Evaluating Nutrition Education in K‐12 Schools

A Comprehensive Review 2024

Bibliographic Data

ID17337754
AuthorsNathalie Lissain (Department of Population Health NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA, corresponding author), Daneah Willis (Department of Population Health NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA), Kisean Hutson (Department of Population Health NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA), Omni Cassidy (0000-0002-1718-2387, Department of Population Health NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA), Marie A Bragg (0000-0002-6858-7173, Department of Population Health NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA), Roxanne Dupuis (0000-0003-3161-6310, Department of Population Health NYU Grossman School of Medicine New York New York USA)
Year2026
Volume96
Issue3
Pagese70117-e70117
Publication date2026-01-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of School Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-4391 • E-ISSN: 1746-1561
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/josh.70117
PMID41568408
OpenAlexW7125429351
LanguageEN
References cited20

BACKGROUND: The school environment plays a vital role in shaping children's health and well-being. Nutrition education supports health promotion and disease prevention; however, it is unclear how comprehensive curricula are in the content they cover. This study explored the content of K-12 nutrition curricula in US public schools. METHODS: We analyzed nutrition education curricula from the 2023-2024 school year across a target sample of 50 states. Materials were collected through online searches and phone calls to districts and schools. We employed content analysis to assess nutrition concepts and modes of curriculum delivery, using a codebook to systematically code the curricula. RESULTS: We obtained 110 curricula across 38 states. Common concepts included macronutrients (54.5%), micronutrients (55.4%), food groups (58%), and the benefits of good nutrition (69%). Fewer curricula addressed consequences of poor nutrition (44.5%) or behavioral changes like portion size (38.1%). Most curricula (87.2%) used didactic methods, with only 19.5% incorporating hands-on activities. Broader topics such as environmental impacts of food choices (17.2%) were less common. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Nutrition education plays a critical role in shaping children's long-term health outcomes; however, challenges remain in ensuring consistent and high-quality instruction. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education in the US focuses on core nutrition concepts and often relies on didactic methods, with limited hands-on activities. This highlights the need for more engaging, standardized programs

Core (optical fiber) · Health education · MEDLINE · Nutrition Disorders · Nutrition Education · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · School Health and Nursing Education

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