Kids spend the majority of their time at school. This makes school the ideal environment in which children can forge healthy habits at a young age. Healthy habits that stress the importance of a balanced diet, foods from MyPlate, and physical activity set our children up for academic and lifelong success!

Vang Pao Elementary School teacher, Mrs. Garcia, spent a week dedicated to teaching her Transitional Kindergarten students about nutrition. During this week-long nutrition immersion, students enhanced their understanding of MyPlate by categorizing common foods into their respective food groups. 

Students further reinforced their knowledge by interacting with MyPlate. The UC CalFresh Nutrition Education program provided enrolled teachers (Pre-Kindergarten to Kindergarten teachers) with a child's MyPlate to encourage and enhance the nutrition education in the classroom.

Mrs. Garcia has her students organize foods into the correct food groups.

Students also showcase their artwork by creating MyPlate collages. 

Students can identify their favorite foods!

Moderation is key to a healthy lifestyle, so learning which foods are healthy or "anytime" versus "sometimes" is critical to making the best food choices.

What better way to teach important life skills such as...shopping, handling money (planning/selection, buying, and budgeting) than a TK Market, of course!

Students are encouraged to select and purchase healthy food items!

Beautiful work, Mrs. Garcia's TK class! Your hard work will inspire and help others to make healthy choices! Go all-stars! 

 Let's inspire future healthy all-stars! If you have a success story, share it with us by commenting below. We can also be reached on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

On Friday, March 18^th, 2016, third graders throughout Fresno County made their way to Farm and Nutrition Day at the Fresno Fairgrounds. According to the Farm Bureau, Farm and Nutrition Day, “allows students to participate in activities that showcase both the agricultural industry, as well as focus on the benefits of making healthy eating choices.”

In order to encourage students to choose “anytime” foods, like the abundant produce available here in California, the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program put on a nutrition play titled, “Be Strong with ‘Anytime' Foods.”

In the play, Sometimes Sam (played by Kristi Sharp) brought “sometimes” foods high in fat and sugar to eat for lunch at school, but thanks to the help of Anytime Anne, (played by Consuelo Cid) she learned that “anytime” foods are full of vitamins and minerals that make us feel good.

Anytime Anne crosses the finish line in first place, proving to Sometimes Sam that "anytime" foods have given her strength and energy.

By the end of the play, Sometimes Sam learned how to make healthy food choices, and so did the 3^rd graders! By using MyPlate as a healthy eating guide, the students are now better equipped to make food choices that are great for their bodies.

Want to experience more of Farm and Nutrition Day?

Check out our Facebook page for even more

nutrition fun!

As I walked into Mrs. Haught's third grade class at Burroughs Elementary, Mrs. Haught told me what had been going on in her classroom for the past month. Her students were learning how to grow plants in different environments. The types of seeds used were radish seeds, avocado seeds, lemon seeds, and pistachios.

Some seeds were taken directly from their adult plant!

The experiment showed the students that seeds can sprout in different environments, such as in soil, on top of soil, and in water alone. The students took turns watering and keeping an eye on the plants every morning when they came into class. Mrs. Haught was ecstatic that she was able to show students how plants grow and how they can regenerate roots. She told me that her goal was to show the students where fruits and vegetables come from and why they're important for our bodies.

This is an avocado seed that was set in water by the window. This was one method that was tested to see if it would sprout any roots.

 Here are a few radish seeds that were placed on top of soil and watered everyday. One of the students named the plant,  "Jeff Jr."

This is the progress of some radish seeds that were beginning to sprout and grow into a bigger plant. It was watered every day by the students.

Here is a picture of two plants that were broken apart and set in water. The plant eventually started regenerating roots in water. The students couldn't believe that plants could do so in water without any soil. 

After talking with Mrs. Haught, I've teamed up with her to try to bring an edible school garden to the students of Burroughs Elementary in the near future. Our hopes are to show students where their food comes from in order to encourage their consumption of fruits and vegetables. 

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!