South Hadley Office

The Body Connection:

Teaching kids the how, what, and why of healthy eating

Complex carbohydrates. Vitamin A. Fiber. We know they’re all critical components of a healthy diet, but to younger elementary school children, they’re just words. That’s why helping kids understand the very direct connection between the nutrients they eat and a happy, healthy lifestyle is central to the curriculum at NEP’s South Hadley-based office.

“We thought that in order for children to change their food behaviors they need to have a good understanding of how the foods we eat affect our bodies,” says program supervisor Ljiljana Curcija. “We’ve found that approaching nutrition education this way really helps kids retain the knowledge.” This belief encouraged Curcija and her staff to develop a curriculum organized not only around what kids need to eat for lifelong health, but why.

Students start this exploration with a lesson on the digestive system, in which NEP educators focus on the effects of fiber-rich, energy-producing foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. “We start by talking about what digestion is, using a life-sized model,” says NEP Extension educator Saima Dizdarevic. “So the kids don’t just imagine these processes; they can actually see them.” In the course of learning how long it takes for food to go through the gastro-intestinal system, break down, and be absorbed in the small intestines, the children, from kindergarteners to eighth graders, discover how nutrients help their nails grow, their eyes function, and their minds stay sharp.

This first lesson prepares students for the rest of the series, on the brain, heart, eyes, skin, and bones, where, for example, they witness the connection between low milk consumption and osteoporosis. “When they see how bones actually develop holes in them, they get a real understanding of what happens if you don’t take care of your bones. If your bones are weak, will you be able to run, jump, and enjoy life?” says Dizdarevic.

Teachers and food service workers report positive results: more children are asking for low-fat milk, choosing healthy snacks like fresh carrots, trying unfamiliar foods, and checking to see how many grams of fiber are in the crackers they eat. One important element for NEP staffers is making sure that the foods they bring in to share with students are readily available in local markets and grocery stores, so kids can continue to eat the healthy foods they have taste-tested, and even get the rest of the family to enjoy them.

“They learn that the better the choices you make, the healthier you’ll be in the long run,” says Dizdarevic. “That, literally, you are what you eat.”

NEP’s school-based nutrition education workshops are also through our offices in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Springfield, and Worcester.