- Author: Emily Valdez
- Contributor: Shawna Rogers
- Editor: Emily Harris
Fresno County's UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program has a long standing partnership with the Fresno State Dietetic Internship Program. This blog post is part of our Intern Reflections Series.
My rotation at UC Cal Fresh has been a fun experience filled with many opportunities to learn and try new things. I did everything during my rotation, from traveling to schools in Coalinga to teach students about MyPlate, to doing physical activity with the participants from Rescue the Children, to entering data, to watching presentations from NFCS (Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences) Advisor candidates. Everyone in the office was very welcoming and kind, and I was extremely grateful to do part of my internship here. Two weeks is too short for this rotation!
I did not know much about this nutrition program when I started; I only knew that they taught students about nutrition- which is what I was most nervous about. I have not had much experience with children, so I was a little hesitant to step up and teach them about MyPlate on my first day. However, because of the very supportive and friendly staff I was given the privilege to work with, I was teaching students with no problem by my second day! This rotation really helped me step out of my comfort zone. It was also very rewarding to see how such young children could be so interested in nutrition; they knew so much! By the end of my second day, I was able to recite the fun songs with the students. I really felt like I was teaching them something, and hopefully influencing them to make healthy choices. I was glad I was able to get this unique opportunity to work with students in the classroom; it made me more confident and comfortable working with this age group, and it also taught me some classroom management skills!
When I wasn't out in the schools teaching and observing I was usually helping with the EFNEP data entry, which was not the most exciting task, but I knew I was helping a very swamped employee lighten her load. Apart from that, during my first week I also had the opportunity to sit in on seminars and meet and greets with the NFCS Advisor candidates. The candidates were required to present a seminar and I was lucky enough to be included as an audience member during the presentations. I found this to be one of my favorite parts of the rotation because it was such a unique experience. As a future RD, it was great for me to see the search process this program goes through to find a new advisor. I learned a lot about hiring someone for the research field, and I gained a lot of tips about presenting for a job interview, which is something I am sure I will find myself doing in the future.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience at UC CalFresh. The team, my preceptor, and the students were all amazing. This is such a unique experience for dietetic interns, and it provided me with the opportunity to break out of my shell and practice my teaching skills, as well as witness NFCS Advisor seminars. After these short weeks I am definitely more comfortable around students and teaching. I am so happy to have had this experience!
- Author: Emily Harris
Hot weather makes cold dishes essential. What better way to cool off than with a healthy, nutrient packed salad. Let's rethink salads in this edition of Tasty Tips and find creative ways to make salads an interesting part of your week.
- Bulk up your salad.
Salads don't have to only include lettuce and salad dressing. Use the chart below to add protein, veggies and more to make your salad a filling meal.
Try out these salad combinations:
Spinach, Carrots, Avocado, Turkey and Oil & Vinegar
Romaine, Tomatoes, Onions, Cucumber, Low-Fat Cheese, Whole Wheat Croutons and a Low-Fat Dressing of Your Choice
Spring Mix, Apples, Dried Fruit, Nuts and Fresh-Squeezed Citrus
What's your perfect combination? Let us know in the comments below!
- Salad doesn't just mean leafy greens.
Check out these salads that are based in grains and other vegetables:
Sesame Asian Noodle Chicken Salad
- Join the #MeatlessMonday Movement and make a goal to try a meat-free salad recipe every week.
Try one of these salad recipes or a salad recipe of your own, take a picture and tweet it to us @UCCalFreshFC with the hashtags: #UCCE #UCANR and the name of the recipe!
- Author: Sandra Ortega
- Contributor: Yolanda Lopez
The Adult Transition Program (ATP) is part of Fresno Unified School Districts Special Education Department. ATP provides functional life skills training to students who are eligible for special education services with moderate/severe disabilities. This program is designed with emphasis on life skills, so the students can reach their full potential as independently as possible at home, in school, in the community and in vocational settings.
