Nutrition Education & Promotion

Nutrition education will be provided within the sequential, comprehensive health education program in accordance with curriculum regulations and the academic standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education and Family and Consumer Sciences. 

• • • Nutrition education in the district shall teach, model, encourage and support healthy eating by students. Promoting student health and nutrition enhances readiness for learning and increases student achievement.  
    • Nutrition education shall provide all students with the knowledge and skills needed to lead healthy lives. Nutrition education lessons and activities shall be age-appropriate.  
    • Nutrition curriculum shall teach behavior-focused skills, which may include menu planning, reading nutrition labels and media awareness. School food service and nutrition education classes shall cooperate to create a learning laboratory. 
    • Nutrition education shall be integrated into other subjects such as math, science, language arts and social sciences to complement but not replace academic standards based on nutrition education. Lifelong lifestyle balance shall be reinforced by linking nutrition education and physical activity.

The staff responsible for providing nutrition education shall be properly trained and prepared and shall participate in appropriate professional development. The district shall develop standards for such training and professional development. 

Nutrition education shall extend beyond the school environment by engaging and involving families and the community.

Nutrition promotion and education positively influence lifelong eating behaviors by using evidence-based techniques and nutrition messages, and by creating food environments that encourage healthy nutrition choices and encourage participation in school meal programs.  

• • • District schools shall promote nutrition through the implementation of farm-to-school activities, where possible.
    • Activities may include, but not be limited to, the initiation/maintenance of school gardens, taste-testing of local products in the cafeteria and classroom, classroom education about local agriculture and nutrition, field trips to local farms and incorporation of local foods into school meal programs.  
    • District staff shall cooperate with agencies and community organizations to provide opportunities for appropriate student projects related to nutrition.  
    • District food service personnel shall review and implement research-based, behavioral economics techniques in the cafeteria to encourage consumption of more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes, and to decrease plate waste. Consistent nutrition messages shall be disseminated and displayed throughout the district, schools, classrooms, cafeterias, homes, community and media. 
    • Consistent nutrition messages shall be demonstrated by avoiding use of unhealthy food items in classroom lesson plans and school staff avoiding eating less healthy food items in front of students. 
    • District schools shall offer resources about health and nutrition to encourage parents/guardians to provide healthy meals for their children.