Nutrition Education for Children
Why Child Nutrition? With increased access to nutrition education, we empower children to make healthier choices that support their growth and development. This proactive approach not only fosters better health habits but also reduces the risk of diet-related diseases and chronic illnesses later in life, ensuring a healthier, more vibrant future for every child. Investing our time and resources in child nutrition today improves individual health outcomes and contributes to significant long-term savings in the health of our community.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025):
- About 40% of children and adolescents are overweight or have obesity; the rate of obesity increases throughout childhood and teen years. (see page 18)
- 96% of children ages 9-13 exceed the recommended daily limit of sodium and 78% exceed the recommended daily limit of added sugars. (see page 95)
- 78% of children ages 9-13 exceed the recommended daily limit of added sugars (see pg 95)
- 86% of children ages 9-13 exceed the recommended daily limit of saturated fats (see pg 95)
Source: www.dietaryguidelines.gov
Meet Our Child Nutrition Team!
Melanie Foland
Child Nutrition Educator
Patrice Vitucci
SNAP-Ed Assistant
Laura Witkowski
SNAP-Ed Farmer
Garden to Plate
Hunger Task Force’s School Year Nutrition Education Program
Nourishing Bodies, Growing Minds
Hunger Task Force’s Garden to Plate Nutrition Education Program offers engaging, hands-on experiences designed to promote healthy lifestyles among children in third through fifth grade. This comprehensive program teaches students about MyPlate and nutrition, while empowering them to grow healthy foods and prepare the food in ways that feel appealing to them. While it’s important to educate children about the nutritional benefits of foods, teaching them how to grow and cook these foods for themselves ensures the lessons are both impactful and lasting.
We work with third through fifth-grade students in Milwaukee County who are eligible for SNAP benefits. Partnering classrooms are selected based on school demographics and the economic needs of the student population. To better support bilingual learners, some materials are also available in Spanish.
One Program, Two Seasons
Fall and Spring Sessions
Each student experiences a classroom visit, a field trip to Hunger Task Force Farm and a visit to the McCarty Education Kitchen at Hunger Task Force’s West Milwaukee headquarters.
I am a teacher at a Milwaukee-area school. How can I join? Thank you for sharing our passion for nutrition! Contact Melanie Foland, Child Nutrition Educator, at [email protected] to learn more about openings and eligibility. Looking to implement curriculum on your own? Our lessons are always free and available to everyone for you to implement at any time!
Wanting to share our program with other schools and organizations? Click to download the handout below!
In the Classroom
The fun kicks off when nutrition educators meet students in their classroom! Students receive an introduction to Hunger Task Force, Garden to Plate and MyPlate. Then, they apply learning right away as they engage in a craft activity. To wrap it up, they taste-test different ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables and experiment with fresh, dried and pickled options. With the taste test, they activate their senses and reflect on how they feel about the taste, texture, smell and appearance of the food.
McCarty Education Kitchen
Students take a trip to the McCarty Nutrition Education Kitchen at our agency’s headquarters in West Milwaukee. During this special opportunity, students learn essential kitchen skills and gain confidence to prepare their own healthy recipes by making a recipe from the Hunger Task Force Healthy Families Cookbook. This flavor-filled experience wraps up with a tour of the warehouse where students learn how Hunger Task Force stores and protects healthy foods before they go out to the community.
Hunger Task Force Farm
Students head to the Hunger Task Force Farm, powered by Harley Davidson, for an outdoor adventure! With the guidance of our knowledgeable SNAP-Ed Farmer, the experience is authentic to the seasonal activities at The Farm. They pick apples, harvest crops, taste-test nutritious recipes, plant seeds in our School Garden and even try fresh foods right from the ground. Along the way, classrooms stay active by hiking through the Oak Savanna and taking a tour of The Farm, learning that all the food that fuels our bodies comes from the ground.
Summer Session
Students head to the Hunger Task Force Farm, powered by Harley-Davidson, for an outdoor adventure! With the guidance of our knowledgeable SNAP-Ed Farmer, the experience is authentic to the seasonal activities at The Farm. They pick apples, harvest crops, taste-test nutritious recipes, plant seeds in our School Garden, and even try fresh foods right from the ground. Along the way, classrooms stay active by hiking through the oak savanna and taking a tour of The Farm, learning that all the food that fuels our bodies comes from the ground.
School Garden
With 28 raised garden beds, managed by the Child Nutrition Team and supported by dedicated volunteers and students, the School Garden at the Hunger Task Force Farm offers students an immersive outdoor learning experience where students are a hands-on part of the magic of planting, maintaining and harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables. At the School Garden, students witness the full circle of gardening and farming as fruits and vegetables in the garden are brought into the kitchen to prepare delicious and nutritious recipes.
The bountiful harvests from the School Garden allow students to bring a piece of The Farm home with them! Whether it’s lettuce seedlings to transplant, purple peppers to incorporate into dinner or freshly picked pumpkins, students share the value of fresh fruits and vegetables by bringing them directly into their homes.
What we’re planting this season: Basil, green beans, beets, carrots, cilantro, cucamelon, cucumber, dahlia, dill, Italian eggplant, Thai eggplant, ground cherry, jalapeno pepper, kale, lettuce, marigold, melon, nasturtium, red pearl onions, sugar ann peas, pumpkin, purple pepper, radish, sunflowers, cherry tomatoes and zinnia.
Hunger Task Force MyPlate
The Hunger Task Force MyPlate is a healthy model that showcases the five main food groups as presented on a plate – fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. Using MyPlate as a starting point, the Garden to Plate program teaches kids how to balance their food groups, take care of their bodies, and enjoy meals that are both healthy and affordable.
Learn: Children learn how different food and food groups fuel our bodies in various ways.
Cook: Children learn that healthy food can be prepared in a variety of ways and familiarize themselves with ways nutritious foods can be prepared in a way that feels appealing to them.
Grow: Children learn how to grow, tend to, and harvest food for themselves.
Teacher Feedback
“Having the educational activities booklet and classroom connection lesson was extremely helpful. The order of the field trips allowed students to “make sense” of healthier living.”
“[Nutrition Educators] strategically planned classroom excursions systematically and with fine precision. The lessons administered were well-executed and engaging.”
“This program was absolutely amazing! It was incredibly kid-friendly, engaging, and thoughtfully designed. The staff did an outstanding job accommodating the diverse needs of my students, ensuring everyone felt included and supported. The activities were creative and interactive, bringing the nutrition lessons to life in such a memorable way. I honestly can’t decide whether I enjoyed The Farm or the Kitchen more—they were both fantastic experiences! My students still ask when we’ll be going back, which speaks volumes about how much they loved it.”
“I just have so many positive things to share. What you are doing in the community is amazing. The students still talk about how much they enjoyed the field trips. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!”
“Thank you so much for this incredible experience! The love and passion the staff showed toward my students was truly heartwarming. It was clear how much care and dedication went into making this program so impactful and memorable.”