My Trip to the Classroom: A Nutrition and Reading Adventure
In case you didn’t know March is National Nutrition Month. But March also holds another great title: National Reading Month. To celebrate both, I decided to take a trip to a local classroom and read to the kids about eating right this past week.
In my effort to help kids learn about delicious and nutritious foods as well as better eating habits, I read to a 2nd grade class in Battle Creek, Michigan. I was so happy to see how excited the kids were to learn about nutrition.
The book I read was The Runaway Garden: A Delicious Story That’s Good for You, Too! by Jeffery L. Schatzer. It’s a great story with terrific illustrations that can peak children’s interest in gardening and vegetables while at the same time providing a fun and entertaining adventure. As I read along the different vegetables depicted in the book served as a great teaching and discussion tool for the kids as we talked about the names of the different veggies, how good they taste, and how they can help us grow to be healthy and strong.
After reading, I gave the class some fun nutrition worksheets, provided by Nourish Interactive. This site has fun and educational nutrition resources for children of all ages created by nutrition and healthcare professionals. It’s a great site I use and personally recommend to anyone who is teaching kids about eating healthy foods.
In a time of rising nutritional issues like childhood obesity it is critical we address healthy eating to our kids at an early age. And studies have shown the earlier we intervene the better. Not only does this help provide them with the knowledge of better eating but it also puts kids on the path to healthier diets before unhealthy eating habits are developed.
Be sure to check out the slideshow below for more pictures of the fun I had with the kids. If you have the interest I encourage you to make the time the to be a reader for a day at your local school and help kids develop an interest in nutriton and better eating. Trust me, you’ll have a blast!
Nutrition Lately 