Milford Public Schools believes that a winning recipe for a healthy lifestyle is a combination of both good nutrition and physical activity. This is reflected in their Wellness Policy that emphasizes the importance of nutrition and fitness and the incorporation of those into the education of the students. This integration includes health education and physical education. In additions, the Milford Public Schools Food and Nutrition page includes menus, tips for eating healthy, and activities for kids, their families and teachers.

In expanding their current health education goals, Memorial Elementary School invited Robby Guarino, a student currently enrolled in the Framingham State University Coordinated Program in Dietetics, to teach a gym class of 1^st grade and 2^nd grade students. Robby presented a lesson involving MyPlate and how some foods are “sometimes foods” and that there are healthier options that can be eaten more frequently.

The lesson included using food models to see if the students could identify the food group it belonged to and if it was a “sometimes food” or not. The students then engaged in a physical activity where there were six colored hula-hoops around the gym, one for each of the five food groups with each hoop being the color of its corresponding food group and a yellow one for “sometimes foods”. Robby would shout out the name of a food and the students would have to run to the hula-hoop for the food group that the food belonged to. The students really enjoyed the activity as it got both their bodies and brains moving!

For more information and ideas, not just for nutrition education, but overall wellness education as well, visit The John C. Stalker Institute Resource Center. The Lessons for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools page is a great way to get started in implementing more nutrition education into the curriculum!

Submitted by Robby Guarino, FSU Graduate Food and Nutrition Student in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics.