NUTRITION & KIDS

 

Nutrient-Rich Joint Editorial

Nutrient density is a well-known concept used by registered dietitians, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid. This joint editorial from seven national health organizations reviews the scientific justification for using nutrient density as a basis for dietary guidelines for children and adults. Educating parents and children on how to choose nutrient-rich foods allows them to establish life-long healthy eating habits.

 Read Joint Editorial [PDF]

Fuel Up to Play 60

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school program developed in partnership between National Dairy Council, local Dairy Councils and the National Football league to engage and empower youth to get 60 minutes of physical activity each day and choose better foods including low-fat and fat-free dairy, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables as recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.

Fuel Up to Play 60 will provide youth with the tools and resources needed to take an active role in improving their personal health and school environment, and to help youth develop a lifetime of healthy habits. For detailed information, and to order your school's kit go to www.fueluptoplay60.org.

 Visit Fuel Up to Play 60

 

Three Oregon Schools Win 2010 School Wellness Award

For a third year the Oregon Department of Education, with sponsorship from Oregon Dairy Council has formally recognized outstanding school wellness programs. Winning schools have effectively implemented their district's wellness policies, are creatively promoting healthy student behavior, and are monitoring and evaluating their programs to meet all student needs. Learn more about what each school is doing by visiting the list of winners.

Congratulations to the 2010 Winners:
Sacramento Elementary (Portland)
Hoover Elementary (Corvallis)
Fairview Elementary (Klamath Falls)

 View List of Winners [PDF]
 Read Press Release

 

Wellness Success Stories

Franklin School in Corvallis continues to promote healthy student behavior with fun and creative programs after winning a 2008 Oregon School Wellness Award. Franklin promotes nutrition education in the classroom, cafeteria, at staff meetings and in the community.

 Franklin School Wellness Article [PDF]

A favorite nutrition education activity at Franklin is Mix It Up, which occurs during lunch four times a year. Try Mix It Up Activities at your school:

 MIX IT UP: Dairy and Fruits [PDF]
 MIX IT UP: MyPyramid [PDF]
 MIX IT UP: Vegetables [PDF]
 MIX IT UP: Fruits [PDF]

Classroom nutrition education at Franklin School includes these programs that promote healthy eating:

 Start Smart Eating and Reading
 Exercise Your Options
 Calcium: Got It? Get It!

 

Action for Healthy Kids

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is a nationwide initiative dedicated to improving the health and educational performance of children through better nutrition and physical activity in schools. Visit the Oregon AFHK website to find a wealth of tools and information for creating health-promoting schools that support sound nutrition and physical activity as part of a total learning environment. Find out about what's happening in Oregon and learn how you can get involved, today!

 Visit Oregon Action for Healthy Kids

 

Action for Healthy Kids Special Report

In the fall of 2008, Action for Healthy Kids released a special report called Progress or Promises? What's Working For and Against Healthy Schools. This report presents perspectives of key stakeholders on the current state of school wellness. Although school wellness has come a long way over the past five years, several gaps still exist. Read the report to understand the complex issues involved in achieving school wellness.

 View report

 

Agriculture for Your Classroom

Bring the farm to your school and teach students about the central role that farmers play in our communities. Take students on a virtual tour of a dairy farm or use Discover Dairy lesson plans and videos. Check out The Farmer Grows a Rainbow from Agriculture in the Classroom. Show kids (preK through grade 5) the connection between farming, food, and nutrition.

 Learn About Dairy Farming in Oregon
 Tour a Dairy Farm
 Download Dairy Lessons and Videos
 Read and Watch The Farmer Grows a Rainbow

 

American Academy of Pediatrics - New Vitamin D Recommendations
Pediatrics 2008;122:1142-1152

The American Academy of Pediatrics has revised recommendations for adequate intake of vitamin D in infants and children. Research shows rickets and vitamin D deficiency re-emerging as health problems in North America in infants and young children, especially among African-Americans. The clinical report published in Pediatrics recommends a minimum daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D from birth through adolescence.

 View full report [PDF]

 

Raw Milk, Juice Dangerous for Children and Infants
AAP News Parent Plus, American Academy of Pediatrics News, Vol 29(1), 1/08

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns of the serious risks raw milk and juice can pose and strongly recommends pasteurized milk and juice once your child is ready for foods other than breast milk or formula.

