Our Mission

From kitchen to classroom, the Food-Based Early Education (FEEd) Lab empowers early childhood teachers, families, and communities with evidence-based strategies to improve children’s dietary quality and school readiness. Our approach integrates early education, exposure to healthy foods, and access to healthy foods within high-quality learning environments.

  • Commitment to research-driven strategies that effectively improve health and education outcomes.

  • We believe in building strong partnerships with teachers, families, children, and community members to support sustainable change. Engaging and compensating community partners as co-designers is critical to our work.

  • We are committed to ensuring our programs and resources are accessible to all, particularly teachers, children, and families from historically marginalized communities.

Leadership
Dr. Virginia C. Stage, a registered dietitian, assistant professor, and a seasoned nutrition education and behavior expert, leads the FEEd Lab. With a PhD in Nutrition Science from North Carolina State University and a wealth of experience in child nutrition and feeding, Dr. Stage is passionate about improving early childhood dietary practices and educational outcomes.

Research and Programs
Our lab conducts cutting-edge research examining the impact of early food exposure and nutritional education on children aged 3-5 years. Current projects include developing integrative curricula that use food as a STEAM education tool, investigating the role of teachers in shaping health behaviors and supporting local, state, and federal policy development to enhance nutritional education in the Head Start community.

Community and Outreach
The FEEd Lab collaborates with North Carolina State University's Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Supplementation Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) to translate our research into practice. We are actively involved in community-based initiatives that improve not only child health but also the educational practices of early childhood educators.