Harvest for Healthy Kids: Head Start Teachers’ Perceptions of Curriculum Usability

Abstract

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables are critical for overall health and well-being. The Harvest for Healthy Kids curriculum is a nutrition education curriculum designed to promote fruit and vegetable intake among young children. The curriculum is aligned with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework and is available online for free. Our study assessed the extent to which Head Start teachers found the curriculum to be usable in their classroom settings. Our results suggest that Harvest for Healthy Kids is an acceptable and feasible way to promote fruit and vegetable intake among children and teachers understand how to implement the curriculum in their classrooms. Head Start teachers may need systems-level supports, such as assistance from their supervisors, to implement the curriculum.