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!

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!

From November to January, child- friendly MyPlate's were given to each Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and Kindergarten class enrolled in the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program to place in their dramatic play area and use in their classrooms. In the dramatic play area there is usually a kitchen set up with plastic foods and items for dress up and dramatization. 

MyPlate in use in Mrs. Tinoco's Pre-K classroom at Calwa Elementary

It's inevitable, growing kids are going to snack. Snacking can help kids maintain their energy, provide fuel for school activities and fill nutrition gaps in their diets. Encourage your child to develop healthy eating habits early on by setting an example in your home. Your child can't reach for cookies, chips or candy bars if you don't have them on hand. Model healthy eating by choosing nutritious snacks for yourself, too!

For more snack ideas and tips, visit choosemyplate.gov!