Nutrition for Teachers

Child giving teacher an apple

Students must be healthy to learn...                   
                       but they also need to learn to be healthy. 
        

We encourage and support health and nutrition education in the classroom. Teaching nutrition to students will help them to grow and learn to their fullest potential and we believe it is the key to promoting lifelong health and wellness. Nutrition Education establishes the basic skills for making healthy eating and lifestyle choices that will carry them into adulthood.

Our school’s breakfast and lunch programs help students to establish the healthy eating habits that they need to grow, learn and play. School lunches contain 1/3 of the recommended daily nutrient allowance and school meals include nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and calcium rich low fat milk.

Nutrition Glossary

Nutrition and Fitness Teacher Resource Center

Many children are flunking healthy eating

  • Only 2 percent of students are meeting all the recommendations of the USDA Dietary Guidelines; 16 percent do not meet any
  • Less than 15 percent of school children eat the recommended servings of fruit
  • Less than 20 percent eat the recommended servings of vegetables
  • About 25 percent eat the recommended servings of grains
  • Only 30 percent consume the recommended milk group servings
  • Only 19 percent of girls ages 9 to 19 meet the recommended intakes for calcium
  • Only 16 percent of school children meet the guidelines for saturated fat


The Consequences are Troubling

  • Childhood obesity is a national epidemic, likely to result in earlier onset and increased prevalence of disease
  • The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years
  • Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity are causes of obesity and chronic disease, resulting in at least 300,000 deaths each year
  • Poor nutrition associated with heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes, alone, now costs $71 billion a year

Food Safety Resources

Guide to Good Eating

Mind and Body - 50 activities for the Elementary Classroom

Tips for Teachers - Physical Activity

 

Learn about Fruits

First page of the PDF file: Apples
First page of the PDF file: Avocados
First page of the PDF file: Avocados2
First page of the PDF file: Berries
First page of the PDF file: Cucumber
First page of the PDF file: Dried_Fruit
First page of the PDF file: DriedPlums
First page of the PDF file: Grapefruit
First page of the PDF file: Grapes
First page of the PDF file: Kiwis
First page of the PDF file: Mandarins
First page of the PDF file: Melons
First page of the PDF file: Oranges
First page of the PDF file: Peaches
First page of the PDF file: Pears
First page of the PDF file: Persimmons
First page of the PDF file: Plums
First page of the PDF file: Strawberries
First page of the PDF file: Tomatoes

Learn about Veggies

First page of the PDF file: Asparagus
First page of the PDF file: Avocados
First page of the PDF file: Avocados2
First page of the PDF file: Beets
First page of the PDF file: Broccoli
First page of the PDF file: Cabbage
First page of the PDF file: Carrots
First page of the PDF file: CookedGreens
First page of the PDF file: Corn
First page of the PDF file: DryBeans
First page of the PDF file: GreenBeans
First page of the PDF file: GreenLeafLettuce
First page of the PDF file: Peas
First page of the PDF file: Peppers
First page of the PDF file: Potatoes
First page of the PDF file: Pumpkins
First page of the PDF file: Root_Vegetables_Tubers
First page of the PDF file: Salad_Greens
First page of the PDF file: Spinach
First page of the PDF file: Sweet_Potatoes
First page of the PDF file: Tomatoes
First page of the PDF file: Zucchini