Elementary School Nutrition Education
DINE provides nutrition education in many elementary schools throughout Durham County. Programming varies from school to school and includes the following:
Custom designed nutrition curriculum The core component of DINE in the elementary schools is a 5-7 lesson curriculum. It is revised annually to reflect results of pre- and post-screenings and the changing needs of the Durham community. Many of the resources used for lessons are designed in-house or adapted from those of other states or organizations. The curriculum includes three different grade-appropriate curricula based on the dietary guidelines and MyPlate.
- Kindergarten - 1st Grade Curriculum
- 2nd Grade Curriculum
- 3rd Grade Curriculum
- 4th Grade Curriculum
- 5th Grade Curriculum
Each lesson includes:
- Taste Tests: Offered with the goal of introducing students to new, healthy foods.
- Educational reinforcements: Items such as calculators, pencils, and magnets given to students to reinforce messages taught during lessons.
- Student/Parent handouts: Information, recipes, and activity sheets distributed to parents and students to reinforce lesson messages.
***Disclaimer: The curriculum is available to the public, but it is highly recommended that it be taught only by Registered Dietitians, recognized experts in the field of nutrition. While the lessons may seem simple and self explanatory, questions that arise during lessons should be addressed by a trained professional to provide participants with the most accurate and up-to-date nutrition information.
School Wellness ProgramsTo further tackle the obesity epidemic, DINE nutritionists are involved in school wellness activities such as:
- Wellness Committees: Serving as committee members of school wellness committees, in collaboration with school staff and parents, DINE nutritionists take an active role in reinforcing the school wellness policy by encouraging healthy snacks in schools, non-food rewards, and not taking away recess as a punishment
Hands on Cooking ClassesOne of the best ways to get children excited about healthy eating is to teach them to cook. These classes incorporate nutrition, cooking, and harvesting from the garden to provide students with skills and knowledge to last a lifetime. Check out our lessons and recipes.
Afterschool ProgramsAfterschool programs vary from school to school.