Dear Principal: Preferred Meals is sponsoring an art contest in support of healthy eating! Eating healthy is a challenge to people of all ages. The goal of our 2014-15 “Healthy Lunch for a Healthier Me!” Art Contest is to encourage eating a variety of healthy foods in a fun and creative way. Using the enclosed Lesson Plan, students will learn about making healthy choices while creating a contest entry which will compete with the designs of other schools in your area and across the country. Entries will be reviewed by special judges, and the winning school’s design will be featured on our delivery truck in the spring of 2015! Second place winners will be featured on the tray liners used in schools across the nation, in our video and on the Preferred Meals Facebook page. All entries will be posted on the Preferred Meals Facebook page for family viewing, comments and “likes”. For your convenience, the rules governing the contest are listed below (official rules are enclosed):

• Deadline for entries is February 2, 2015. • Students should complete designs in conjunction with the enclosed lesson plan. Each class then chooses

up to three designs to submit to the contest. Group designs are allowed and encouraged. • Each 4th, 5th and 6th grade classroom at each school is eligible for entry. • Voting will be based on originality of design, clarity of theme message and artistic merit. • Design should also include a drawing of the Preferred Meals logo. • Drawings must be an original creation and may not be copied, traced or duplicated from previously

published art, including photographs. • Artwork is to be 11” X 17”. • Composition must be horizontal / landscape orientation. • Artists may use any colorful medium, including markers, paint, pastels, colored pencils or crayon. • Mechanically or electronically generated artwork is not eligible. • Final artwork must be two-dimensional and appropriate for reproduction. • Entries should not include a mat or border, be framed, under glass or have a protective covering that is

attached to the art. • All entries must be submitted with a signed completed Official Entry Form taped to the back as

well as a parent permission slip. In the Spring of 2015, a truck featuring the winners’ artwork will arrive at the winning school for the unveiling of the artists creation. A poster promoting the event is enclosed and should be posted where it is easily seen by your students. Thank you for encouraging your students in this competition which highlights the importance of nutrition, healthy choices and school spirit! Regards, George A. Chivari President and CEO Preferred Meals

George A. Chivari

5240 St. Charles Rd Berkeley, IL 60163 708.318-2500

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

Nutrition Education and Activity

LESSON PLAN

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

Healthy Lunch for a Healthier Me Art Contest Teacher Lesson Plan & Activity

Build Your Lunch the Healthy Way!

Overview: Studies show that children who eat school lunch consume more fruits and vegetables than those that bring a lunch from home. New regulations instituted over the last few years require even more fruits and vegetables on lunch trays than ever before. The goal is to encourage students to eat those fruits and vegetables by educating them on the benefits. This lesson has 2 parts:

1. Learning how to build a healthy plate using the My Plate concept 2. Improving expression skills by talking about and creating a drawing that depicts how

healthy school meals and an active lifestyle helps students to be healthy.

Grade Ranges: 4th through 6th grades. Approximate Time Part 1: 20-30 minutes. Curriculum and Curriculum Connections: Primary alignment: health and nutrition education along with health-enhancing behaviors. Secondary alignment: Goal-setting, decision-making and creative skills. Materials:

• Print out Black and White MyPlate page for students • Pencils or pens for students • 11x17 plain white paper for student’s art contest drawing entry • Crayons, markers or colored pencils for students

Objectives: The MyPlate Method is a way to choose the correct size of food portions without weighing or measuring foods. Encouraging students to recognize food groups in the correct quantities and to make healthy choices will improve their overall well-being.

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

Teacher Lesson Plan & Activity Part 1

Theme: Intro to MyPlate • Briefly introduce MyPlate by drawing a picture on the board, or showing a color picture of

the MyPlate (attached). • Emphasize the importance of eating a variety of healthy foods and how easy it can be:

o Different foods have different vitamins and minerals that help your body grow and stay strong.

o Each food category provides support to different parts of your body to help it function correctly and to keep away illness.

o Concentrating on eating a “rainbow” of colors on your plate help fuel different parts of your body: eyes, hair, skin, heart, muscles, blood and more

• Point to each section on the MyPlate graphic and have students identify each section and give samples of food items that would go in that section. (See below list for suggestions)

o Fill 1/2 of your plate with Fruits and Vegetables - (Name foods in these groups) o Fill 1/4 of your plate with Grains and Breads - (Name foods in this group) o Fill 1/4 of your plate with Meat/Protein - (Name foods in this group)

• Have students list his or her favorite foods in the corresponding section of the blank MyPlate diagram handout.

• Ask students how much of their plates are normally taken up by fruits and vegetables and how they feel about trying new fruits and vegetables.

• Ask students to write down a goal that they want to work on in regards to eating healthier. Suggestions:

o Try their vegetables at every meal, or list a new vegetable to try o Eat fruit everyday o Encourage healthy eating, fruits and vegetables at home

What’s In Each Food Group?

GRAIN VEGETABLE FRUIT MEAT/BEAN MILK/DAIRYBread Popcorn Couscous Pretzels Crackers Grits Cereal Oatmeal Buns White Rice Cornbread Pita Bread Pasta Brown Rice Tortillas Baked Chips Pizza Crust

Broccoli Collard Greens Tomatoes Sweet Potatoes Cauliflower Asparagus Carrots Beets Lettuce Eggplant Onions Potatoes Celery Green Peppers Corn

Apples Honeydew Melon Blueberries Prunes Raspberries Cherries Blackberries Kiwi Watermelon Avocado Peaches Lemons Pineapple Oranges Bananas Strawberries

Lean Beef Black Beans Veg Burgers Lean Veal Lean Ham Eggs Salmon Dry Beans Lean Pork Tofu Nuts Tuna Fish Chicken Turkey Peanut Butter Chickpeas Refried Bean

Low Fat Milk Frozen-Yogurt Yogurt Swiss-Cheese Cottage- Cheese Cheddar- Cheese String- Cheese Pudding with Milk

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

Activity 1

List your favorite food items in the correct section on this plate. List a new food item you would be willing to try.

Write your nutrition goals in the space below:

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

Teacher Lesson Plan & Activity Part 2

Theme: Healthy Lunch for a Healthier Me! Art Contest Discussion and Art Design Have students take out crayons, markers or colored pencils and pass out blank 11x17 inch paper. (Contest entries must be 11x17 and horizontal/ landscape orientation) • Ask students what they think a healthy lunch looks like. Answers should include

items from each section of the MyPlate.

• Ask students why they think they should eat a healthy diet including fruits and vegetables, how those foods will make them healthy and what it does for their body.

• Activity 2: Using the 11x 17 inch paper horizontally, have students design a drawing

that depicts one of the following themes: o How a nutritious school lunch leads to health and wellness o Why eating healthy school meals is good for your body and helps you perform o Why eating foods from the 5 food groups is important and how it makes you

healthy

• Include a drawing of the Preferred Meals logo in the design

• Have students choose the best design(s) that will be entered into the contest. (See official rules) Winning design may be featured on our delivery truck, on a lunch tray liner or in our monthly newsletter, The Preferred Word. Remaining artwork makes great lunchroom decorations!

• Submit entries by Feb. 2, 2015. All eligible entries will be posted on our Preferred Meals Facebook page: Be sure to visit and “Like” your favorite entries

“Like Us” on Facebook at Preferred Meals to view all contest entries and receive daily nutrition and wellness tips as well as photos of events and contest entries. Winners will be contacted in March and all winners will be announced during the month of April.

Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, The Preferred Word, at this link: http://eepurl.com/pui_D or download it online at www.preferredmeals.com

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

OFFICIAL RULES

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

PREFERRED MEALS HEALTHY LUNCH FOR A HEALTHIER ME CLASSROOM ART CONTEST

OFFICIAL RULES

Eligibility: All elementary school classrooms grades 4 through 6 that are served by Preferred Meals are eligible to participate:

Each 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom at each school is allowed one to three entries. Students may work together as a group or individually. All entries should be given to the school principal for submission.

Theme: The subject of the artwork entry is Healthy Lunch for a Healthier Me. Entries should demonstrate how a nutritious school lunch from the 5 Food Groups leads to health and wellness. Entries should include a drawing of the Preferred Meals logo.

Criteria for Judging: Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by Preferred Meal System’s Inc. (“Preferred Meals”) in its sole discretion. Judging will be based on originality of design, clarity of theme message and artistic merit. Eligible entries must be original creations of the entering students and may not be copied, traced or duplicated from any form of previously published art or other work of authorship, including photographs.

Prizes: Five entries will be selected from eligible school districts for a total of five (5) first prize winners. Each winning entry will be reproduced and displayed on a Preferred Meals distribution truck. Ten (10) Second place winners will be selected to be featured on Preferred Meals tray liners. All eligible entries will be featured on the Preferred Meals Facebook page.

Technical Requirements for Entry: Artwork must be submitted in 11" x 17" format, with a horizontal/landscape orientation. Artwork not in this format cannot be considered for the contest. Artists may use any colorful medium, including markers, paint, pastels, colored pencils or crayon. Any mechanically or electronically generated artwork in whole or in part is not eligible and will be disqualified. Entries depicting logos or name brands of products or businesses other than Preferred Meals are not eligible and will be disqualified.

Final piece of artwork must be two-dimensional and appropriate for reproduction. Sculptural or three-dimensional pieces will not be eligible. Entries should not include a mat or border and should not be framed, under glass or have a protective covering that is attached to the art.

All entries must be submitted with a completed Official Entry Form (see Page 3) taped to the back and with a separate Student Artwork Release Form (see Page 4) for each student who participated in creating the entry. The Official Entry Form must include the title of the artwork, a few words explaining what the artwork represents, city, school district, school name, grade, submitting group members’ names, the principal’s contact information and signature.

All entries become the property of Preferred Meals, however, applicants may request original artwork to be returned if requested in writing and accompanied by an appropriate sized self addressed, stamped envelope or container.

Winning schools must agree to a school assembly presentation with videotaping and photographs of the event and students. School is responsible for obtaining necessary permissions and media releases for student and staff attendees.

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

How to Enter: Mail flat artwork (do not fold) in sturdy packaging to prevent crushing or tearing during shipment. All class entries should be mailed by the school principal to: Healthy Lunch for a Healthier Me

Attn: Marketing Department 5240 St. Charles Road Berkeley, Illinois 60163-1341

Contest Deadlines: The contest will run through January 31, 2015. Entries must be received or postmarked by February 2, 2015.

Ownership of Contest Entries: Preferred Meals reserves the right to authorize the use, modification, reproduction, display, publication and distribution of all artwork entries on Preferred Meals’ promotional and/or marketing materials distributed to the public in any media, whether now known or later developed, without notice or compensation. By entering the contest, all entrants grant Preferred Meals permission to use the artwork and the name and likeness of the school and artists in any media, whether now known or later developed, in connection with its marketing, promotion, display, or publication for advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation. Entries will not be returned and may be used for future promotional purposes in Preferred Meals’ sole discretion, however, applicants may request original artwork to be returned if requested in writing and accompanied by an appropriate sized self addressed, stamped envelope or container.

Winner Announcement: Winners will be invited to a truck reveal presentation ceremony at their school in the Spring, 2015. Preferred Meals reserves the right to change dates with regard to the truck reveal in its sole discretion. To obtain a list of winners, submit a written request, postmarked by February 28, 2015, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Healthy Lunch for a Healthier Me, Preferred Meals, 5240 St. Charles Road, Berkeley, IL 60163-1341.