 AAP Recommendation about Raw Milk and Juice [PDF]

 

Blast Off with MyPyramid for Kids!

Recently released by USDA, the kid-friendly version of MyPyramid brings healthy eating and physical activity messages to elementary school children. Using fun, colorful graphics, MyPyramid for Kids website has downloadable worksheets and coloring pages for kids, tips for families, and classroom materials.

Blast Off, an online game, has kids choose foods and physical activities and use food group fuel tanks to help them track how their choices fit into MyPyramid. If they fuel their bodies well, they blast off to Planet Power!

Don't just leave it to kids to explore, MyPyramid for Kids offers fun and education for the kid in each of us.

 Visit Site
 Order MyPyramid for Kids Poster
 Go to Free Downloads – MyPyramid for Kids mini-poster

 

Healthy Kids Learn Better

The vision of Healthy Kids Learn Better (HKLB): All youth in Oregon are healthy and successful learners who contribute positively to their communities. HKLB is a way of forming school-community partnerships that address kids' physical, social and emotional needs while improving their potential to learn. Visit this website for current news and events, tools and resources, and to learn about Oregon's Coordinated School Health success stories.

 Visit Site

 

Oregon's Outstanding Health Cadre

The Healthy Kids Learn Better Health Education Training Cadre originated over seven years ago with the Coordinated School Health (CSH) funding. The Cadre has since provided Oregon K-12 educators, pre-service students and prevention specialists free professional development in health education. This includes training events for mapping and aligning K-12 health curriculum and instruction, standards and assessment training and specific health education curricula program training events.

The Cadre consists of fourteen highly qualified health educators from all over Oregon who have received training on facilitating workshops for educators. The Cadre co-coordinators are Jess Bogli, formerly the Health Education Curriculum Specialist for the Oregon Department of Education, and Kari Stumher, retired health educator from Portland Public Schools. When the funding for CSH was not renewed in Oregon, partners and grant funds have provided sustainable dollars to continue to provide free training events for educators. For more information on upcoming training events and trainer information, please contact Jess Bogli at jess@bogliconsulting.com.

Oregon is not the only state with a health education cadre. If you live outside of Oregon, we encourage you to check with your state department of education, department of human services, or state affiliate of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).

 

You Have the Power:
To Keep Your Kids Eating Well at School
DHS Health Services - Office of Family Health, 2005

Developed by the Nutrition Council of Oregon, this educational brochure encourages parent involvement to improve school nutrition. The colorful, 2-page flyer promotes good nutrition and addresses current nutrition issues facing schools, such as "competitive foods". Also offers suggestions for parent-initiated efforts to support healthy eating at school.

 View Brochure [PDF]

 

Start Smart Eating & Reading:
A fun-filled breakfast, nutrition & reading program for K-2nd grade students

The Oregon Dairy Council partners with other Oregon education services to promote the connection between nutrition and learning.

Start Smart Eating & Reading combines nutrition education and literacy for an all-around healthy classroom curriculum. This fun-filled breakfast, nutrition, and reading program was designed to help students discover the importance of breakfast through reading and discussion of various children's books. Each of the five learning modules offers a no-cook food activity along with other classroom activities to reinforce messages about smart eating, while parent newsletters help deliver messages from the classroom to the home.

The curriculum was prepared jointly by the 4-H Youth Development and Family and Community Development programs of the Oregon State University Extension Service and the Oregon Department of Education.

Lesson plans, worksheets, and parent newsletter are available for free download at:

 Visit Site

 

4 Girls Health
National Women’s Health Info Center, US Dept. of Health and Human Services

“4 Girls Health” is a great website with health information for girls ages 10 to 16. Many topics are covered from fitness and nutrition to bullying and relationships. The site also includes sections for educators and parents and caregivers.

 Visit Site

 

Flavored Milk In Perspective

This review examines the latest scientific research on the nutritional and health benefits of flavored milk. Included in the review are various health concerns related to flavored milk, such as dental caries, behavioral disorders, obesity, and Diabetes Mellitus.

 Read Article [PDF]

 

Soft Drinks in Schools

A policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics: This statement is intended to inform pediatricians and other health care professionals, parents, superintendents, and school board members about nutritional concerns regarding soft drink consumption in school…

 Read Article [PDF]