Nutrition Education Program

Classroom Nutrition

GrowingGreat’s classroom nutrition lessons inspire healthy eating by giving students the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy food choices. All lessons are based on our philosophy that food should be whole, “close to the source,” and minimally processed. Through each of the five nutrition lessons taught per school year, GrowingGreat students learn about where food comes from and how to identify “high-quality” food. The curriculum is grade-specific for kindergarten through fifth grade, using vocabulary and activities appropriate for each age. Each lesson focuses on one topic at a time and lessons build on each other, allowing students to absorb and understand what they’ve learned.

Lesson Themes Include:

  • Feed Your Engine – Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates
  • Fuel Up with Whole, “Close to the Source’ Foods
  • High-Quality Fuels vs. Low-Quality Fuels
  • Filling Up: What is a Serving Size?
  • Food Investigator: Label Reading
  • Beneficial Fats
  • Hydration
  • And many more!

Volunteer docents deliver the lessons to students in the GrowingGreat program. Training videos and lesson scripts are provided via the GrowingGreat online Education Portal, so that the lessons are easy to follow and access. The GrowingGreat program can be taught anywhere, anytime, by anyone.

Lessons begin with review questions and discussions to emphasize knowledge gained and behavioral changes made since the previous lesson. Each lesson includes creative and engaging activities such as preparing foods, role-playing, and food-based experiments to provide students with practical tools to make better food choices.

GrowingGreat provides recommendations for high-quality food samples to reinforce each lesson’s objectives and introduce new foods (like hummus, avocado, or coconut milk) as well as higher-quality versions of common foods (such as sprouted whole grain bread). While food samples are not mandatory, they are always enjoyed and can only strengthen the message of the lesson. Many schools use the harvest from their GrowingGreat school garden to supplement their nutrition lessons.

GrowingGreat “Grill Me About” parent education handouts are included for students to take home after each lesson. Theses handouts contain information about the lesson, enrichment activities, and recipes to reinforce the lesson topics. It is our belief that if children are given the tools to make healthy choices they will choose to do so and they in turn can influence their families and the greater community.

Click here to contact us about our classroom nutrition programs and to get involved!

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