Step Header Image

Nutrition education is an important way to encourage healthy eating, build good lifelong habits, and combat our State, and our country’s, childhood obesity epidemic.  Ideally, Nutrition Education should link what children are eating at school and in out-of-school time programming, with what they are learning about in the classroom.

Best practice Nutrition Education links research, theory and practice; and focuses on behavior change.  Below is a list of high quality nutrition education resources that have been reviewed and recommended by a State team of experts. This is not an all-inclusive list, but includes many of the best free and low-cost Nutrition Education resources offered in Michigan and nationally.   Use these resources to provide and improve Nutrition Education and to create an implementation plan for the Nutrition Education portion of your local Wellness Policy.

  • Catch (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) After School/Summer Program

    Format: Hard copy

    Audience: PreK-8th grade

    Cost: $225

    Screenshot of the CATCH websiteA physical activity and nutrition education program designed for elementary and middle school aged children in an after-school/summer setting. It is composed of nutrition education materials (including snack activities) and a physical activity component. The program offers an easy-to-use format that both children and staff enjoy and is ready to implement in the after-school and summer settings.

    Available at:  http://catchinfo.org

    Tags:

  • Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness Youth Curriculum

    Format: PDF

    Audience: 3rd-6th Grades

    Cost: Free to download or $149 to order

    Picture of the Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness curriculum from Cornell University Division of Nutritional Sciences and Cooperative ExtensionCHFFF is a nutrition and physical activity curriculum that is experiential and research-based, and is intended for use by Cooperative Extension educators and others with a background in nutrition and experience working with youth. A unique and exciting characteristic of CHFFF is that it was also designed to be co-taught, after in-depth training, by teens participating in the partner program Choose Health Action Teens (CHAT).

    Available at: https://fnec.cornell.edu/Our_Initiatives/CHFFF.cfm

    Tags:

  • Dig In! Standards Based Nutrition Education from the Ground Up

    Format: PDF

    Audience: 5th-6th Grades

    Cost: Free

    Picture of the Dig In nutrition education curriculum for 5th and 6th graders from the USDACHFFF is a nutrition and physical activity curriculum that is experiential and research-based, and is intended for use by Cooperative Extension educators and others with a background in nutrition and experience working with youth.  A unique and exciting characteristic of CHFFF is that it was also designed to be co-taught, after in-depth training, by teens participating in the partner program Choose Health Action Teens (CHAT).

    Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/dig-standards-based-nutrition-education-ground

    Tags:

  • Discover MyPlate Nutrition Education for Kindergarten

    Format: PDF

    Audience: Kindergarten

    Cost: Free

    Picture of USDA's MyPlate- a plate sectioned into 4 parts-fruit, vegetable, grain, protein and includes an extra place for dairy.Fun, inquiry-based nutrition education that fosters the development of healthy food choices and physically active lifestyles during a critical developmental and learning period for children — kindergarten. Program teaches core content for kindergarten and includes four downloadable, emergent reader mini books.

    Materials include a teacher kit and training guide.

    Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/discover-myplate-nutrition-education-kindergarten

    Tags:

  • Five Food Groups Poster for Children

    Format: PDF

    Audience: Elementary Students

    Cost: Free

    Poster that shows the MyPlate with kid friendly pictures for each food group. Download this poster that features USDA’s MyPlate, with pictures of food in each food group section for non-readers. This poster is included with the Discover MyPlate (above) curriculum.

    Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dmp_poster.pdf

    Tags:

  • Fuel Up to Play 60

    Format: Multiple formats

    Audience: Kindergarten - 12th Grade

    Cost: Free

    Fuel Up to Play 60 is a program founded by the National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with USDA, that empowers students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at school. Students can win cool prizes, like an NFL player visit or Super Bowl tickets, for choosing good-for-you foods and getting active for at least 60 minutes every day. There are six steps to be active in FUTP 60: Join, gather a team,  hold a kick off,  conduct a School Wellness Investigation, engage in Nutrition and physical activity “plays” and share your story. Learn more about each component at www.fueluptoplay60.com and check out the online playbook to get ideas for fun nutrition and physical activity promoting initiatives that will improve students’ food choices and increase movement at your school!  

    Available at: www.fueluptoplay60.com

    Access the FUTP 60 Playbook at: https://school.fueluptoplay60.com/playbook/

    Tags:

  • Game On!

