Nutrition Education
Proper nutrition in the school age years can reinforce lifelong eating habits that contribute to a student's overall well being. This will help them to grow and learn to their fullest potential... and then go on to lead a long healthy life.
Nutrition for Students is Fun!
Your body needs nutritious foods to grow and stay healthy, so make sure you take care of your body by eating the right food and getting plenty of exercise. Whether you are grabbing breakfast before school or choosing a snack after sports practice, now is time to start learning to make healthy choices. Your body and brain need healthy fuel to perform, to learn, to grow, and to ward off illness and disease. You will look better, feel better and do better in school and at play.
Develop the healthy eating habits today that will last a lifetime. Eat a balanced diet from each of the 5 food groups everyday... Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk and Meat & Beans... and go light on the junk!
Nutrition for Teachers
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 that teaching nutrition 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.
A school’s breakfast and lunch program helps 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 for Parents
Did you know...this generation of young people is the first that is forecast to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents? 1 in 3 or 4 children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their lifetime. The prevalence of overweight kids among 6 to 11 year olds has doubled in the past 20 years and tripled for teens.
What are we doing about it? The School Nutrition Association of Colorado supports the National School Lunch Program and adheres to strict national and state nutrition guidelines. Schools in Colorado provide nutritious lunches that contain one-third of the recommended dietary allowance of nutrients. Our schools adhere to the recommended USDA dietary guidelines from MyPlate. This new Food Guide focuses on nutrition and fitness, because the two go hand in hand. These guidelines are designed to provide practical advice for kids and parents to on choosing a healthy and balanced diet. Recommendations are tailored for kids based on age, gender, and exercise habits. The schools districts in Colorado have also developed a comprehensive school wellness policy and uphold the USDA's Federally Mandated Nutritional Value requirements, which defines the nutrition guidelines for school meals.
For parents, this program offers a convenient method of providing a nutritionally balanced lunch at the lowest possible price. For schools, the program enhances children's learning abilities by contributing to their physical and mental well being. Studies have shown that children whose nutritional needs are met have fewer attendance and discipline problems and are more attentive in class.