To mark National Nutrition Month, celebrated throughout March, Chartwells School Dining Services is offering educational tools and differing food options at Newtown’s schools.

According to Chartwells Resident Dietitian Jill Patterson, to mark National Nutrition Month this year, Chartwells is “promoting the health benefits of yogurt.”

At Head O’ Meadow Elementary School on Thursday, March 6, students Emma Hall and Eric Clarke both selected a frozen yogurt cup with their lunches. The cups were filled with frozen strawberry yogurt, and the students were also given “Make Your Own Yogurt Quizzer” handouts, interactive paper fortune tellers.

Ms Patterson also said different yogurt options were being offered across the district. At Reed Intermediate School, Newtown Middle School, and Newtown High School, cinnamon vanilla yogurt dip and tzatziki yogurt dip are being offered.

According to a release from Chartwells, the nutrition education and information campaign is created annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Yogurt is a dairy food that is high in protein and calcium, made by the fermentation or the addition of healthy bacteria and live cultures to milk.

Health benefits from yogurt, according to Chartwells, include probiotics, protein, calcium, and B vitamins, which work together to strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol, and ward off unfriendly bacteria. Yogurt promotes intestinal health, the release continues, allowing the body to absorb the nutrients in a diet.

Children usually need two to two and-a-half servings of dairy each day, according to Chartwells, and teens need three. Chartwells suggests choosing low-fat or nonfat yogurt when possible, which contain as much calcium as regular yogurt but without the fat.