    Format: Online

    Audience: K-12 School Health/Wellness Teams- Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators, Foodservice Workers, Community Members, Coaches

    Cost: Free

    Screenshot of the Game On webpage from Action for Healthy KidsGame On challenges America’s schools, staff, students, and the families they serve to get healthy, inside and out. Game On provides all the information and resources you need to host a successful school wellness program in your school, including an interactive school blueprint that allows you to search for fun Eat Better and Move More Challenges for every aspect of your school building. 

    Explore the Game On website and the 6 steps they offer to help you improve student health, while reaching your schools needs. Don't forget to check out step 4: Find Activities to engage everyone on the team, including students!

    Available at: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/tools-for-schools/game-on 

    Tags:

  • Grow it, Try It, Like It!

    Format: PDF

    Audience: Preschool and Kindergarten

    Cost: Free

    Picture of the Grow It, Try It, Like It curriculumA garden-themed nutrition education kit for child care center staff that introduces children to: three fruits - peaches, strawberries, and cantaloupe, and three vegetables - spinach, sweet potatoes, and crookneck squash.

    Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/grow-it-try-it-it

    Or upon request from Team Nutrition- Team Nutrition offers materials for free to schools and child care centers that participate in Federal Child Nutrition Programs.

    Tags:

  • Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools

    Format: Print Copies

    Audience: Kindergarten - 5th Grade

    Cost: $$- For pricing and ordering, contact resources@michiganfitness.org

    Picture of Healthy Classrooms Healthy Schools Curriculum from the Michigan Fitness FoundationHealthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools helps teachers transform first their classroom, and ultimately, their school into environments promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Healthy Classrooms, Healthy Schools includes two sets of supplemental lessons, one for Kindergarten through second grades and one for third through fifth grades.

    Available at:  http://www.michiganfitness.org/healthy-classrooms-healthy-schools

    Tags:

  • Health Through Literacy

    Format: Hard copy, includes books

    Audience: Kindergarten - 5th Grade

    Cost: $$- For pricing and ordering, contact resources@michiganfitness.org

    Picture of a Health Through Literacy material from the Michigan Fitness FoundationHealth Through Literacy is a book set of five to six books, age-appropriate for each grade K – 5. Each set includes books with nutrition or physical activity themes. Every book comes with a tip sheet to enhance the health messages in the books. The tip sheets help teachers discuss the books with their classes, incorporate physical activity into the reading, provide ideas for a food tasting for students, and integrate health messages with other areas of the curriculum.

    Available at: http://www.michiganfitness.org/health-through-literacy

    Tags:

  • Make Today a Try Day Stickers

    Format: PDF

    Audience: Pre- and Elementary School

    Cost: Free

    Picture of the sticker "Make Today a Try Day" that has a sluggish bus trying health foods on it.Use these stickers to encourage students to try new foods and to reward them when they do!

    Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/make-today-try-day-stickers

    Available for free upon request while supplies last. 

    Tags:

  • Michigan Model for Health

    Format: Print Copies

    Audience: Kindergarten - 12th Grade

    Cost: $$- Prices are indicated on website order form

    Logo for Michigan Model for HealthThe Michigan Model for Health®, also used in 32 other states, is a nationally acclaimed sequential K-12 health curriculum that has provided comprehensive school health education for school-aged children since 1984.  The program facilitates skills-based learning through lessons that include a variety of teaching and learning techniques, skill development and practice, and building positive lifestyle behaviors in students and families. Classroom instruction using the Michigan Model addresses the most serious health challenges students face, including social and emotional health; nutrition and physical activity; alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; and safety.  The major goal of this program is to motivate and assist students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and reduce health-related risk behaviors while creating a partnership between homes, schools, community groups and government.  

    Available at: http://www.emc.cmich.edu/EMC_Orchard/michigan-model-for-health

    Tags:

  • MyPlate Kids Place

    Format: Multiple formats

    Audience: Elementary Students

    Cost: Free

    Picture of the USDA's MyPlate- a plate sectioned by food group - fruit, vegetable, grain, protein, dairyFind information on how to build a healthy plate, appropriate serving sizes for children, ideas to encourage trying new foods, and physical activity recommendations. Download or access games, activity sheets, videos, songs and more. 

