Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Integrating Academics and Nutrition

The Child Nutrition Programs Recipe for Success: Integrating Academics and Nutrition online training.

Course Description

This module presents ideas for seamless integration of nutrition education with the core academic standards. Participants learn how to use children’s books with healthy themes to support nutrition competencies, mathematics, and science skills. Literature-based activities include classifying and categorizing various foods, comparing and contrasting nutritional food values, and using fractions and measurement in food recipes. The content of this training focuses on integrating academics and nutrition in school age classrooms, however, the information is applicable to nutrition education in all Child Nutrition Programs.

  • Course Number: 515
  • Training Length: 30 minutes
  • Certificate: Available at the end of the training
  • Target Audience: Teachers, Child Care Providers, Nutrition or Wellness Coordinators, Food Service Directors, and Expanded Learning Program staff
  • Mandatory: No
  • Cost: Free
  • Date Recorded: December 2017

Online Course

Begin the Recipe for Success: Integrating Academics and Nutrition course.

Referenced Resources

The following resources are referred to throughout this online course:

California Department of Education's (CDE) Vitamin C Comparison Experiment web page.

Crediting

  • Crediting: 0.5 hours
  • Key Area: Nutrition (1000)
    • Training Topic: Nutrition Education (1200)

      • Learning Objective: Integrate nutrition education curriculum with School Nutrition Programs, using the cafeteria as a learning environment (include Team Nutrition resources) (1220)

For more information on crediting, access the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) web document Professional Standards Learning Objectives External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

Additional Information

Curricular Resources
  • For more information on how to plan, implement, and evaluate instructional strategies for a comprehensive nutrition education program download the California Department of Education (CDE) California Child Nutrition Programs Resource Library - Food Service Staff Education and Training.

  • Are you looking for curriculum that makes the connection between local food systems, garden-based learning, school meal programs, and healthy student eating behaviors? Contact the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program about the Eating Healthy from Farm to Fork Series External link opens in new window or tab..

  • Find strategies for how to establish a school garden and examples of how school gardens help promote healthy lifestyles, community, and social development, environmental service, and academic achievement on the Collective School Gardens Network School Garden Resources External link opens in new window or tab..

  • Do you need resources to help you connect nutrition and health throughout the school environment? Discover free interactive and online resources to support your efforts in the classroom, at home, in the cafeteria, and beyond on the Dairy Council of California Schools web page External link opens in new window or tab..

  • Download the CDE Nutrition to Grow On curriculum for free. Each lesson is complemented with a gardening activity that uses students' observation, research, and critical-thinking skills. Students learn how to evaluate product information, read food labels, grow plants from seeds, and distinguish between stems, roots, leaves, and fruits.

Contact Us

If you have technical difficulties or questions regarding the course content, please contact the Education and Nutrition Policy Unit by email at NutritionEducation@cde.ca.gov.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | NutritionEducation@cde.ca.gov | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Friday, December 6, 2024
Related Content
Recently Posted in Nutrition

  • SNP AR 25-26 Workload (added 23-Jun-2025)
    School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors who are scheduled for an Administrative Review in School Year 2025-26.
  • Culinary Training: Date Extended to July 3, 2025 (added 20-Jun-2025)
    Space is available for Culinary Trainings! The Nutrition Services Division, in collaboration with the Institute of Child Nutrition, is hosting free, in-person, half-day, Mediterranean Menus of Flavor culinary arts trainings for school food service.
  • Webinar: Tuesdays @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall (added 20-Jun-2025)
    School Nutrition Town Hall webinar for School Nutrition Program Operators and Food Service Directors.
  • Paid Lunch Equity Guidance for School Year 2025–26 (added 19-Jun-2025)
    This communication provides information to School Food Authorities (SFA) on the updated guidance on Paid Lunch Equity for school year 2025-26.
  • March 25, 2025 Tuesday at 2 Town Hall Resources (added 19-Jun-2025)
    The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) hosted the monthly Tuesday @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall webinar March 25, 2025.