Learning About Nutrition through Activities (LANA)
Stepping Stones Early Learning Center is a proud partner with the Minnesota Department of Health in implementing LANA. The goal of LANA and Stepping Stones is to promote the consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to influence eating habits while their food preferences are still developing.
Stepping Stones has received specialized training from the Minnesota Department of Health on 8 LANA food lessons. In 2013, Stepping Stones expanded the LANA concept by developing exclusive nutrition lessons designed to provide year-round lessons about nutrition and increasing the number of fruits and vegetables to 32.
This is accomplished by providing:
- Hands-on classroom activities
- Math, science, literacy, art and sensory project based on selected fruits and vegetables each week throughout the year
- Nutrition-based books
- Creating a healthy and diverse menu
- Classroom taste-testing
- A center menu focused on the use of fresh, nutrient-dense and locally grown foods
- Homemade nutritious meals and snacks with healthy, delicious options, prepared by our experienced chef
- Nutrition education about seeds, plants, fruits, vegetables, farms and seasons
- Health education about how healthy food choices make our bodies healthier
- Farm and farmer’s market field trips
- Edible preschool gardens and indoor classroom growing projects
A few of our LANA fruits and vegetables include:
- Tomato
- Broccoli
- Apricot
- Sweet red pepper
- Strawberry
- Kiwi
- Sweet potato
- Sugar snap peas
Stepping Stones Additional Fruits & Vegetables Lessons Include:
- Zucchini
- Cranberries
- Chickpeas
- Black beans
- Pineapple
- Cherries
- Spinach & Kale
- Winter Squash
- Rhubarb
- Apples
- Carrots
- Peaches
- Cucumber
- Raspberries
- Celery
- Avocado
- Cantaloupe
- Sweet Corn
- Cauliflower
- Mangos
- Watermelon
- Blueberries
- Green Beans
- Pomegranate