    Available at: www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/

    Tags:

  • Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbook for Childcare Centers and Schools

    Format: PDF and/or hard copy

    Audience: Child Care Providers, Parents, Teachers, Foodservice Staff

    Cost: Free

    Picture of Porcupine Sliders Recipe for Healthy Kids WinnerRecipes feature foods both children and adults should eat more of: dark green and orange vegetables, dry beans and peas, and whole grains. All of the recipes are low in total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium. With fun names like Porcupine Sliders, Smokin' Powerhouse Chili, and Squish Squash Lasagna, these kid-tested, kid-approved recipes are sure to please children and be an instant hit.

    Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/recipes-healthy-kids-cookbook-child-care-centers-0

    Tags:

  • Serving Up MyPlate – A Yummy Curriculum

    Format: PDF

    Audience: 1st - 6th Grades

    Cost: Free

    Picture of the Serving Up MyPlate curriculum. It is a hand holding a serving plate that holds the MyPlate logo.Serving Up MyPlate is a collection of classroom materials that helps elementary school teachers integrate nutrition education into Math, Science, English Language Arts, and Health. This yummy curriculum introduces the importance of eating from all five food groups using the MyPlate icon and a variety of hands–on activities. Students also learn the importance of physical activity to staying healthy.

    Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/serving-myplate-yummy-curriculum

    Tags:

  • The Two Bite Club

    Format: PDF and/or hard copy

    Audience: Pre- and Elementary School

    Cost: Free

    Picture of the Two Bite Club curriculumA storybook to introduce MyPlate to young children. Children are encouraged to try foods from each food group by eating just two bites, just like the characters in the story. The back of the book contains a MyPlate coloring page, a blank certificate for the Two Bite Club, fun activity pages for kids, and Tips for Growing Healthy Eaters. The Two Bite Club is available in English and Spanish

    Available athttp://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/two-bite-club

    Or upon request from Team Nutrition- Team Nutrition offers materials for free to schools and child care centers that participate in Federal Child Nutrition Programs.

     

    Tags:

  • The We Like to Eat Book Series

    Format: paperback books

    Audience: PreK to Grade 5, Families

    Cost: $$- For pricing and ordering, contact resources@michiganfitness.org

    The We Like to Eat!TM book series engage children and their families to learn about the food groups with a focus on fruits and vegetables that include tips for gardening, harvesting, preparing, and eating fruits and vegetables. Two of the books are bilingual with English and Spanish text and contain recipes, recipe cards, and activities.

    Available at: Review a sample or order at www.michiganfitness.org.  

    Tags:

  • SPARK – Afterschool Curriculum

    Format: Print Copies

    Audience: Kindergarten - 8th grade

    Cost: $199-$399

    Picture of the SPARKfolio Physical Education curriculumAn easy to use 3-ring binder (simply pull out a lesson, place it on a clipboard, and take it to class) with over 400 pages of cooperative, cultural and aerobic games, dances from around the world, and enjoyable skill and sport activities written in scope and sequence. There are also instructional units on jump rope, parachute play, jogging games, fitness circuits, and beanbag activities. Activities are more inclusive, active, and enjoyable because they’ve been highly modified by our team of experts, and tested for effectiveness in hundreds of after school programs nationwide.

    Available at: http://www.sparkpe.org/after-school/curriculum

    Tags:

  • Show Me Nutrition

    Format: Direct Education Program

    Audience: PreK-8th grade

    Cost: Free to schools with at least 50% participation in free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program

    Green circle with the Spartan Helmet and it says Michigan's Health MattersShow Me Nutrition (SMN) is a six-week program for youth from Pre-K through eighth grade. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in age appropriate, interactive, hands-on activities that promote good eating habits, positive body image, physical activity and food safety. Through each interesting and fun nutrition class, students will gain the skills necessary to make healthy lifestyle choices. This six series program covers eight different lessons throughout the school year, and is taught in your schools classroom.

    This program is offered for free in the classroom from Michigan State University Extension. For more information, find your local MSU Extension office at http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county.

  • Snack Sleuths

    Format: Multiple

    Audience: Grades 3-5

    Cost: Free

    Introduce students to the exciting world of healthy snacking! Six “discoveries” that teach students why snacks are important; what a healthy snack is; new ideas for healthy snacking; and how to accept responsibility for their own snack choices. Healthy snack recipes and a chart that connects the discoveries to the Common core are included.

    Call the United Dairy Industry of Michigan at 800-241-MILK to order print copies (available while supplies last).

     

    Available at: www.milkmeansmore.org/schools

    Tags: