Educating students with the knowledge to become lifelong healthy eaters is an important lesson that two Massachusetts school districts are passionately committed to. Nutrition staff at Triton Regional School District and Prospect Hill Academy Charter Schools are making concerted efforts to take what’s being served in the cafeteria and bring it into classrooms to benefit their students.
The more than 2,300 students in Triton’s five schools regularly experience several innovative programs. Among them, the MyPlate program teaches elementary students about different food groups and how each item might look on their cafeteria meal trays. Interactive activities allow students to incorporate all the food groups when drawing and creating their own plates.
Middle school students learn about sugar, how it is labeled on food packages, the differences between natural and added sugar and the amount of sugar in products such as sports drinks, soda, juice and more. Recommendations for sugar consumption per age group is addressed and snacks are passed out for students to practice reading nutrition labels and identifying amounts of added sugar within foods.
“Much of our nutrition education is done through our cafeteria menus, social media accounts and on trays, but getting in the classroom is a great way to get one-on-one time with students,” said Sarah Littmann, MS, RD, Director of Food Services for Triton Regional School District. “We hold constructive conversations while gaining student input about school meals and nutrition.”
Pre-kindergarteners at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School recently selected some of their favorite vegetables and flowers, and they planted seeds and seedlings in an indoor hydroponic garden. The students witnessed the gradual growth each day, cared for the plants and discussed what they observed. The experience culminated with a student taste-test once the plants were mature enough to harvest.
A conscious effort is also made to hold meetings about nutritional programs with food service staff to allow teachers to gain the knowledge they need to utilize each program within their classrooms.
“We take the opportunity to get in front of teachers during professional development sessions to talk about upcoming food events and stress the importance of our breakfast and lunch programs,” said Michelle Doyle, MS MPH, Meals Program Director for Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. “One of my favorite topics to teach teachers is the Five Senses of a Taste Test where I talk them through all of the senses they can use before tasting a new food so they can try it out in their classrooms.”
It is not just reading, writing and arithmetic at Triton Regional Schools and Prospect Hill Academy. Nutrition education programs aim to support healthier students who grow into healthy adults that make well-educated food choices for life.