March is National Nutrition month, but at Children’s Aid, healthy eating is a focus for us all throughout the year. Research shows that children who are well fed are more likely to succeed in the classroom and less likely to have behavioral problems.

We are proud to offer quality nutrition education and programs to our youth and families. From direct food services like our food box distribution sites to educational programming like our Iron Go!Chefs, we make sure that our clients have everything they need to have healthy eating habits throughout life.

Here are a few of the programs we offer:

• Go!Chefs — This after-school program teaches cooking and nutrition to youth and culminates in the Iron Go!Chefs competition each year.
• Go!Kids and Go!Kids Cook — This Early Childhood program teaches children ages 3 and 4 about healthy foods and has them preparing their own meals and snacks in the classroom.
• Eat Smart New York — This vast initiative includes nutrition and cooking education for youth in our after-school programs, healthy eating workshops for adults and Children’s Aid and Department of Education staff, and recipes and resources for building and maintaining healthy habits.
• Gardening — We support the creation and maintenance of indoor and/or outdoor gardens at a number of our sites, using them as teaching and learning tools.
• Go!Healthy Meals— Children’s Aid provides hundreds of thousands of fresh, wholesome meals to children in Early Childhood and after-school programming across many Children’s Aid sites. This involves planning menus, training and supporting cooks, and assisting in food procurement. It also includes direct delivery of food to families in need.

This is the 50th anniversary of National Nutrition Month, and this year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future,” which encourages eating with sustainability in mind to protect both our families and our environment. It’s a vision that we’re fully aligned with.

This month, we hope you take time to enjoy some good food and some good conversations about living healthy, sustainable lives.