- Author: Consuelo Cid
- Editor: Emily Harris
Students at Balderas and Winchell Elementary Schools receive no-cost nutrition education and food tastings throughout the school year if their teachers are enrolled in the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program. The aim is to instill healthy eating behaviors and physical activity habits at an early age!
The beauty of learning is that it is an ongoing feat for all people of all ages! Parents at Balderas and Winchell Elementary Schools joined in on the nutrition education fun as they explored how to make healthy eating the right and easy choice.
Parents were eager to learn about how they could plan, purchase, and prepare healthy food choices on a budget, and they agreed that eating healthy can sometimes be straining on the budget, but small changes can make a world of a difference!
Small steps are the key to success.
Here are some easy ways to save money when purchasing healthy foods for your family:
- Make a grocery list and stick to it!
- Buy in bulk.
- Shop when you are not hungry.
- Plan your meals around sale food items and use coupons!
- Compare unit prices and try store brands!
- Visit your local Farmers Market for seasonal fruit and vegetable options.
- To find a Farmers Market near you, visit the Ecology Center.
- Look for Market Match. Learn all about Market Match on our blog so that you can extend your fruit and vegetable dollars even more!
- To find a Farmers Market near you, visit the Ecology Center.
Do you have a thrifty tip or something that helps you buy healthier food, while on a budget? Comment below and share with us. We love hearing from you!
Preparing a healthy recipe is always the most anticipated class activity. Learning how to read a recipe and prepare healthy meals is a lifelong skill that can be used immediately to improve the eating behaviors of our participants. Our program participants are also encouraged to keep an active lifestyle, and move more! Does this mean parents got a little taste of physical activity in every class? You bet they did!
Upon the successful completion of a four-week nutrition education series, parents received a University of California certificate that acknowledged their commitment to adopt healthier lifestyles. Additionally, they received a bag containing reinforcement items, such as cookbooks, measuring cups and spoons, scrub brush, grocery list, and much more!
Give it up for Balderas' Plan, Shop, $ave, and Cook class of 2017!
Give it up for Winchell's Plan, Shop, $ave, and Cook class of 2017!
Let's hear some of the parents' successes:
"I am more aware of what I buy, I take my [grocery list] notes when I shop so I don't overbuy. I am also reading the contents on cereal, I am saving money when I do my grocery shopping." - parent
"Estoy mas consiente de las compras, [h]echo mas apuntes para no comprar de mas. Tambien estoy leyendo el contenido de las cajitas de cereal, estoy...ahorrando dinero al [h]acer mis compras." - padre de familia
"I learned how to make healthy recipes (ranch dressing), to read food labels, and to [read] the percentages of sugar and salt that foods contain." - parent
"Aprendí a hacer recetas más saludables (ranch dressing), leer las etiquetas de los productos y [ha] saber el porcentaje de azúcar y sal que contiene [los alimentos]. " - padre de familia
Thank you to both Balderas and Winchell Elementary Schools for opening their doors and allowing us to help improve eating behaviors for families in Fresno County!
Would you would like to invite us to host a no-cost parent nutrition class at your school site?
Contact Javier Miramontes, UC CalFresh Program Supervisor, to get started!
Javier Miramontes
Nutrition Program Supervisor
(559) 241-7539
- Author: Angelica Perez
It's National Nutrition Month! This year's theme is, “Putting Your Best Fork Forward” to show us how every bite you take counts.
This month is also a reminder of what was highlighted in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: change takes time, so beginning with a small change to reach a healthier, long lasting habit is important. Here are some key messages provided by eatright.org to take into consideration this National Nutrition Month:
- Create an eating style that includes a variety of your favorite, healthful foods.
- Practice cooking more at home and experiment with healthier ingredients.
- How much we eat is as important as what we eat. Eat and drink the right amount for you, as MyPlate encourages us to do.
- Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.
- Manage your weight or lower your health risks by consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist. RDNs can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.
How do you plan to take charge of your health this month? Hopefully this month motivates you to make a small change or to continue making changes you are already working on. Nutrition is not one size fits all, and we hope you find your perfect fit to a healthier lifestyle.
For more information on National Nutrition Month, visit eatright.org and get inspired!
- Author: Lin Zhang
- Editor: Emily Harris
Fresno and Madera Counties' 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.
Before interning at UC Cooperative Extension, I never thought about how important health education is to a community. During this fun rotation, I had the opportunity to participate in both the adult and youth nutrition education programs at UC CalFresh. The classes deliver healthy eating and living concepts through interesting stories, pictures, cooking demonstrations, food tastings, simple physical activities and fun games and activities. UC CalFresh also gives out colorful and easy-to-read nutrition handouts, healthy recipe books, and cooking and measuring tools for people to stay healthy. All the nutrition classes greatly emphasize eating according to MyPlate, consuming proper portion sizes, and getting adequate physical activity.
It was such a rewarding moment for me to see the smiling faces of my kindergarten and first grade “audience” while I read them a nutrition storybook.
Another fun project I enjoyed a lot was creating a “Nutrition Corner.” The theme of my corner was “Proper Hydration,” targeting the senior population. The information displayed on the corner will help them to understand the importance of proper hydration and provide ways to help them stay hydrated every day. It took me a while to create a cohesive message, but I felt that my hard work paid off when the final product was complete.
Overall, the UC CalFresh team taught me many things through projects, assignments, and fun activities. From my two weeks at UCCE, I observed the community's need for nutrition information, the participants' appreciation of the classes that UC CalFresh offers and the changes people are making thanks to UC CalFresh's efforts. I am very thankful I could be a part of these meaningful moments.
- Author: Hannah Lee
Last week Ayer Elementary School kicked off their four week Food Friday campaign, which encourages students to eat the fruits and vegetables provided in the school lunch. Now through February 17th, classes enrolled in the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program will be counting how many students eat their fruits and vegetables, and tracking it using the cafeteria's new Nutrition Corner poster pictured below.
Check out UC CalFresh team members Brittanny, Emily, and Hannah with Ayer's new cafeteria Nutrition Corner! It shows how many students ate their fruits and vegetables, the benefits of eating those foods, and what will be in the school lunch on Food Fridays.
Brittanny and Hannah passing out kiwis - yum!
A total of 215 students ate their fruits and vegetables on the first Food Friday! They're off to a great start and hopefully those numbers will continue to go up! Be sure to check back for updates on Ayer's Food Friday!
- Author: Angelica Perez
Have you ever wondered how to enhance a food tasting? In Madera Unified School District, Mrs. Nava decided to make an English assignment activity with a nutrition twist for her 2nd grade class. The English assignment consisted of the students getting into groups to come up with adjectives that described what they thought of the kidney bean tasting they tried in November. Once completed, the assignment was displayed on their classroom's Nutrition Corner.
Trying to fill a nutrition corner with student work or activities doesn't have to be too difficult or take up too much time out of your day. Ideas can sometimes be as easy as combining the assignment you had originally planned, but altering the topic or theme.
Who doesn't like to talk about food?
--------------------------------
Are you a teacher enrolled in the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program?
Has your class completed similar nutrition assignments?
