Nutrition Club Activities: When Nutritional Knowledge is “Seasoned” with Practical Experience

The Nutrition Club activities are becoming a prominent annual highlight in the “Nutritious School Food” program at Nghia Tan Secondary School, Yen Hoa Secondary School, Truong Cong Giai Secondary School, and Nam Trung Yen Secondary School. This model not only provides knowledge about school nutrition but also creates an environment for students to directly experience, practice, and apply their knowledge to daily life.

Through the “learning by doing” approach, students not only learn what constitutes a balanced meal but also how to calculate appropriate energy intake and make smart food choices. The combination of practice, technology, and real-world experience makes nutritional knowledge more accessible, engaging, and memorable than ever before.

Diverse Practical Activities – Each School’s Unique Style

Nghia Tan Secondary School: Combining Practice, Technology, and Green Experiences

Nutrition Club activities at Nghia Tan Secondary School are not just traditional practices but also explore scientific advancements applied to daily nutrition.

Besides making vegetable salads and fruit yogurts to create vitamin-rich, fiber-rich, and probiotic-rich snacks, students also learned about BMI and recommended energy intake by gender. Through an AI-integrated application, they directly calculated the calorie content of bread, instant noodles, sausages, chips, etc., and compared it to the average daily energy intake of 2000–2500 kcal. These specific figures helped students recognize the “hidden” calories in junk food and understand the importance of portion control.

Furthermore, they practiced designing a daily menu that included all four food groups by providing instructions to the AI, thus developing a mindset for creating balanced meals rich in vegetables and low in fat.

In parallel with technology, the experience in the school’s rooftop bio-garden provided a realistic view of food origins. Students observed the organic vegetable growing process, the drip irrigation system, and how to care for fruit and vegetable plants without chemicals. From lush green vegetable beds to ripe, juicy fruits, the students further appreciate clean food and understand the role of vegetables in health and the environment.

Truong Cong Giai Secondary School: “Eating the Rainbow” and Practicing Nutritional Balance

At Truong Cong Giai Secondary School, the Nutrition Club activities are designed with a diverse mix of visual theory and practical food preparation.

Sixth-grade students enthusiastically made rainbow salad and seaweed rice rolls – dishes that help balance carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber in a single, light serving. Through each step of cutting, rolling, and presenting, the students honed their dexterity and understood the structure of a balanced meal.

In particular, the theme “Eating the Rainbow” offered a fresh approach to nutrition. Each group of food colors – red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and white – represents different benefits for cardiovascular health, vision, digestion, immunity, and memory. Food classification and rainbow color matching activities help students realize that the more colorful a meal is, the richer it is in vitamins and antioxidants. This knowledge becomes more intuitive, easy to remember, and easy to apply to daily menus.

Yen Hoa Secondary School: Nutrition Day with Seasonal Menus

The Nutrition Day at Yen Hoa Secondary School brought a lively hands-on atmosphere with two popular dishes: fruit salad with yogurt and pho rolls.

Cool fruit salads combined with fresh milk, yogurt, and condensed milk provide vitamins, minerals, and probiotics during hot weather. Pho rolls – a dish with a rich Vietnamese flavor – help balance carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables in a single serving. Through this activity, students understand how to choose seasonal foods, build diverse menus, and ensure adequate nutrient intake.

Nam Trung Yen Junior High School: Creating Diverse Menus, Developing Practical Skills

The Cooking Club activities at Nam Trung Yen Junior High School focus on practicing a variety of dishes such as smoothies, fruit salads, fruit yogurt, vegetable salads, and sandwiches.

Students not only learn how to combine ingredients to create meals with sufficient carbohydrates, protein, fat, and vitamins, but also develop skills in using utensils safely, teamwork, and creativity in presentation. Preparing dishes themselves helps them better understand the nutritional value of each ingredient and develop an awareness of choosing healthy foods.

Sustainable Value from the School Nutrition Club Model

The School Nutrition Club activities are not simply extracurricular activities, but a practical and long-term solution for nutrition education. By directly preparing dishes, calculating calories, learning about the origin of food, and discovering the value of different color groups of vegetables, students acquire knowledge naturally and proactively.

Through a proper understanding of energy, nutrient balance, and clean food, students gradually develop healthy eating habits, increasing their intake of vegetables and fruits while limiting greasy fast food. Simultaneously, teamwork skills, analytical thinking, meticulousness, and a sense of responsibility for their own health are also nurtured.

With an approach that combines knowledge, technology, and practical experience, the Nutrition Club model is contributing to building a positive school environment where each student is equipped with a solid foundation for holistic development in terms of physical health, intellect, and life skills.