Ways to Celebrate National Nutrition Month®
Depending on where you live, March may bring the end of gray, wintery weather. Chase away the gloom and foster excitement by celebrating National Nutrition Month®! It is a timely way to renew interest in the fresh foods that will soon be in local markets.
Celebrated annually in March, National Nutrition Month® promotes:
- Wise nutrition choices
- Sound eating habits
- A physically active lifestyle
Sound familiar? The goals of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and National Nutrition Month® align. Engage in activities to reinforce your CACFP’s positive role in young children’s growth and development. Pair the nutrition education messages of National Nutrition Month® with fun activities for children.
Week 1. Fuel Your Future With Grains
Tell the children that March is National Nutrition Month®—and they will celebrate foods that help fuel their future all month long.
- Ask the children what the word “fuel” means. If needed, give an example, such as gas in a car. Explain that food is fuel for our bodies.
- Show different pictures of grain foods. Tell the children that grains provide energy or fuel for our bodies to grow and play.
- Ask the children to name some of their favorite forms of active play. Eating grains helps fuel their play every day.
- Talk about the different grains on the menu this week and, if possible, conduct simple tasting or snack activities in the classroom.
Week 2. Fuel Your Future With Meats/Meat Alternates
- Ask the children what the word “future” means. Help them understand that they will be taller and stronger in the future.
- Tell the children that the foods we eat every day (for example, meats, fish, beans, cheese, eggs, tofu, and poultry) help our bodies grow.
- Show pictures of meats and meat alternates, and ask the children which ones they have tasted before.
- Tell them these foods provide something special to our bodies for growth and strength, called protein. They need to eat these foods every day to give their bodies what they need to grow and be strong.
- Talk about the different meats and meat alternates on the menu this week and, if possible, conduct simple tasting or snack activities in the classroom.
Week 3. Fuel Your Future With Milk
- Ask the children to raise their hands above their heads to show how tall they want to be next year.
- Explain that children grow at their own pace.
- Tell them that milk contains vitamins and minerals their bodies need for their bones to grow tall and strong.
- Discuss that milk is part of your program’s meals (breakfast, lunch, and supper) every day. Encourage each child to drink milk at your program and at home.
Family style meal service (FSMS) is a best practice in the CACFP. It encourages children to master self-service of foods and beverages, including milk. Before asking children to pour milk during meal times, practice self-serve (or adult-assisted) pouring skills using child-size pitchers and water at the sink or water table. Work toward implementing FSMS if it is new to your program.
Week 4. Fuel Your Future With Fruits and Vegetables
- Ask the children to name foods that come in many colors (for example, fruits and vegetables).
- Tell the children that colorful fruits and vegetables also have vitamins and minerals. These nutrients help their bodies to grow and build strong bones and muscles so children can play and feel good.
- Show pictures of different fruits and vegetables.
- Tell the children it is important to eat different colors of fruits and vegetables.
- Ask the children what words they think of when eating fruits or vegetables (for example, juicy, crunchy, sweet, etc.).
- Talk about the different fruits and vegetables on the menu this week and, if possible, conduct simple tasting or snack activities in the classroom.
Remind the children that eating the different foods offered at meals and snacks fuels their future growth to be taller and stronger. They fuel good health and today’s fun and play!
| Nutrition 101: A Taste of Food and Fitness, 4th edition features photos of grains (pages 27–28) and vegetables (pages 31–38) in the Participant’s Workbook. |
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Menu Ideas
The following menu ideas provide a variety of foods, colors, and textures. Some recipes contain multiple food components listed in parentheses after the recipe.
Recipes
You can find the featured recipes from the Menu Ideas section in the resources below:
- The Child Nutrition Recipe Box has USDA standardized recipes for child care centers and family child care homes.
- The Child Nutrition Recipe Box: New CACFP Lunch/Supper Recipes has standardized recipes per age group (3–5 and 6–18 year-olds) and for servings of 6, 25, and 50.
References
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. (n.d.). Kids eat right. https://www.eatrightfoundation.org/foundation/resources/kids-eat-right
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2022). National nutrition month®. https://www.eatright.org/national-nutrition-month-2023
Institute of Child Nutrition. (n.d.). Aztec grain salad for child care centers. Child Nutrition Recipe Box. https://theicn.org/cnrb/recipes-for-centers-salads/aztec-grain-salad/
Institute of Child Nutrition. (n.d.). Beef shepherd’s pie – USDA recipe for child care centers. Child Nutrition Recipe Box. https://theicn.org/cnrb/recipes-for-centers-main-dishes/beef-shepherds-pie/
Institute of Child Nutrition. (n.d.). Child nutrition recipe box. https://theicn.org/cnrb/
Institute of Child Nutrition. (n.d.). New CACFP lunch/supper recipes. Child Nutrition Recipe Box. https://theicn.org/cnrb/2022-cacfp-recipes/
Institute of Child Nutrition. (2018). Nutrition 101: A taste of food and fitness (4th edition). https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/nutrition-101/
Institute of Child Nutrition. (2022). Child and adult meal pattern requirements: A CACFP meal pattern requirements supplemental training. https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/CACFP-meal-pattern-training/
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (2020). Spiced oatmeal – CACFP home childcare. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/Spiced Oatmeal 6 Servings.pdf
