Montana Cook Fresh Initiative Curriculum Guide

The Montana Cook Fresh Initiative was a training program designed to improve school meal quality and promote scratch cooking. This curriculum guide includes 10 lesson plans developedfor all staffing levels to increase knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy in preparing USDA compliant, scratch cooked meals. It also includes the evaluation package for the initiative, resources for peer education, tips for adapting the lesson plans into various delivery methods, 30 school nutrition recipes and more. Learn more and access this curriculum. 

Farm to School Education

Farm to school education can be done in the classroom, the cafeteria, the school garden, on field trips, or even while waiting in line for lunch. When kids learn about food and where it comes from, they are more likely to make healthier eating choices and are more willing to try new foods.Montana Farm to School has a curated list of farm to school resources and lessons plans. 

The Montana Harvest of the Month program showcases Montana grown foods in Montana communities. Montana Harvest of the Month is open to K-12 schools, afterschool programs, Summer Food Service Programs, early care and education facilities, and healthcare institutions in Montana

Lets Eat! Engaging Students in Smarter Lunchrooms Curriculum Guide

Engaging students in school meals improves customer satisfaction, gives students the opportunity to provide creative ideas and create positive change while building an encouraging relationship with the school food service staff. Use the Let's Eat! Engaging Students in Smarter Lunchrooms Guide to: 

  • Form a School Lunch Advisory Committee (SLAC) that involves staff and students
  • Teach middle and high school students choice architecture with one or more of the six lesson plans below.  The lesson plans can be used in any order and are designed to be used in Family Consumer Science, Health Enhancement, Science or Business classes or with student clubs which have a health, customer service or leadership focus. 

USDA Team Nutrition Curriculum

There are a wealth of grade specific nutrition education curriculum guides and resources available free for download from the USDA Team Nutrition Program and their national and state partners. These resources range from the preschool through the twelfth grade.

Team Nutrition Quizzes

USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative is proud to announce the release of new Team Nutrition web quizzes. These interactive ten-question web quizzes are a fun way to introduce a variety of nutrition topics and provide resources that can help expand your knowledge and build nutrition skills.

Serving Up My Plate: A Yummy Curriculum 

Serving Up MyPlate is a collection of classroom materials from USDA Team Nutrition that helps elementary school teachers integrate nutrition education into math, science, English language arts, and health. This yummy curriculum introduces the importance of eating from all five food groups using the MyPlate icon and a variety of hands–on activities. Students also learn the importance of physical activity to staying healthy.

Discover MyPlate: Nutrition Education for Kindergarten

Discover MyPlate is fun and inquiry-based nutrition education that fosters the development of healthy food choices and physically active lifestyles during a critical developmental and learning period for children — kindergarten.

Grow It, Try It, Like It! Nutrition Education Kit Featuring MyPlate

Grow It, Try It, Like It! Nutrition Education Kit featuring MyPlate is a garden-themed nutrition education kit for child care center staff that introduces children to: three fruits - peaches, strawberries, and cantaloupe, and three vegetables - spinach, sweet potatoes, and crookneck squash.

Team Nutrition Cooks

Team Nutrition Cooks! is a series of cooking-based nutrition activities for out-of-school and afterschool programs, for children around ages 8 to 12 years old. These activities can spark children’s interest in trying new foods and help empower them with skills for independence. Cooking can also help kids become more interested in making healthy food choices that can help build and support good eating habits throughout their lifetime.