Focus on Nutrition education in school.

Why do I have to eat my broccoli? Why do I have to take milk with my lunch? You’ve probably heard these questions before. Kids are curious, and teaching them about nutrition can explain why we serve healthy meals at school and encourage them to choose healthy snacks.

Take Action

Have your school join Team Nutrition for free resources from the 

Provide nutrition education during ancillary periods such as art, music and library to ensure all students receive similar messages.

Connect your nutrition lesson to what is being served in the cafeteria that day as a way to encourage kids to try new, healthy foods.

Designate a school-level nutrition education champion to help each grade level create a nutrition education scope and sequence.

Social Emotional Health 

Activities such as these help students explore

Self-Awareness: Lessons about optimal nutrition teaches children the importance of taking ownership of their own health. Encourage students to think about how they feel physically and mentally depending on the foods they eat. Exploring the mind-body connection leads to students’ greater self-awareness and skills to make better choices to nourish their bodies and help them feel their best.

Social Awareness: Nutrition education serves as an opportunity to teach children about food and the relation to culture and family heritage. Discussing culinary variances across cultures helps expose children to different foods and traditional practices, increasing their understanding and appreciation for diversity.

Tips

Whenever teaching nutrition, make sure the content is age-appropriate and culturally sensitive.

Use meal times, such as school breakfast, snacks or lunch, to teach students about healthy options.

Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables.

Consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Eating whole fruits is best, but drink 100% juice when choosing fruit juice.

Make at least half of your grains whole grains.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) dairy.

Consume 3 servings of dairy each day.