- Author: Consuelo Cid
Healthy snacks and beverages are an integral part of a child's diet because they can help our children consume the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for optimal growth.
Children have smaller stomachs than adults, which means that they may get hungry in between meals. Therefore, it is important that they learn how to distinguish between treats and healthy snacks.
To assist me in this endeavor with my Vang Pao Elementary School students, I introduced James and Ethan, two characters in the book, Looking After Me: Eating Well, by Liz Gogerly and Mike Gordon. In the story the students learned that eating too many treats can make us sick, but they also learned, along with James, that eating well is the secret to staying fit and healthy.
Here is what my 2nd grade Vang Pao Elementary students had to say about eating well...
Shout out to Maria Mendez's second grade class for their great responses!
For tips on healthy snacking, visit choosemyplate.gov.
- Author: Consuelo Cid
Building and forging healthy habits can seem daunting or intimidating, at first.
Cost and time are common concerns and barriers towards incorporating healthy snacks and meals into your life; however, with just a few simple strategies like planning meals ahead of time, cooking large one-pot meals, and buying and shopping for foods that are currently on sale, you can help stretch food dollars and save time when it counts!
The UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program strives to empower parents, students, and the community at large to make healthy food choices while simultaneously staying active. We empower our participants by arming them with the skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy necessary to be informed consumers and health advocates for themselves and their families.
The UC CalFresh Nutrition Education team hosted a 4-week Plan, Shop, Save, and Cook series where Vang Pao Elementary parents gained skills in shopping, saving, and preparing meals while staying within their food budget.
Participants brainstorm family meals!
Give it up for our Vang Pao Elementary parents who successfully completed the Plan, Shop, Save, and Cook series.
Our participants are eager to share what they learned and want to encourage you to make healthy food changes for yourself. Join us and post your #healthyselfie to encourage others in your community to make healthy food choices. Together we can make for a healthier California!
Need inspiration? Here are our Vang Pao parents' #healthyselfies.
- Author: Emily Harris
Happy Thanksgiving from UC CalFresh! If you still haven't decided what you're going to make for the big day or you're in need of some holiday inspiration, check out our tasty tips below:
1. Not cooking a whole turkey? Tired of fattening green bean casserole? These recipes have come to the rescue!
2. Want to start new, healthy traditions for your family? Look here for some tips on how to begin.
3. Don't be scared to host Thanksgiving this year. Follow these tips to make sure you have a tasty, healthy and safe holiday.
4. Host a Holiday Makeover with these simple tips to turn your favorite recipes into healthy choices.
5. If the holiday season already has you frazzled, visit this Holiday Survival Guide to extinguish stress and ignite gratitude.
6. Tired of the same pumpkin pie every year? Try making Quick Pumpkin Pudding for a twist on the classic dessert.
- Author: Wayne Chang
- 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.
While I do not plan on working with children when I become a Registered Dietitian, my experience with the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program still proved to be a valuable learning opportunity. After observing nutrition coordinator, Brittanny Zweigle, conduct several nutrition education lessons and activities for elementary school students, I learned that all presented material has to be kept short and simple to engage the children and capture their attention throughout the entire lesson. Actions, word choices and lesson tools have to be appropriate for each age group in order to maintain the class' attention. For example, younger students needed a simple MyPlate with pictures to help the students learn which foods belong to which food groups, but a regular MyPlate was used with older students to allow for them to sort the foods without being prompted with visuals. I did notice, however, that even amongst the same grade levels, the children's abilities can also vary drastically from class to class; it is advisable to understand the level of your audience to best reach them.
The curriculum used by the UC CalFresh team also gave me a sense of direction on where to start teaching nutrition education to children and the general population. First, start with a MyPlate and introduce the five food groups, including what each food group does for the body and which foods belong to each food group. After this introduction, the lesson can focus on a specific food group by providing depth on its background, importance, and function. Finally, I was glad to see that the UC CalFresh team always addresses the importance of exercise! Nutrition and physical activity are both required for a healthy lifestyle.
- Author: Emily Harris
On September 19th, the UC CalFresh team partnered with the UCSF Fresno Latino Center for Medical Education and Research at the Health Education and Leadership Conference held at California State University-Fresno. UC CalFresh presented a “Healthy Student=Smart Student: Eating Healthy on a Budget” workshop to encourage 11th and 12th grade students to begin making nutritious food choices before they start their college careers.
Nutrition Educator Javier Miramontes presents a MyPlate overview.
Nutrition Educator Consuelo Cid demonstrates a mango salsa recipe, courtesy of the UCSF Fresno Latino Center for Medical Education and Research.
Our mango salsa, ready to be served.