Miscellaneous: No facsimiles or electronic entries will be accepted. Preferred Meals is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, illegible or damaged entries. Preferred Meals will be the sole judge of which entries are valid and eligible, and its decisions are final and binding.

Sponsor:

Preferred Meal Systems, Inc. 5240 St. Charles Road Berkeley, IL 60163-1341 (708) 617-9969

For questions regarding the Healthy Lunch for a Healthier Me Classroom Art Contest, please contact: Clare Keating, clare.keating@preferredmeals.com.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

PREFERRED MEALS

HEALTHY LUNCH FOR A HEALTHIER ME ART CONTEST OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM

Tape a completed entry form to the back of each submission.

Title of Artwork ______________________________________________________________________________

Artwork Description__________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

School District _______________________________________________________________________________

School Name _______________________________________________________________________________

Grade (circle one): 4 5 6

Artists’ Name(s) (First, Last) ___________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Teacher’s Name / Title: ______________________________________________________________________

Teacher’s Email: ____________________________________________________________________________

Principal’s Name ____________________________________ Phone: ________________________________

Principal’s Email _____________________________________________________________________________

Principal’s Phone Number ___________________________________________________________________ Principal’s signature acknowledges that the artwork was done under his/her supervision and is an original design created completely by the student artist(s ) named above. By entering the contest, the school agrees to an on-site assembly which will be photographed and videotaped for use at the sole discretion of Preferred Meals in connection with its marketing, promotion, display or publication for advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation. Schools will be responsible for obtaining necessary media releases from students in attendance at the assembly. Principal’s Signature ________________________________________________________________________ Preferred Meals reserves the right to authorize the use, modification, reproduction, display, publication and distribution of all artwork entries on Preferred Meals’ promotional and/or marketing materials distributed to the public in any media, whether now known or later developed, without notice or compensation. By entering the contest, all entrants grant Preferred Meals permission to use the artwork and the name and likeness of the school and artists in any media, whether now known or later developed, in connection with its marketing, promotion, display, or publication for advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation. Entries will not be returned and may be used for future promotional purposes in Preferred Meals’ sole discretion.

Art Contest Preferred Meals 2014-15

PREFERRED MEALS

HEALTHY LUNCH FOR A HEALTHIER ME CLASSROOM ART CONTEST STUDENT ARTWORK RELEASE FORM

Include a separate, completed release form for each student with each submission.

Title of Artwork ______________________________________________________________________________

School District ______________________________________________________________________________

School Name _______________________________________________________________________________

School Address _____________________________________________________________________________

Grade (circle one): 4 5 6

Student’s Name: (First, Last)___________________________________________________________________

I certify that the above artwork was made by the student indicated, and was not copied from another photograph, illustration or website, or made by another. I understand that the artwork will not be returned. I give permission to Preferred Meals to use, reproduce, prepare derivative works, publish, distribute copies to the public, perform publicly, and display publicly the artwork, and the student’s name, school and grade for all purposes deemed appropriate by Preferred Meals. Preferred Meals may distribute the artwork through a variety of media, including but not limited to print, television, websites, or any other means. Preferred Meals may also permit a third party to exercise Preferred Meals’ rights, including but not limited to the right to display or distribute the artwork, in a manner Preferred Meals deems appropriate. MEDIA RELEASE I further understand that photos and/or video may be taken during winner’s ceremony and I fully authorize and grant the school district and/or Preferred Meal Systems, Inc. permission to reproduce through printed, audio, visual or electronic means any photos or videos taken for use in printed publications, videos and on authorized Web sites. I understand and agree that use of such recordings will be without any compensation to the pupil or pupil’s parent or guardian.

Name of Parent/Guardian ___________________________________________________________________

Parent’s Email: _____________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Signature of Parent/Guardian ________________________________________________________________

VIEW ALL ENTRIES ON THE PREFERRED MEALS FACEBOOK PAGE!