March is National Nutrition Month

posted 2/28/21 -- LCCAA Head Start supports the entire family and the inclusion of quality nutrition services is a vital part of meeting our families’ needs.

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.

“We empower our families by helping them to learn what their children need,” said Health and Nutrition Manager Rebecca Rodriguez. “We also show them how they can be nutritionally balanced while still having budget-friendly meals that aren’t hard or time consuming to prepare.”

Nationwide, Head Start Programs must implement a nutrition program that meets the nutritional requirements and feeding needs of each child. They must serve a variety of different foods, taking into consideration the ethnic or cultural preferences of the child, as a means of broadening each child’s food experience and willingness to try new things.

The nutritional portion of the LCCAA Head Start Program is funded by USDA Food and Consumer Services Child Nutrition Programs. LCCAA Head Start typically provides breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. During virtual learning, these meals are distributed in special pick up days.

To build healthy eating habits, all toddlers and preschool children eat “family style” with classroom staff and volunteers when they are in centers. Children often help distribute items and serve themselves from larger bowls of food they pass among their friends.

LCCAA Head Start works to introduce new foods by building classroom activities around Try Days. Children are offered the opportunity to touch a whole cantaloupe, examine it and smell it before they try cantaloupe chunks, for example. Both children and parents have been offered multiple chances to try the new food. Popular items have been added to the LCCAA menu.

For more tips for National Nutrition Month, visit https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month.