50 Ideas to Get Involved in National Nutrition Month^®

Get Everyone Involved

1. Ask the city mayor or state governor to declare March "National Nutrition Month^®." Provide a proclamation form to make it easier for the staff.
2. Publish a nutrition tip of the day for each of the 31 days in March.
3. Invite the author of a nutrition book to speak at your group's meeting.
4. Plan a virtual cooking demo or nutrition event. Invite a registered dietitian nutritionist, restaurant chef or local culinary school to host a virtual cooking demo, combined with a brief nutrition presentation. Provide attendees with copies of recipes and links to online materials about National Nutrition Month^®.
5. Sponsor a "dial-a-dietitian" night through a local radio station. Callers may ask nutrition questions for RDNs to answer. Even better if a local television station will participate.
6. Contact the local library and inquire about a virtual or in-person story time or nutrition program. Provide activity handouts, Eat Right nutrition tip sheets and National Nutrition Month^® bookmarks for everyone to take.
7. Organize a National Nutrition Month^® presentation at your local park district or senior center. Consider virtual options if in-person events are not possible.
8. Organize a food donation campaign for a local food pantry or shelter.
9. Invite a local expert to learn more about the different types of food packaging and options for recycling in your area.

At Home

1. As a family, commit to trying a new fruit or vegetable each week during National Nutrition Month^®.
2. Give family members a role in meal planning and let them pick out different recipes to try.
3. Plan to eat more meals together as a family during National Nutrition Month^®.
4. Explore food recovery options in your community.
5. If you watch TV, take breaks during commercials to be physically active.
6. Practice mindful eating by limiting screentime at mealtime — including phones, computers, TV and other devices.
7. Try more meatless meals — choices like beans and lentils are versatile plant-based protein sources that work in a variety of dishes.
8. Let everyone help with food preparation — a skill for people of all ages. If you have kids, there are age-appropriate tasks they may enjoy learning how to do.
9. Bring out the flavors of food by trying new herbs, spices or citrus fruit such as lemon or lime.

At Schools

1. Create a "nutrition question of the day" contest sent by email or posted on a display board. Draw the name of a daily prize winner from those who provided the correct answer. Suggested prizes: National Nutrition Month^® pens, pencils, magnets, buttons or cooking items from the National Nutrition Month^® catalog. Award a grand prize at the end of the month drawn from all correct submissions.
2. Vote for your favorite fruits and vegetables: Show various photos of produce and ask participants to vote for their favorite vegetable and fruit. Post a tally board to record votes.
3. Ask children to carefully save food product labels from empty boxes. Spend some time reading labels and comparing information in the Nutrition Facts panels. Expand into a menu-planning opportunity, individually or in teams, using MyPlate as the guide to a healthy meal.
4. Start a school vegetable garden by planting seeds indoors or in the ground. If that's not feasible, consider showing videos on how to plant a garden.
5. Develop a lesson plan that explains the science behind ingredients needed for baking.
6. Assign a school group project that involves each group researching one of the MyPlate food groups, allowing each child to explain a food from that food group and what nutrition it provides.
7. Conduct a "MyPlate Champion" challenge for your classroom.
8. Develop a school project that involves kids drawing and creating a meal based on MyPlate, using the MyPlate Coloring Page.
9. Organize a sports nutrition education session that children can participate in virtually or in person.
10. Decorate the cafeteria with National Nutrition Month^® posters or banners, table tents and balloons. Create a "take one" display with National Nutrition Month® brochures, bookmarks and Eat Right nutrition tip sheets.
11. Create a "shared tables" resource for your school district (if local laws allow).
12. Focus a science lesson around how plant foods grow — from seed to harvest.
13. Take a field trip to a farm or host a farmer as a guest speaker to talk about what they do.
14. Explore topics on food history or the invention of different gadgets used in the kitchen.
15. Dedicate a math lesson to show how measurements and fractions are used regularly in the kitchen.

Workplaces

1. Host a virtual cooking demonstration on social media for shoppers that features an easy and budget-friendly recipe.
2. Highlight cultural food traditions in office cafeterias. Offer special menu items from international cuisines (Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, etc.) or regional foods of the United States.
3. Organize a "healthy recipe" contest among employees. Have the judges be VIPs from your workplace. Award National Nutrition Month^® t-shirts, mugs or other items as prizes.
4. Organize a virtual or in-person healthy potluck. Have each person cook their dish and eat together through an online video platform or in the cafeteria. Make sure each of the food groups is represented.
5. Distribute coupons for discounts on a healthy meal featured in the cafeteria or vouchers for nutritious beverages or snacks.
6. Conduct an exercise class with your colleagues. Recruit a local fitness or yoga instructor to lead a class virtually or through a live event. Give each participant a National Nutrition Month^® t-shirt, pedometer or water bottle plus healthy eating handouts.
7. Host a "lunch and learn" session on healthy eating.
8. Arrange a session on composting to learn about its role in reducing wasted food.
9. Start a “walking club” with co-workers and take a stroll during scheduled break times.
10. Consider hosting a group wellness challenge with weekly themes or goals.

Grocery Store or Supermarket

1. Work with a local grocery store to promote National Nutrition Month^® with posters and handouts.
2. Conduct a virtual supermarket tour to provide label reading opportunities and information about healthy food choices. Have one person follow you with a camera while you conduct a tour for people who join online. Offer a special tour for kids focused on selecting healthy snacks. Provide "20 Healthy Snacks for Kids" National Nutrition Month^® brochures and copies of selected National Nutrition Month^® activity sheets.
3. Organize a supervised scavenger hunt for food items needed to make a healthy recipe.
4. Set up a time for a registered dietitian nutritionist to answer questions about nutrition on your social media page.
5. Offer a virtual nutrition education session that offers suggestions on "how to eat healthy on a budget."
6. Host an online class on recreating meals with leftovers.
7. Provide resources on how to reduce wasted food — including ways to store produce and other foods properly.