Food Smarts Kids Training for School Staff (Spring 2026)

Nutrition Education and Cooking Workshops for Kids: Facilitator Training

Food Smarts Curriculum

You are invited to a free training to learn how to incorporate nutrition and cooking activities into your K-12 classes or Out of School Time programs using Food Smarts. Food Smarts is a flexible, evidence-based, learner-centered curriculum designed for leading nutrition education group workshops with youth ages 5-17. The interactive activities support children’s food and nutrition literacy, nutrition security, and adoption of healthy dietary and lifestyle habits.

Youth participants will do the following in Food Smarts:

Set goals for a healthier life
Learn the fundamentals of a healthy diet
Build awareness of how food is processed and marketed
Learn how to select nutritious and affordable products and ingredients
Explore lifestyle practices for good health

Training is required to implement Food Smarts. During the training you will:

Learn how to incorporate nutrition and cooking activities into your K-12 classes and Out of School Time programs
Develop trauma-informed engagement and facilitation strategies
Learn how to facilitate recipe demonstrations and group cooking activities without a full kitchen

This training includes two 2-hour live Zoom sessions (see the schedule below) and 60-90 minutes of self-paced work (e.g., videos, activities, readings) to be completed on your own prior to each Zoom session.

Registered participants will receive a welcome email and additional communication from our online training platform, TalentLMS, in mid-April with more details and access to the course.

This training is made possible by CalFresh Healthy Living funding and facilitated by Leah's Pantry. If you have any questions, please contact training@leahspantry.org. Thank you!

Live Session Schedule
Tuesday, April 28	9–11 a.m. PST
Tuesday, May 12	9–11 a.m. PST

Participant Information
Name*

First NameLast Name
Email*
example@example.com
Job Position Title*
Optional / Current or Previous
District Name*
School Name(s)
County*
Additional Information
Preschool/Early Childhood EducationGrades K-2Grades 3-5Grades 6-8Grades 9-12N/AOther
Before school programAfter school programHealth classNutrition classScience classPhysical Education classGeneral classOther
Yes, many timesYes, a few timesNoOther
Introductory: I have a general idea of healthy eating, but I am not very familiar with specific concepts like the different levels of food processing, identifying whole grains, the specific MyPlate categories, or how to identify hidden sodium and sugar on food labels.Fundamental: I understand basic nutrition concepts (like the five food groups) and can identify healthy versus less-healthy foods, but I would need a refresher on the details before I could explain them accurately to others.Intermediate: I have a strong grasp of nutrition fundamentals, including how to interpret Nutrition Facts labels, making "healthy swaps" to improve meals, and the difference between minimally processed and highly processed foods. I am comfortable with most nutrition topics.Advanced: I have a deep or professional understanding of nutrition science. I am very familiar with dietary guidelines, label reading, and the impact of food processing. I rarely come across new nutrition information.
Very ComfortableSomewhat ComfortableSomewhat UncomfortableVery Uncomfortable
Very ComfortableSomewhat ComfortableSomewhat UncomfortableVery Uncomfortable
Not at allSomewhatVery familiar
Not at allSomewhatVery familiar
How do you expect to use Food Smarts once you are trained?
Leah’s Pantry will make reasonable modifications to training materials to ensure equal opportunities, participation, and engagement during this training. Please list requests for accommodations below or contact training@leahspantry.org to ask questions about accessibility or request accommodations.
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Nutrition Education and Cooking Workshops for Kids: Facilitator Training

Participant Information

Additional Information