Most students receive fewer than 8 hours of nutrition education each year, despite nutrition influencing energy, focus, confidence, and long-term health. The Healthy Habits Santa Cruz Pilot Curriculum was created to help fill that gap with engaging, age-appropriate lessons that make nutrition practical, memorable, and relevant to everyday life.

Designed for upper elementary students, this pilot curriculum includes 6 classroom-ready lessons covering topics such as balanced meals, digestion, energy, body confidence, and where food comes from. Through discussion, activities, reading, and reflection, students learn how food supports their bodies while building confidence, curiosity, and lifelong healthy habits.

Created by Maggie Rich, Certified Functional Nutritionist and substitute teacher in Santa Cruz County, this curriculum was developed to give teachers a ready-to-use resource for bringing meaningful nutrition education into the classroom.

Included:
• 6 complete lessons
• Teacher guides
• Student worksheets
• Discussion and reflection activities
• Visual learning resources
• Curriculum feedback access

This pilot curriculum is part of the ongoing development of the Healthy Habits Santa Cruz K–5 Nutrition Curriculum. Feedback from teachers, parents, and youth leaders helps shape future lessons, resources, and grade-level adaptations. By using the pilot lessons and sharing your experience, you are helping create a stronger nutrition education program for future students.

Perfect for classrooms, homeschool families, after-school programs, and youth organizations interested in bringing nutrition education to the next generation.

Students are constantly using energy—but where does that energy come from?

In this interactive lesson, students explore how their bodies use energy throughout the day for movement, learning, growth, and play. Through discussion, activities, and reflection, students begin connecting the foods they eat to the energy their bodies need to thrive.

This lesson helps introduce foundational nutrition concepts in a way that is engaging, age-appropriate, and easy for students to understand.

This lesson includes:
• Complete teacher lesson guide
• Student worksheets
• Discussion and reflection activities
• Learning objectives
• Classroom-ready implementation resource

Perfect for upper elementary classrooms, homeschool families, after-school programs, and youth organizations.

Nutrition education should support confidence—not comparison.

In this lesson, students explore the idea that healthy bodies come in many shapes and sizes while learning about growth, development, and self-respect. Through guided discussion and reflection activities, students build appreciation for what their bodies can do rather than how they look.

This lesson was designed to support body confidence while encouraging a positive relationship with food and health.

This lesson includes:
• Complete teacher lesson guide
• Student worksheets
• Discussion and reflection activities
• Learning objectives
• Classroom-ready implementation resources

Perfect for upper elementary classrooms, homeschool families, after-school programs, and youth organizations.

Students discover how colorful fruits and vegetables can support different areas of health.

Using a farmers market-inspired activity, students explore the connection between food color and function while learning about variety, seasonal produce, and whole foods. The lesson encourages curiosity and helps students understand that eating a wide range of plant foods can support overall well-being.

Also includes the Eat the Rainbow activity.

This lesson includes:
• Complete teacher lesson guide
• Student worksheets and activities
• Discussion prompts
• Learning objectives
• Visual learning resources
• Classroom-ready implementation resources

Perfect for upper elementary classrooms, homeschool families, after-school programs, and youth organizations.

California grows much of the produce found on grocery store shelves across the country.

Through reading, discussion, and reflection, students explore the journey from farm to plate while learning about California's agricultural heritage and the region known as the "Salad Bowl of America." This lesson helps students better understand where food comes from, who grows it, and why agriculture matters.

This lesson includes:
• Complete teacher lesson guide
• Student reading passage
• Reading comprehension activity
• Discussion and reflection activities
• Learning objectives
• Classroom-ready implementation resources

Perfect for upper elementary classrooms, homeschool families, after-school programs, and youth organizations.

Digestion begins long before food reaches the stomach.

In this lesson, students learn how chewing supports digestion and helps the body access nutrients from food. Through discussion, visual learning, and hands-on activities, students discover how slowing down and chewing thoroughly can support overall health.

This lesson introduces digestive health in a practical, age-appropriate way that students can immediately apply.

This lesson includes:
• Complete teacher lesson guide
• Student worksheets
• Discussion and reflection activities
• Visual learning resources
• Learning objectives
• Classroom-ready implementation resources

Perfect for upper elementary classrooms, homeschool families, after-school programs, and youth organizations.

Balanced meals do not have to be complicated.

In this lesson, students are introduced to the Healthy Habits Santa Cruz Fat, Fiber, and Protein (FFP) framework. Through sorting activities, meal-building practice, and discussion, students learn how different foods work together to support energy, focus, growth, and satisfaction.

This lesson provides a simple, practical framework that students can begin using immediately.

This lesson includes:
• Complete teacher lesson guide
• Student worksheets and activities
• Discussion prompts
• Visual learning resources
• Learning objectives
• Classroom-ready implementation resources

Perfect for upper elementary classrooms, homeschool families, after-school programs, and youth organizations.