With busy schedules it’s often a challenge to find time to plan meals, feed the family and still get our to-do lists completed. The simplicity of fast-food and microwavable meals has grown because they are so convenient. Children are often …
School Gardens Promote Healthier Eating and Better Learning
Hands-on learning provides students with the know how to apply their lessons to real-life situations. Nutrition education may be a component of your school’s wellness policy, but have you considered a hands-on approach? School gardens have been shown to increase …
Vegetables, Kids, and Healthy Appetites
There is an ever increasing number of children not eating their recommended daily serving of vegetables. One survey reported that almost 60% of children are not meeting their daily servings (Healthy Kids, 2013). There are many reasons that children lack …
How to Support Farm-to-School Initiatives in Your Community
We’ve all probably heard that nutrition is very important for children’s health and ability to succeed in the classroom. School lunchrooms nationwide have been improving the nutritional quality of the meals served in order to better support students’ health …
Peas before Pizza: Why Food Order Matters in the Lunch Line
Have you ever been to a buffet and filled your plate on the first few offerings, only to find that your favorite dish is last in line? You’re not the only one! Studies conducted by Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics …
A School Garden—How to Grow it and Enjoy it!
A school garden can provide an exciting environment in which students can work with many people while learning how to grow food. A successful garden may include parents, volunteers, teachers, and Master Gardeners. The first step towards being successful is …
From Plant to Plate: Benefits of Farm to School Programs
Goals
There are many farm-to-school programs, at the national, state, and regional level. The overarching objectives of these programs are uniform; to incorporate fresh, local produce into school meal programs. The basic principles of farm-to-school programs are:
- Improve student health
USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
The USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among students in the nation’s poorest elementary schools by providing free fresh fruits and vegetables to students outside of regular school meals. A recent evaluation …
Habits that Help: How to Utilize Our Food-Choice Biases to Improve Nutrition
Eating behaviors tend to be programmed during childhood as kids determine what foods they do or do not like, so increasing a child’s preference for healthy food options at an early age can create a foundation for healthy living. Researchers …
How to Help Your Child Make Healthy Food Choices
Healthy eating creates healthy children
- Healthy eating is important for strong bones, teeth, muscles and a healthy heart.
- Helping your child make healthy food choices can help them maintain a healthy weight and stay healthy throughout their lives.
- Children