UC CalFresh had a special visitor stop by to see what impact our nutrition program is having in Madera Unified School District. Ms. Nava's 2nd grade class at La Vina Elementary School learned all about “Varying Your Protein Food Choices" along with Congressman Jim Costa. This lesson focused on choosing a healthy balance of plant and lean animal protein foods every day. The students put their knowledge to the test during a group activity, where they helped each other sort out what foods come from plant sources and what foods come from animal sources.  

Costa even participated in mixing together the Mango and Black Bean Salad recipe with Nutrition Program Coordinator, Angelica Perez. He began calling himself, “Mr. Mixer” during the recipe activity, which the students loved! A couple of students even asked for seconds from Mr. Mixer!

Students also joined in on an indoor physical activity called "Animal Charades" with Nutrition Educator, Austin Cantrell. They had fun acting out different animals without making a sound. Overall, the students enjoyed the experience and learned what Costa's role is as a congressman, and how he represents our Central Valley communities in Washington, D.C.

Pictured above, Principal Navarro, Ms. Nava and Congressman Jim Costa at La Vina Elementary in Madera, CA.

Ayer Elementary's staff lounge got a new Nutrition Corner just in time for spring. As warmer weather sets in and kids start to have time off from school, there's so many more opportunities to be active and eat fresh, sweet fruits and vegetables.

Here's some tips to "bee healthy" this spring:

• Stay hydrated! It's important that both kids and adults drink enough water as the weather warms up. If you're not a fan of plain water, try adding whole fruit for a sweet twist without all the sugar.
• Get enough sleep! After our wet winter, it's nice to get outside and be more active, but to stay healthy, we need to be sure to get enough sleep.
• Be active! Swimming and biking and hiking, oh my! With spring and summer breaks and long sunny days, there's so many ways to stay in shape in the warm months. Adults should encourage their kids to get moving for at least 60 minutes every day.
• Eat your MyPlate foods! Eating healthy foods is vital to having the energy and strength to do everything we love and keep our body working properly. It's tempting for kids to give in to less healthy foods as they start to have more leisure time, but it's important for all of us to be sure we're eating a quality diet.

We'd love to hear how you stay active and healthy as the new season rolls around. Share with us in the comments below!

On Saint Patrick's Day this year our UC CalFresh team was at the Fresno Fairgrounds talking to third graders throughout Fresno County about healthy eating at Farm and Nutrition Day. The Farm Bureau organizes this event every year to expose children to the agricultural industry and the benefits of healthy eating. UC CalFresh now has an established tradition to put on a nutrition play at Farm and Nutrition Day entitled, "Be Strong with 'Anytime' Foods," to show students the difference between '"anytime" foods, like strawberries and carrots, and "sometimes" foods, like candy and cookies. 

Before the play begins, our narrator (Nutrition Coordinator, Nancy) and the Healthy Crew talk to the students about MyPlate. 

At the beginning of the play, Sometimes Sally and Anytime Andy (Nutrition Educators, Hannah and Chris) meet on the first day of school. 

Anytime Andy shows the audience the strong muscles eating anytime foods have given him. 

Anytime Andy encourages Sometimes Sally to choose a carrot, but she hasn't been convinced to eat anytime foods yet. 

With the help of the audience, the Strong-O-Meter gives Anytime Andy the strength he needs to knock out the candy bar Sometimes Sally brought in her lunch. 

When Anytime Andy wins the race at the end of the play, Sometimes Sally finally learns that eating healthy will make her stronger and give her more energy. 

Before the show ended, our team showed the students how they like to exercise. Check it out on our Facebook page.

Behind the Scenes: 

The UC CalFresh team poses for a quick picture before the first show. 

 Nutrition Program Supervisor, Brittanny, preps the cast one final time. 

Staff greets the audience and sets up for another show. 

After five showings of the play, our team gathers together to celebrate all of our hard work. We can't wait for next year!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interested in past Farm and Nutrition Days? Check out the last few years below: 

2016

2015

2014

Students and Parents learn how to have

"Fun with Fitness"

Once again, UC CalFresh partnered with the UCSF Fresno Latino Center for Medical Education and Research to provide nutrition education to 7th and 8th-grade students who are on track to become medical professionals, and their families, at the Spring 2017 Health Education and Leadership Conference, held on Saturday, February 25^th, 2017 at Sunnyside High School.  

---Be Active Your Way---

In this year's workshop, parents were encouraged to make time for physical activity. Topics covered the health benefits of being physically active for ourselves and for our families. Participants learned the difference between aerobic exercise and muscle strengthening exercise, and the amount of physical activity we need, from kids to adults. There were plenty of opportunities to participate in physical activity throughout the class.

Parents review MyPlate at the start of the workshop.

Aerobic activity of the day: Jumping Jacks 

---What's My Pulse?---

Students learned about the importance of physical activity by measuring their pulse throughout various types of exercises. 

Resting

Students measure their pulse before doing any activities to find out their resting pulse. 

Warm-Up

After marching in place for 1 minute, students measure their pulse again to see if there were any changes. 

Stretching

Students learn that their pulse increases while stretching.

Aerobic Activity

Students complete 25 jumping jacks to measure their aerobic activity. 

Anaerobic Activity

Students strengthen their arm muscles with desk push-ups. 

Cool down

Breathing exercises help everyone cool down. 

---Making Better Choices---

Living a healthy life might seem challenging, but a great way to start yourself on the right path is to focus on making better choices, one-at-a-time. Participants were able to taste some healthy choices they could also make at home. They were encouraged to make better beverage choices and drink more water.

Participants were able to try three different types of infused water: lemon-ginger, strawberry-basil, and blueberry-mint. An energy snack sample was also handed out to show how easy it could be to make a healthy snack.  

Students and parents try out their infused water and energy snack. 

---Shaping Healthy Families---

UC CalFresh educators enjoyed being able to reach out to both students and parents during this workshop. Parents left with more information on how to make healthy choices for their families, and students left with a better understanding of why being physically active is so important.