Nutrition education is a year-round commitment that has a lasting impact on students’ health. Dairy Council of California and our Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative extend support to educators and school foodservice professionals all year, providing online and print resources to ensure that National Milk Day, National Nutrition Month, June Dairy Month, summer meals and other occasions are not just celebrated but embraced as opportunities to nourish students in California.

January: Observe National Milk Day

The new year begins with National Milk Day on January 11th, which observes the first day that milk was delivered to homes in sterilized glass bottles. It is a reminder that milk and dairy foods are a healthy and affordable nutritional powerhouse and are especially important during childhood and adolescence. Dairy milk provides 13 essential nutrients that support bone, muscle, brain and immune system development. 

Take Action: 

• Share Let’s Eat Healthy resources such as “Episode 2: Team Nutrients” from the Let’s Eat Healthy Together broadcast series using digital menu boards, or post online for students and parents.
• Display visually appealing posters and other tools to integrate Smarter Lunchrooms Movement principles into the lunchroom.

March: Celebrate National Nutrition Month With a Focus on Nutrition Education

March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that focuses on the importance of making informed food decisions and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Let’s Eat Healthy collaborates with school districts by providing a wealth of science-based nutrition resources that educate students about lifelong healthy eating patterns and the numerous health benefits of milk and dairy foods. Foodservice professionals can play an important role in providing nutrition education. 

Take Action:

• Complete the More Than a Meal: Creative Ways to Share Nutrition Messaging With Kids free training that describes the resources and methods that school foodservice professionals can easily use to provide nutrition education to students. Access at HealthyEating.org/SFSTraining. 
• Look for ways to celebrate National Nutrition Month in your school district by utilizing a toolkit scheduled for release in February on HealthyEating.org; the toolkit will provide social media messaging and activation ideas.
  

June: National Dairy Month

Since 1939, June has been officially recognized as National Dairy Month, a monthlong celebration of dairy foods and the dairy community. June Is Dairy Month highlights the dairy community’s contributions to healthy, sustainable eating patterns in the United States and around the world. Dairy foods have been an important part of cultures for thousands of years, contributing to healthy eating patterns and family traditions, and National Dairy Month is a chance to celebrate the many delicious dairy foods people enjoy each day. 

Take Action:

• Schedule a visit from our flagship farm-to-school program, Mobile Dairy Classroom. The Mobile Dairy Classroom is a fun, interactive way to educate students on where their milk comes from, with in-person and virtual options. 

Summer Meals: Help Students Start the School Year Strong 

School meals play an important role in supporting healthier students. During summer months, students may not have regular access to nutritious meals, but through free summer meal programs they can access the foods they need for optimal growth and development.  

“Providing children with access to nutritious foods and enriching activities like nutrition education and summer reading enables them to fuel their bodies and minds while school is out of session,” said Tracy Mendez, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Program Manager of Resource and Content Development at Dairy Council of California. “When students learn how to make healthy eating decisions and experience healthy meals that include the recommended servings of milk and dairy, fruit and vegetables, whole grains and proteins, it helps them gain lifelong knowledge and confidence in their ability to nourish their bodies for optimal growth and development.”   

Take Action:

• Locate the summer meal sites closest to you at HealthyEating.org/SummerMeals. 
• Visit HealthyEating.org/CommunityEd for a list of resources to engage students at summer meal sites. Resources are available at no cost to school districts and include the award-winning Let’s Eat Healthy Together 12-episode broadcast series—which brings students on a food discovery through nutrition, agriculture, cooking, culture and the senses—as well as nutrition education tip sheets and booklets for families.
• Share provided resources with partners and post to your social media channels
  

Sustained Partnership for a Healthier Future

Collaboration between school districts and Dairy Council of California doesn't end with these highlighted celebrations. Throughout the year, Let’s Eat Healthy is a reliable source of support, offering a steady stream of online articles and interactive tools that can be shared with parents via social media and on school nutrition department web pages.

Take Action:

• Use the Let’s Eat Healthy Planning Calendar at HealthyEating.org/Calendar for ways to support the health and education of students year-round.

Beyond teaching math or English, nutrition education helps students learn behaviors to support good health, which is essential to academic achievement. Dairy Council of California's dedication to providing comprehensive resources ensures that educators and school nutrition professionals have the tools they need to instill lifelong healthy habits in the next generation. Teaching nutrition prioritizes students' health and their knowledge of healthy foods that are essential to fueling bodies and minds. Through a blend of online and print resources, Dairy Council of California ensures that the celebration of National Milk Day, National Nutrition Month, June Dairy Month, summer meals and every day in between becomes a holistic and enriching experience for schools across California. Together, we pave the way for a healthier future, one glass of milk, one bite and one well-informed student at a time.

References

1. FoodData Central. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Updated 2019. Accessed December 19, 2023. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov