Nutrition Education
Gardening for Nutrition – Nutrition Education
- Educate students using classroom and school gardens. They will learn how to grow and harvest their own fruits and vegetables.
- Foods from the garden prepared in the classroom as part of a science lesson demonstrate both the life cycle and nutritional value of fruits and vegetables.
- A garden is a “hands on” way to show were food comes from and how it grows.
- Connect with the student ambassadors or “farmers” of your school garden. Schedule a tour for your class. If possible, harvest items from your school garden and taste them.
- Order free seed catalogs, taste test vegetables before you purchase the seeds. Then plant the seeds in your garden and watch them grow.
- Visit Hume seeds and American Bloom to look for resources for free seeds.
- Ask local garden centers for seed donations.
- Check the internet for grants that might fund your school garden. Kidsgardening.org or www.farmtoschool.org are two possible sources of information.
Dig In
- Dig In! is a gardening and nutrition curriculum designed for grades 5 and 6 and is available for order or download from USDA’s Team Nutrition program.
Growing Healthy Habits
Growing Healthy Habits is a 9-unit, gardening and nutrition education curriculum that targets youth, grades K-5.
Read for Health
Read for Health is a language arts-based nutrition education curriculum with several gardening for nutrition themes that targets younger elementary-aged students. The following lessons have a gardening for nutrition theme:
- Lesson 1: Fruits and Vegetables, “Max Goes to the Farmers’ Market”
- Lesson 5: All Fruits Have Seeds, “A Fruits is a Suitcase for Seeds”
- Lesson 11: Where do Fruits and Vegetables Grow?, “Up, Down, and Around”
- Lesson 13: The Scoop on Soil, “Dirt- The Scoop on Soil”
- Lesson 14: Healthy Gardens, “Eddie’s Garden and How to Make Things Grow”
- Lesson 15: Food From the Earth, “Seed, Soil, Sun”
- Lesson 18: Farm to School, “Before We Eat”
Edible ABC’s is a companion piece to the Read for Health curriculum that is used with children ages 3 to 5 to introduce nutrition and gardening.
- Edible ABCs Lesson Guide
- Good for You Cards
- Handout
- Newsletter (English, Spanish)
- ABC Picture Cards
- ABC Stickers
Links to Farm to Preschool Gardening Resources:
- Grow It Try It Like It Curriculum is a garden-themed nutrition education kit that targets children ages 3 to 5. It is available for download or order from USDA’s Team Nutrition program.
- Eat Smart Website Gardening Resources and Seasonal Gardening Newsletters
Suggested Book: Before We Eat: From Farm to Table, by Pat Brisson – This book is used with the Read for Health Farm to School lesson, but can also be used to introduce the concept of Farm to Table and I recommend that it is read prior to a farmer visit.
The following programs, with a gardening focus, work well with out of school youth.
- Dig In! is a gardening and nutrition curriculum designed for grades 5 and 6 and is available for order or download from USDA’s Team Nutrition program.
- Growing Healthy Habits is a 9-unit, gardening and nutrition education curriculum that targets youth, grades K-5.
- Read for Health is a language arts-based nutrition education curriculum with several gardening for nutrition themes that targets younger elementary-aged students. The following lessons have a gardening for nutrition theme:
- Lesson 1: Fruits and Vegetables, “Max Goes to the Farmers’ Market”
- Lesson 5: All Fruits Have Seeds, “A Fruits is a Suitcase for Seeds”
- Lesson 11: Where do Fruits and Vegetables Grow?, “Up, Down, and Around”
- Lesson 13: The Scoop on Soil, “Dirt- The Scoop on Soil”
- Lesson 14: Healthy Gardens, “Eddie’s Garden and How to Make Things Grow”
- Lesson 15: Food From the Earth, “Seed, Soil, Sun”
- Lesson 18: Farm to School, “Before We Eat”
Visit the Maryland Out of School Time Network for additional resources and information on out of school programs.