Take a look around your school building or campus. How does your school promote good nutrition?

Take Action 

Nutrition promotion should happen in multiple settings throughout the school building. Reinforce nutrition messages to students by using these strategies from Action For Healthy Kids:

• Hang posters in classrooms, hallways, the office and the cafeteria that promote healthy eating. Get approval from your school administration to ensure posters will not be removed
• Host a taste test. A taste test is a great way to promote healthy options and garner enthusiasm around trying new foods
• Plan a fun and interactive family event around nutrition promotion. Take advantage of events like parent-teacher conferences, when you have a built-in audience, to provide healthy snacks and nutrition tips
• Plan a health & wellness fairto bring in community partners to provide nutrition resources
• Infuse nutrition messages into all school communication channels when possible
• If your school does not have a school newsletter, create a wellness-focused one to promote healthy eating and physical activity to families
• Share short nutrition and physical activity tips during the morning announcements.
• Allow students to visit the water fountain throughout the school day and to carry water bottles in class. Send a letter home to parents to encourage them to participate in this practice
• Promote a healthy topic each month on a healthy bulletin board in the main office
• Spruce up your cafeteria with murals, artwork, posters and table tents to promote good nutrition during breakfast and lunch.

Tips

• Be a healthy role model for your kids
• Be consistent. Make sure celebrations, rewards and family events promote healthy or non-food options
• Children learn best when they receive information through multiple communication channels. At a minimum, promote nutrition in the classroom, cafeteria and at home
• If displaying posters, make sure messages are age appropriate so all students can understand
• Work with your school’s art teacher to create posters, signs and other artwork that reinforce healthy eating messages. Display the art all around your school building
• Consider dedicating a student group to promoting healthy eating throughout the school.
• If creating materials from scratch, contact local community artists, graphic designers and/or high school/college students to help design and develop materials.

Additional Resources

Free, printable healthy bulletin board templates (Iowa Department of Education)

Team Nutrition: Free nutrition curricula, posters and other resources (United States Department of Agriculture)

Tips for Teachers to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)

Nibbles for Health: A free nutrition newsletter than can be printed and mailed home to parents (United States Department of Agriculture)