We've all heard of the catchy slogans "Milk- It does a Body Good!" and "Got Milk?"

Students at Brletic Elementary created their own catchy slogans advertising the importance of drinking low-fat or fat free milk. Their work is displayed in the cafeteria on the Nutrition Corner where students are reminded daily about the benefits of drinking milk.

UC CalFresh recently had the opportunity to partner with Off the Front and Kaiser Permanente at Lowell Elementary School for an evening discussing health and wellness with families in the neighborhood.

Sandra and DeAnna sharing resources with families

Parents and children were invited to a screening of the film The Weight of the Nation. Following the screening, a dinner was provided by Fresno Unified Food Service. In response to the film, families had the opportunity to dialogue about the assets and barriers to wellness in their community.

UC CalFresh provided information about no-cost nutrition education classes available to families at Lowell.  

Feedback from families was outstanding!

Here are some of the highlights from the brainstorming sessions:

Community assets:

• Wednesday Farmer's Market
• Saturday Sports
• Public Pools
• Basketball courts, soccer fields

Areas that hinder healthy lifestyles:

• Parks are not safe
• Not enough lighting
• Gang violence
• Stores are small: higher prices, need accessible groceries

Biggest take away:

• Learning how important exercise is
• Importance of children's nutrition
• Change eating habits; remember what it takes to burn off food

Data provided by Off the Front

UC CalFresh is thrilled to support partnerships that empower and equip families to make healthy changes! Working together we can transform our community!

For more information about Off the Front, visit their website by clicking here.

Students are excited about green beans at Bakman Elementary!  Every month, classes receive a nutrition lesson and a green bean recipe to taste.   So far, they have tasted plain green beans, green beans with spiced breadcrumbs, green bean salad, and savory green beans and mushrooms.  

Theory shows that the more children are exposed to a food, the more likely they are to develop a preference for it. At the end of the school year, we will be measuring whether or not students have developed a preference for green beans. 

Evelyn prepares this months tasting, "Savory Green Beans with Mushrooms".

A student using one of her 5 senses to investigate her food. This SMELLS so good!

Benjamin Green Bean is in the classroom to remind students to eat healthy.

The kids love looking for Benjamin Green Bean! They never know where he will end up next!

 To engage students in learning about nutrition, SMART board lessons are also utilized.

Using SMART to teach students about the Dairy Group.

This Valentine's Day, give something for the heart! Visit the USDA's Blog to find out how you can share this special day with your family, kids, and community!