Ask Ginger: National Nutrition Month®

By Let's Move Pittsburgh

You've got questions ... we’ve got answers! Email your queries about healthy foods, physical activity and screen time for kids and Ginger will answer them here on the Phipps blog.
 

Q: What are some ways I can get my students involved in National Nutrition Month®? (Sandy, Beechwood)

A: Great question! For you that may not know, National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.¹ The campaign aims to draw attention to the importance of healthy eating and physical activity habits. If you would like to learn more about the history of National Nutrition Month® you can find more information, here.²

If you would like to incorporate National Nutrition Month® into your classroom or school here are a few ideas provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.³

• Have students vote for their favorite fruits or vegetables and have a tally board to record votes
  • Bonus: Offer a taste test of fruits and vegetables for students to try during lunch or class time
• Start a school vegetable garden by planting seeds indoors or in the ground
• Take a field trip to a grocery store, farmers market or a local farm
• Assign a group project that involves each group researching one of the food groups, allowing each child to explain a food from that food group and what nutrition it provides
• Have students draw and create a meal based on MyPlate
• Organize a school-wide sport or physical activity session after school or during gym class
• Highlight ethnic and cultural food traditions by offering special menu items from international cuisines (Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, etc.) or regional foods of the United States
• Organize a "healthy recipe" contest among students
• Organize a health fair that promotes healthy eating resources and important preventive screenings for teachers, students and their families

If you would like to incorporate National Nutrition Month® into your daily life here are a few more ideas!³

• As a family, commit to trying a new fruit or vegetable each week during the month
• Plan to eat more meals together as a family
• Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website and play some nutrition themed games
• Find other helpful handouts to share with your family or friends

For more helpful information, resources and tools reference the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Nutrition Month® Celebration Toolkit! 
 

Sources

1 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: National Nutrition Month®

2 History of National Nutrition Month®

3 36 Ideas to Get Involved in National Nutrition Month®