Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Nutrition Pathfinders

This curriculum provides a range of lessons that focus on fundamental concepts about healthy eating and physical activity.

Description

This curriculum provides a range of lessons that focus on fundamental concepts about healthy eating and physical activity. The lessons foster the development of personal responsibility for making healthy diet and lifestyle choices that promote classroom achievement and lifelong good health. Lessons support standards in physical education, English language arts, and mathematics.

What’s Inside

A teacher resource guide and student worksheets as well as a companion website are included. Also provided is a family newsletter in Spanish and English.

Activity Highlight

In Lesson 2 for grade five, students explain the importance of eating balanced meals and drinking adequate fluids every day. They analyze sample meals based on their prior knowledge of food groups and nutrients. Students then plan balanced meals and practice applying the knowledge to other lessons in the series.

  • Key Content Areas: After School, Cafeteria Connections, Integrated subjects, MyPlate, Parent/Family Involvement, and Physical Activity

  • Originator of Resources: Dairy Council of California

  • User of Resource: Teachers and parents

  • Audience: Grades 4–5

  • Languages: English and Spanish

  • Number of lessons: 7 lessons for grade 4 and 7 lessons for grade 5

  • Amount of time per lesson: 40 minutes

  • Format: Hard copy

Resource

To access the curriculum, visit the Dairy Council of California Nutrition Pathfinders 4th Grade Curriculum web page External link opens in new window or tab. or Nutrition Pathfinders 5th Grade Curriculum web page External link opens in new window or tab..

Contacts

For questions regarding this curriculum, visit the Dairy Council of California Contact Us web page External link opens in new window or tab..

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Related Content
Recently Posted in Nutrition
  • Direct Certification Requirements in the SNPs (added 13-Mar-2025)
    This MB includes the recent updates to EC Section 49501.5 explaining the requirements for all public school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education to conduct direct certification monthly through the CALPADS. Tab for Listserv to p
  • Direct Certification Requirements in the SNPs (added 07-Mar-2025)
    This management bulletin supersedes management bulletins 00-102 and NSD-SNP-08-2012 regarding direct certification (DC) requirements for local educational agencies (LEA) participating in the federal School Nutrition Programs (SNP).
  • Universal Benefits Application Now Available (added 07-Mar-2025)
    Universal Benefits Application Now Available - Use for SUN Bucks Eligibility.
  • National Nutrition Month 2025 (added 25-Feb-2025)
    The Nutrition Services Division encourages program operators to celebrate National Nutrition Month and National School Breakfast Week.
  • Nutrition Services Division New Learning Site (added 21-Feb-2025)
    This new learning management system will be used as the primary venue for delivering training content to satisfy your annual mandatory training hours for Professional Standards and beyond.

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Requests Feedback (added 21-Feb-2025)
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service is seeking voluntary feedback through an online survey pertaining to the USDA Foods in Schools Product Information Sheets and the USDA Foods Database.
  • Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency (added 21-Feb-2025)
    Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency in Santa Cruz County due to Winter Storms.
  • Summer Food Service Program Annual Updates (added 21-Feb-2025)
    Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) annual updates for program year 2025.
  • Farm to School Needs Assessment 2025 (added 18-Feb-2025)
    The Nutrition Services Division (NSD) seeks to understand the resources and support you need to start, sustain, or expand your Farm to School efforts.
  • 2025–26 FFVP Request for Applications Available (added 14-Feb-2025)
    The CDE NSD announces a grant opportunity for elementary schools to participate in the FFVP. The FFVP grant period is July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. All eligible agencies, both current FFVP grantees and new applicants, must respond online to this RFA.