UC CalFresh Nutrition Educators Sandra Ortega and Yolanda Lopez are delivering nutrition education from the "Eat Fit" curriculum to the students of ATP. The interactive lessons have the classes learning, dancing and having a great time!
The students of ATP have learned the importance of physical activity and do not let physical limitations keep them from working hard to be physically fit!
Stay tuned for more updates on these awesome students and dedicated teachers!
- Author: Nath Say
Did you know that cotton is a food crop?! I didn't, but Mrs. Anderson's TK class at Rowell Elementary did!
According to the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, cottonseed oil is used in products such as margarine, salad dressing, toothpaste, ice cream and cosmetics. Cotton production in Fresno County averages almost a million bales a year. (Fresno County Farm Bureau)
Cotton is just one of the many commodities that the TK class learned about when discussing agriculture in Fresno County and California. They also learned that Fresno County continues to be the top producing agricultural county in the nation. (Fresno County Farm Bureau)
Mrs. Anderson's class took the learning process a step further by creating a spectacular wall titled, “We Grow Food in Fresno County.” The wall showcased a Farmer's Market with a variety of fruits and vegetables such as grapes, tomatoes, and berries. Mrs. Anderson shared that this project was a great way to both inform students about the abundance of local foods that grow in their county and allowed them to connect the healthy foods to MyPlate.
Take a look at these impressive pictures of the classroom's Farmer's Market!
Wow- Look at the variety of delicious foods!
What fruits and vegetables do you see?
I see grapes, tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, and cotton!
Can you spot MyPlate?
Thank you to Mrs. Anderson and her students for their extraordinary work!
- Author: Kristen Petersen
- Contributor: Shawna Rogers
- Editor: Emily Harris
Fresno County's UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program has a long standing partnership with the Fresno State Dietetic Internship Program. This blog post is part of our Intern Reflections Series.
Having a rotation with UC CalFresh has been a great learning opportunity, and it all starts with the amazing students that are being taught about proper nutrition. It is evident that the students are excited when the UC CalFresh Nutrition Educators are there to teach them about nutrition. I was also so amazed when I went into the classrooms to see that the students knew about MyPlate and could name the foods that went into each category. I could already see the benefits of early nutrition education and I think the food tastings provided to the students is a magnificent enhancement to the nutrition education because many of the children may have never tasted the foods that have been provided for them to taste. It is great to see that they are getting that exposure and that the students actually like the healthy foods that they are trying for the first time.
I had the privilege of teaching some of the lessons to the students, which was so much fun! For the younger students, I read Green Eggs and Ham to show them that trying new foods and protein is important because they never know whether or not they will like a food they have never tried before. One of the other main lessons that I taught was about plant and animal proteins, and I was amazed at how fast the students picked up this concept. The one food item that always threw them for a loop was tofu. When I would show the picture of the tofu to the students they always thought it was cheese. This created a great opportunity to talk about where tofu comes from and what recipes typically include tofu. This was also a great lesson to talk about keeping their muscles healthy and strong. It was a great experience and I can see that it makes a real difference in these children's lives. Another great lesson that I was a part of was teaching about physical activity. The students were very excited and did a great job participating in all the exercises. It was great to see them so excited about moving around and being active.
I also had the opportunity to attend some of the adult classes and help teach the adult participants as well. This was a great way to see that no matter what age you are, nutrition education and knowledge is relevant. It was also great because even though they are adult classes, the adults can pass on the knowledge they learn to their children. During one of the classes, I was able to teach and explain the BMI table that can be used to assess one's own health. This was a great experience for me to make sure that I can communicate the information well so that the audience has a complete understanding. I also love the fact that these adult nutrition classes also include a recipe demonstration. This portion of the lesson provides easy recipes to cook at home along with the nutrition of the food that's being prepared.
Overall, I enjoyed being a part of this program and helping to improve the nutrition knowledge of the Fresno community. I was able to work with several of the nutrition educators and coordinators and I can say, with confidence, that they do an amazing job teaching and working with the children and adults in the community. This is a really great nutrition education program!
