Schools across the country are enlisting dietitians to plant gardens, teach cooking classes and train teachers with nutrition education. According to the Farm to School Census, more than 7,000 school gardens have cropped up across the United States. In addition to reading and writing, kids who attend these schools are being taught how to grow and prepare kale, asparagus and zucchini. In an era when Americans take in 57 percent of calories from ultra-processed foods such as chips, candy and baked goods, it’s vital for children to learn about, and appreciate, fresh food options.
School gardens also offer hands-on learning for the kids, who get right into the dirt and observe everything from seeding to harvesting, which helps them understand how food grows.
Gardens can offer many other lessons, as well. Dietitian Stefanie Dove, the coordinator of marketing and community outreach for Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia, trains teachers to integrate school gardens into the classroom curriculum.
“I work with teachers to connect the school garden with subjects from culinary arts, math and plant science to foreign languages,” says Dove. Kids learn about healthy eating, cooking and environmental sustainability while incorporating math, reading and science.
“Some of our physical-education teachers incorporate gardening into their gym classes to demonstrate to students that exercise can come in all forms,” says Dove.
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