- Author: Consuelo Cid
- Contributor: Emily Harris
Hamilton Elementary students learn that exercise and calcium-rich foods with Vitamin D, from the dairy group, keep their bones strong for life.
What better way to learn about where milk comes from and what foods are made from milk, you ask? A story about a magical cow of course!
Childhood and adolescence is a critical time period for bone building and consuming calcium-rich foods with Vitamin D to keep bones strong for life! Did you know that strength-building and weight-bearing activities keeps our bones strong too? Hamilton Elementary students try Shape of Yoga to get their bones strong for life.
Pre-kindergarten students try a modified Apple Tree pose!
1st grade students try the Fruit Smoothie pose!
2nd grade students try the Standing Carrot Stick.
Want to give yoga a try? Follow our UC CalFresh Nutrition Staff as they demonstrate a few Shape of Yoga poses.
Standing Carrot Stick
Folding Quesadilla
Broccoli Lunge
Fruit Smoothie
Apple Tree
If you give Shape a Yoga a try, feel free to share your pictures with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @UCCalFreshFC.
March is National Nutrition Month!!!
Click here for tips and handouts to make this month and this year the healthiest yet!
- Author: Emily Harris
In honor of National Breakfast Week, this month's Tasty Tips is all about the first meal of the day. Many of us are busy and find excuses to skip this important meal that “breaks the fast” after sleeping through the night. If this is you, then look no further than this post! You'll find tips and recipes to get over your breakfast slump and find out what it feels like to start every day right with breakfast.
1. Skip the excuses, not breakfast.
“I don't have time.”
“I don't like breakfast.”
“I'm not hungry in the morning.”
If you identify with any of these breakfast excuses, you're not alone. But before you make another excuse, remember that breakfast fires up your metabolism after 8-plus hours without any food.
2. Make breakfast prep an evening routine.
Prep everything you'll need for breakfast the night before, whether that's setting your bowls, spoons and cereal on the table or making a grab-and-go bowl of yogurt and fruit that you can take with you as you run out the door. If everything is already done, you're more likely to make this morning meal a priority.
3. Toss aside the idea of “breakfast food.”
Whether you have a child who doesn't like traditional breakfast foods or you find yourself cringing at the idea of eating a scrambled egg or oatmeal in the morning, forget the idea that breakfast is only made with certain foods. There are no rules to what you are allowed to eat at breakfast! If you have left over spaghetti that needs to be eaten or you prefer a grilled cheese sandwich with apple slices, go for it! All that matters is that you eat in the morning, while aiming for at least three food groups when you do.
Need some #BreakfastInspiration?
Check out the recipes and articles below to start your day with food that energizes and inspires you.
Breakfast Ideas for Busy Mornings
Easy Breakfasts for Kids to Make
Smart Nutrition Solutions for Busy Mornings
Try one of these recipes, take a picture and tweet it to us @UCCalFreshFC with the hashtags: #BreakfastInspiration #UCCE #UCANR and the name of the recipe!
- Author: Shawna Rogers
When I arrived to do a lesson demonstration in the second grade class of Ms. Kopacz at Columbia Elementary, I was taken by surprise. Ms. Kopacz and her students were in the middle of their morning workout. She was playing some upbeat music, the lights were turned down and her students were engaged in an exercise routine. Students worked at their own level and pace while doing push ups, sit ups, planks, squats and stretches. As if I was not impressed enough by the students' attentiveness to the workout, I watched as they returned to their desks, finished stretching and enjoyed a healthy morning snack of bananas, yogurt, sandwiches on whole wheat bread, string cheese, and peanut butter crackers.
I complimented the students on their exercise routine, which I found out they had designed on their own. As I briefly described the benefits of exercise to the students, they sat at attention. I told them, as I am sure they have noticed, that exercise helps them both physically and academically. They had a sense of pride of their accomplishments. I felt guilty that I had to stop them so that I could teach, but it was a great segway into healthy eating and my lesson on Anytime vs. Sometimes snacks.
The movements of physical activity before my demonstration paid off tremendously. The students were focused, eager to answer questions and respectful. I did not have to redirect their attention once during my lesson! I was amazed!
During my lesson Ms. Kopacz took time to enjoy her morning snack as well. Demonstrating a strong example for the students, she had a banana, a yogurt drink and a hard boiled egg. Seeing this gave me the ability to make the easy connection to my lesson with the students. I applaud this behavior and I hope that others may follow suit. Way to go Ms. Kopacz and students in room 6!
- Author: Emily Harris
UC CalFresh partnered with the UCSF Fresno Latino Center for Medical Education and Research to provide nutrition education to 7th graders who are on track to become medical professionals at the Spring 2016 Health Education and Leadership Conference, held on Saturday, February 27th, 2016 at Sunnyside High School.
The UC CalFresh team reviewed MyPlate and its role in helping us make healthy food choices, then dove right into fast food. Fast food is part of our culture, but participants learned that making healthy choices while eating out is possible.
- Author: Nelly Carrillo
- Editor: Emily Harris
Cold weather can definitely make us feel the need for warm comfort food. Unfortunately, these food choices are not always the healthiest choices.
It is essentially important to maintain a steady consumption of fruits and vegetables throughout the whole year. The new American Dietary Guidelines for 2015 recommend that we eat 4-5 cups daily.Take a look at the comparison of Recommended Intake versus Average Intake:
Why eat more fruits and vegetables? Fruits and vegetables provide our bodies with a variety of vitamins and minerals that help support the overall health of our body, yet about three-fourths of the population has an eating pattern that is LOW in fruits and vegetables.
So, the next time you want to reach for a comfort food, try a fruit or vegetable instead. Your body will thank you later.