Nutrition PromotionLaura York, MS

Diane Sylvia, MAT, SNS

Nutrition Promotion

With 95% of all children and adolescents enrolled in school, it is the most natural place to teach and

promote the skills needed to develop positive lifelong nutrition and wellness

behaviors.

Communications Strategy Components

• Communications Objective

• Communications Goal

• Key Message

• Support Points

•Target Audience –Research

•Tone/Feel

Communications Strategy Components

– Advertising• Printed Materials• TV, Website, Social

Media

– Direct Marketing• Letters, Texts,

Emails

– Promotional Items

– Events/Displays

– Public Relations

– Personal Selling

Communications Vehicles

•Evaluation –Process Evaluation

–Outcome Evaluation

Communications Strategy Components

Our Focus

• Idea into initiative

• How to utilize the entire school environment

• Communicating a successful message

• Where to find resources

• Where to find support

• Where to find funding

Idea to Initiative

• Brainstorming session

• Invite everyone

• Anyone can initiate an idea/promotion

• Ask different people/groups to volunteer

School Environment

• Cafeteria/Classroom Connection– All students have access everyday

– Physical environment is adaptable

– Classroom curriculum can easily be connected

– Healthy food is being served

Promotional Strategies

• Nutrition Education– Whole school experience– Annual school wide theme

• Incorporate into existing curriculum – Classroom (all curriculum areas)– Cafeteria/Auditorium/Gym– Morning Announcements– School Newspaper– Field Trips– After School Program– Clubs, Teams and Organizations

School Year Nutrition Promotions• Examples

– Healthy Snack Initiative– Eating Our Way Through the Alphabet– Culinary Road Trip Across America– Eating Our Way Through American History– International Culinary Adventure– Sustainable Cuisine– Planet Health – Eat Well

Year Long Connection

• Culinary Road Trip Across America– Fourth grade collaboration– Visited five states monthly– Promoted fruits, vegetable and whole grains – Fun state facts on morning announcements– Students made U.S. shaped pizzas– Bulletin board tracked adventure– Cookbook developed – ASP– Family dinner/state reports display

Healthy Snack Initiative• Healthy snacking faculty meeting

• Healthy snacking PTO presentation

• Implement daily nutrition break

• Heart smart classroom parties

• Family resources

• Teacher follow-up activities

• “Still Snacking Smart” program

Special Promotions• January is National Soup Month

– Collaboration with third grade– Free samples of soup– Students surveyed entire school– Calculated and graphed results– Bulletin board with the charts– Article in the school newspaper– Recipes sent home

Theme Months & Special Events Crazy Cranberry Week Fruit or Vegetable of the Month National Popcorn Day National School Lunch Week Pancake Topping Day Peach Power Week National Sweet Potato Month Alien Day Healthy Harvest Week World Smile Day

Special Promotions

• National Food Day – October 24, 2012– National Initiative - CSPI– Adopt a Food Day priority– Promote healthy eating at school and home– Real food menu– Food Day curriculum– Launch an initiative– Register your event – More information to come

Middle and High School• Food Day Events

• CNOP Breakfast Video Contest

• Fuel Up to Play 60

• Posters, bulletin boards and school newspaper

• Planet Health Curriculum – Middle school

• Healthy Vending – A List

Nutrition Resources

• The Internet

• National Organizations

• State and Federal Programs

• National Companies

• Local Businesses

• Parent Community

•Administration

•School Committee Members

•School Nutrition Department

•Faculty and Staff

•Student Volunteers

•Parents

•Community Members

Initiative Support

Funding Support

•Massachusetts ESE•MA Action for Healthy Kids•New England Dairy Council•Child Nutrition Outreach Program at Project Bread•PTO/PTA organizations•School Administration•School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts

Team Activity

Write a communications strategy for one nutrition promotion

•USDA Team Nutritionwww.fns.usda.gov/tn

•Action for Healthy Kidswww.actionforhealthykids.org

•John C. Stalker Institute at Framingham State Universitywww.johnstalkerinstitute.org

•Mass in Motionwww.mass.gov/massinmotion

Resource Support

•Students Taking Chargewww.studentstakingcharge.org

•Planet Health & Eat Well Keep Moving Curriculumwww.eatwellandkeepmoving.org/www.planet-health.org/

•Scholastic’s Crunch the Numbers Curriculumwww.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=277&print=2

Resource Support

Resource Support•New England Dairy Councilwww.newenglanddairycouncil.org

•CNOP at Project Breadwww.meals4kids.org

•Project Refresh Toolkithttp://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/Maryland/ReFresh.pdf

•Dolewww.dole.com