Schools Embrace National Nutrition Month Spirit Year-Round

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Projects: Kids’ Safe and Healthful Food Project
Schools Embrace National Nutrition Month Spirit Year-Round

National Nutrition Month celebrates healthy eating and encourages children and adults to enjoy tasty, nutritious foods. Thanks to the creative work of school nutrition professionals and the high bar set by school nutrition standards, millions of students across the country are offered healthy and delicious meals and snacks every day.

The resources below show how the dietary recommendations at the heart of National Nutrition Month have translated to school lunch trays, and how parents and other family members can encourage children to make healthy choices in the cafeteria.

Healthy School Lunch
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Article March 15, 2016

5 Ways School Lunches Meet Nutrition Month Goals

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Article March 15, 2016

Every March we celebrate National Nutrition Month, which encourages children and adults alike to eat  healthy. In general, that means filling their plates with lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limiting their intake of salt, sugar, and saturated fat.

school lunch
healthy school lunch
Article December 1, 2015

Healthy School Lunches Improve Kids’ Habits

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healthy school lunch
Article December 1, 2015

Researchers from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity weighed and photographed lunches served to children at 12 Connecticut schools in spring 2012, 2013, and 2014. Compared with 2012, children ate nearly 13 percentage points more of their entrees and 18 percentage points more of their vegetables by the last year of the study. (See Figure 1.) Food waste declined as a result.

Healthy School Food
Healthy School Food
Article February 20, 2015

How to Support Healthier School Food for Your Kids

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Healthy School Food
Article February 20, 2015

More than 30 million American children eat school lunches each day. Parents can feel good about this fact because these meals are healthier than ever, which means that kids get the good nutrition they need to learn and do their best in school.

Bowl of Applies
Bowl of Applies
Article January 5, 2016

Nutrition Education Is a Core Component of School’s Curriculum

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Bowl of Applies
Article January 5, 2016

Eunice C. Williams is the principal of Brockman Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina, which received national recognition from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in 2015 for nutrition and physical activity improvements. The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project spoke with Williams about her school’s efforts to support healthy eating and active lives.

KSHF_CookingUpChange_er_OWN_11_20973
KSHF_CookingUpChange_er_OWN_11_20973
Article August 13, 2015

Promote Good Health While Raising Money for Schools

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KSHF_CookingUpChange_er_OWN_11_20973
Article August 13, 2015

Research shows that healthy kids do better in school. That’s why there are nutrition standards for food and drinks sold in schools. But a gap in the rules is letting some states make choices that threaten children’s health.

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School Lunches Are Getting Healthier—The Facts

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School Lunches Are Getting Healthier — The Facts
Article June 11, 2015

Americans' Views on School Food and Child Nutrition

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Article June 11, 2015

Our public opinion research shows that American parents and most  voters support strong nutrition standards for school meals and snacks.

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