Nutrition Education: Equipping Your Toolbox

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Nutrition EducationEquipping Your Toolbox

• Spring 2013
• Crista Hawkins, RD, LD

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Who is Oregon Dairy Council?
Since 1918, Oregon Dairy Council has been
encouraging healthy food choices for life! We are
a staff of nutrition professionals who are
registered dietitians and nutrition educators.
Oregon Dairy Council is part of the Oregon Dairy
Products Commission, one of 20 Oregon Commodity
Commissions charged with education, research and
promotion. We are proudly funded by Oregon dairy
farm families.

• Philosophy
• Science-based groundwork
• Practical skills that translate research to
  action
• Creative strategies motivating behavior change
• Target Audiences
• Health Professionals
• Educators

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Why Nutrition Education?

• Dietary patterns are suboptimal
• Food environment is complex
• Information environment is complex
• Consumer interest is growing, but people are
  confused

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Nutrition Education

• Imparts information
• Promotes healthful behaviors
• Creates environmental change
• Individuals make informed decisions about food,
  habits and health

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Keys to Nutrition Education

• Science-based
• Develop good habits early
• Role Modeling
• Positive Environment
• Hands on Experience
• FUN

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Its All About Behavior

• Successful programs
• Set behavioral change as goal
• Employ educational strategies to achieve that
  goal
• Are motivational, messages have positive spin
• Evidence-based
• Fun and creative
• Include food
• Hands-on
• Outcomes
• Small steps
• Positive results in some components, not all
• Contento, 2007

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Why Target Educators?
A Case for Health Educators

• Lack of time
• Lack of money
• State standards for health education
• Engage students
• Health ties to academic performance

• Reach educators, teach kids
• Address obesity crisis among kids
• Start healthy behaviors early
• Serve as role models
• Promote school wellness

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The Learning Connection

• Effects of poor nutrition
• Compromised cognitive development
• Difficulty concentrating
• Lower standardized test scores
• Irritability and behavior problems
• More illness, more absence
• Bottom line
• When childrens basic nutritional and fitness
  needs are met, higher achievement levels result

Visit www.genyouthfoundation.org to read
executive summary
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Nutrition Expeditions (Grades 2 4)

• Story-based lessons
• 10 lessons for Little Ds
• 8 lessons for Ariannas
• Four interactive games on CD
• Nutrition backgrounder
• Home connections
• Movement breaks
• Lesson modifications
• http//www.nutritionexplorations.org/

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Start Smart Eating and Reading

• For K-2nd grade
• Nutrition, breakfast, reading program
• Available for free download at ODC website

• Format
• 5 lesson plan curriculum
• Childrens stories
• Worksheets
• Songs
• Food activities
• Parent newsletters
• Also available in Spanish

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Exercise Your Options (Grades 6-8)

• 8 lesson curriculum for grades 6-8
• Teaching kit includes
• Instructor guide
• Student workbooks (find one in your packet)
• Video vignettes for each lesson
• Lesson objectives mapped to National Health
  Education Standards
• Beaverton School District
• Centennial School District

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Live It! Real Life Nutrition for Teens (9-12)

• Interactive Lessons
• Discusses nutrient-density how to get the most
  nutrition out of calories
• Incorporates concepts from MyPlate 2010 Dietary
  Guidelines

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For Your Program

• What is Normal? Poster

Toss nTell Ball
Food Models
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More For Your Program
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Where to Find it!

• WEBSITE
• www.oregondairycounil.org
• Free downloads
• Free materials for Fuel Up to Play 60 schools
• Materials for coaches
• athletes
• Other dairy focused, lactose intolerance
  materials available

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For Your School

• Free school wellness program (K-12)
• Focus on healthy eating, physical activity,
  leadership
• Schools develop their own wellness plans apply
  for grants to fund proposed ideas (4,000)
• Learn more at www.FuelUpToPlay60.com
• Contact Cara Seger, caras_at_oregondairycouncil.org

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School Wellness Newsletter
For Teachers, Parents, Students, etc

• Produced twice yearly
• Fall and spring
• Current and past issues at www.oregondairycouncil.
  org under Free Downloads

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Questions?
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Thank You!

• Crista Hawkins, RD, LD
• cristah_at_oregondairycouncil.org
• www.oregondairycouncil.org
• 503.229.5033