At Integrative Nutrition, our goal is to have the world see clearly that food changes everything. We started more than 20 years ago, and have continued to educate thousands of students of the vital importance of true nourishment. In turn, Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches have gone on to educate tens of thousands more people. Together we have created a ripple effect that is bringing health and happiness to the world.

We always strive to find new ways to spread our message. In 2010 alone, we have given more than $135,000 to charities and foundations that share our mission and to organizations working to make our vision of a healthy world into a reality.

One of the most rewarding parts of giving is hearing and seeing the positive impact that has been created. Recently we have received letters from a few of the organizations that we have donated to. We wanted to share their words of thanks, in hopes of inspiring you all to continue to make a difference in any way you can.

“Integrative Nutrition, thanks for everything. You just enabled us to begin our winter soccer program!!!!!”
- From Seeds in the Middle, a non-profit that inspires parents, educators, and students to improve their health, enhance arts education, and green their environment.

“We have done so much recently!  Most notably, we launched our program in 19 schools where chefs are now working alongside School Food workers, teaching them to cook from scratch.”
- From Wellness in the Schools, a non-profit, community-based organization working to improve the environment, nutrition, and fitness in NYC public schools. Co-founder Nancy Easton is an Integrative Nutrition grad!

“Thank you! This donation will help us with our many projects. We provide water wells, housing and farm animals to the poor. We work on job creation programs, education for children, orphanage support and many other things to help the poor! We have recently installed waters wells in Haiti for people who are so desperately in need of potable water. This is just a small example of what we do to help the poor.”
- From Food for the Poor, a non-profit that improves the health, economic, social and spiritual conditions throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.

“This donation will enable us to provide nutrition education in more schools and expand our program offerings in the spring. Thank you, thank you.”
- From Food Fight, a non-profit founded by one of our own students! This organization is fighting childhood obesity by providing high schools with comprehensive nutrition curriculum.

“Thank you so much! We're so happy that we were able to collaborate with you, and truly appreciate being part of your program! We're working on some exciting things for next year, and with IIN's donation specifically we'll allocate it to furthering our Eat Healthy Program--obtaining more resources geared towards healthy eating and using the funds to help our 2011 Eat Healthy Party kit. The Eat Healthy Party kit, like our Healthy Home Party Kit, is a special peer to peer program we're starting next year that will focus specifically on eating as nutritiously and organically as possible on a limited budget. We're really excited about it, and the generous donation from IIN students will certainly help in making sure our kit is an overwhelming success!”
- From Healthy Child, Healthy World, a non-profit dedicated to creating a healthier world for our children, by educating the public on the harmful effects of chemicals in our food and environment.

In the season of giving, what are you excited to make happen?

Do you remember pizza Fridays, cookie snacks and trips to the vending machine for a soda? Not that long ago, this nutrition deficient trio was the norm in every school system in the US. However, the policy makers, once blind to the problem, have started to take  the issue head on. Vending machines are being removed, and school officials are taking a closer look at what children need to thrive nutritionally. 

According to a New York Times article, the First Lady and her colleagues are determined to make child nutrition a top priority. The National School Lunch Program as well as the recent Child Nutrition Act are working towards making nutrition a more integral part of every child’s education.

One of our very own graduates, Nancy Easton, is co-founder of Wellness in the Schools (WITS), a non-profit organization highlighted in the Times article. The WITS team is working to place culinary school graduates in the New York City public schools to help create healthy lunches. 

Non-profits like WITS are agents of the change we need to overhaul the nutritionally weak school lunches that are so common. With these organizations, the support of policy makers and local school officials, school lunches can achieve the A+ parents and kids are looking for. 

Have you seen the effects yet? Go back to your elementary school for a visit or join your kids at lunch one day. Let us know what you find out!

This March, Integrative Nutrition is teaming up with Wellness in the Schools, in honor of National Nutrition Month. For every student who embarks on a new career path at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in March, we’ll donate $100 to Wellness in the Schools.

Wellness in the Schools is a nonprofit, grassroots organization manned by concerned New York City public school parents who believe healthier bodies make healthier minds, and conversely, unhealthy school environments interfere with student health, school attendance and academic achievement. During the 2005-06 school year Wellness in the Schools launched several pilot programs, including “Chef-in-Residence” and “Clean, Green Schools” to promote healthier places of learning for students. Now, Wellness in the Schools offers its program as a model for other classrooms and schools.

Nancy Easton, co-founder of Wellness in the Schools, is an IIN graduate, a Health Coach, a former New York City public school teacher, mentor and principal. She founded Wellness in the Schools with the goal of providing children with the best possible learning environment. Students at Integrative Nutrition are committed to making a difference by improving the health and happiness of their friends, families and communities. We’re so honored and excited to be able to give back in this way.