better Choices: Healthy & Unhealthy Food Activity 🍎🍩

Turn nutrition talk into hands-on fun with our Healthy & Unhealthy Food printable! This cheerful, screen-free activity helps little learners recognize everyday foods, sort them into simple categories, and start conversations about balanced choices. It’s quick to prep, perfect for centers, and just the right size for tiny hands.

What’s inside

• 3 printable pages
• A friendly kid plate mat (two versions) for sorting
• Cut-and-use food pieces featuring fruits, veggies, grains, proteins, snacks, and treats
• Visual prompts so children can self-check as they work

Skills they’ll build

• Nutrition awareness (healthy vs. “sometimes” foods)
• Sorting & classifying
• Language development (food names, tastes, colors, food groups)
• Fine-motor control (cutting, placing, gluing)
• Decision making & reasoning as kids explain why an item belongs on each plate

How to use (fast setup!)

1. Print on cardstock and cut out the food tiles.
2. Place the healthy and unhealthy/sometimes plates side by side.
3. Invite kids to sort, name, and discuss each food.
4. Extend: glue onto a recording sheet, or snap a photo for a portfolio.
   Tip: Laminate pieces and add hook-and-loop dots for a durable, reusable center.

Teaching & home ideas

• Color talk: Sort by color first, then re-sort by healthy/unhealthy.
• Menu maker: After sorting, build a balanced breakfast/lunch using at least one item from fruits/veggies + protein/grain.
• Movement game: Hold up a tile—if it’s a “healthy everyday” food, kids do five jumping jacks; if it’s a “sometimes” food, hold a balance pose.
• Language boost: Use sentence frames like, “I choose ___ because it has ___.”

Perfect for

• Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten health or science units

• Montessori or SEL centers focused on self-care choices

• Homeschool morning work and nutrition themes

• Speech/OT sessions targeting vocabulary and categorization

Make nutrition learning positive, practical, and playful.
📥 Download the Healthy & Unhealthy Food printable and help kids build smart habits—one tasty sort at a time!

DOWNLOAD HERE!