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Coming up in less than a week it will be March. Not only is this the beginning of Spring, March is Nutrition Month. This is a chance for schools to highlight healthy eating, active living and promote the well being of your students. There are plenty of ideas to use this month long theme and reap the benefits of attentive, happy and healthy students.

• Make announcements - get kids thinking about healthy eating first thing in the morning. Make questions and have the kids answer them each day, provide trivia or just interesting facts.
• Examples:
• "Bananas are eaten more than any other fruit in the world. There are over 500 types! If you eat a different banana every day, it would still take you almost a year and a half to try every type of banana. Enjoy them at meals or for a quick snack." (source: Healthy Schools Newsletter) 

• Promote your nutrition programs - Promote the importance of healthy eating by encouraging kids to attend your breakfast or snack programs. Advertise a bring a friend day or have them invite their parents or grandparents to join them for breakfast

• Try out a whole school campaigns - Raise awareness of Nutrition Month in the entire school with activities or challenges.
• Examples:
• Recipe Contest - students can submit their healthy recipes and finalists can prepare their recipes and students can sample and determine the winner.
• Fruit and Veggie Challenge - have classrooms submit the serving of fruits and vegetables eaten each day to graph the results. The winning classroom could get a prize for most fruits and vegetables eaten during the month of March. 

• Be sure to include information about Nutrition Month and any campaigns you are running in your school newsletter, website or outside on the signs.

• Have your Public Health Nurses involved and get them to help with healthy eating campaigns or activities.

There are so many resources, lesson plans and ideas out there surrounding Nutrition Month - get creative and get your students to bust out of their winter blues with eating nutritious foods!