- Author: Yolanda Lopez
- Editor: Emily Harris
Eligible participants that graduate from the Eating Smart, Being Active adult nutrition education class series with the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program receive a reusable tote bag. These reusable tote bags are very convenient to use, but can they cause illness?
Image Source: eatright.org
These tips from Home Food Safety can reduce your risk of food borne illness from your reusable tote bags:
1. Wash your grocery tote frequently in the washing machine or by hand with hot, soapy water.
2. When shopping, put meat, poultry and fish in separate plastic bags before placing in the tote. This will help prevent juices from leaking and contaminating your reusable bags and food.
3. Place fresh or frozen raw meat, poultry and fish in separate totes from produce and ready-to-eat foods.
4. Clean all areas where you place your totes, such as kitchen counter or table, to reduce cross contamination.
5. Store totes in a clean, dry location. Avoid leaving totes in the trunk of a vehicle.
For more tips to reduce your risk of food borne illness, visit www.homefoodsafety.org
- Author: Consuelo Cid
How do we cultivate healthy habits?
The UC CalFresh Adult Nutrition Education Program provides its program participants with no-cost, research-based information on food and nutrition, physical activity, food safety, and resource management. We strive to empower our participants with practical skills and knowledge that enables them to engage in physical activity and make informed food choices.
Knowledge
Participants at Rescue the Children completed a Plan, Shop, Save & Cook 5-week nutrition education series. They learned about the importance and value of planning for family meals, shopping for nutrient dense foods, how to safely prepare family meals, and how to stretch food dollars when money is tight.
Empowerment
Our participants left excited and empowered to make healthy changes for themselves, and their families! Goal setting is an important component and emphasis in our classes. Goal setting makes healthier behavior changes possible and attainable for our participants. Below are some goals you may wish to tackle and/or incorporate into your everyday routine:
- Use a grocery list when grocery shopping.
- Involve your children when planning and preparing meals.
- Read the nutrition facts label on snacks and cereals and choose foods with the least amount of sugar.
- Buy items in bulk to save money.
Social Support
Our Rescue the Children participants were an enthusiastic group of women who were willing to learn from their peers by sharing successes and/or barriers they have experienced when feeding their children.
Practical Application
We injected hands-on learning into our physical activity breaks. We encouraged participants to be the educator and teach their peers a physical activity that they can employ at home. We recommend that adults get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. To meet this recommendation, our participants used the Champions for Change, "Playing for Healthy Choices" cards to inspire their peers to move more. They carefully read through their physical activity cards and demoed their specific physical activity. They also offered modifications to the exercise cards to encourage everyone to participate at a level that best suited them. What a fun way to incorporate physical activity!
Cooking Demonstration
We concluded our last nutrition lesson with our graduation ceremony and a cooking demonstration. The Spaghetti with Turkey Meat Sauce was a hit amongst our participants. They were surprised with how simple swaps, like choosing whole grain pasta and leaner meats, could make for a tasty and nutritious meal. Our recipe and how to prepare it, in 4 simple steps, is found below. Let us know if you try it out with your families. Tweet us a picture, post it on Facebook, or tag us on Instagram.
Spaghetti with Turkey Meat Sauce
Ingredients
Non stick cooking spray
¾ pound of lean ground turkey
2 (14 1/2 –ounce) can of diced tomatoes, juice reserved
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup of onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of crushed, dried oregano
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 pound of spaghetti noodles
- Author: Sandra Ortega
- Contributor: Yolanda Lopez
The Adult Transition Program (ATP) is part of Fresno Unified School Districts Special Education Department. ATP provides functional life skills training to students who are eligible for special education services with moderate/severe disabilities. This program is designed with emphasis on life skills, so the students can reach their full potential as independently as possible at home, in school, in the community and in vocational settings.
UC CalFresh Nutrition Educators Sandra Ortega and Yolanda Lopez are delivering nutrition education from the "Eat Fit" curriculum to the students of ATP. The interactive lessons have the classes learning, dancing and having a great time!
The students of ATP have learned the importance of physical activity and do not let physical limitations keep them from working hard to be physically fit!
Stay tuned for more updates on these awesome students and dedicated teachers!
- Author: Emily Harris
- Contributor: Angelica Perez
- Contributor: Consuelo Cid
Do you know your BMI? BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is a measurement comparing a person's height and weight. Although it is not a measurement of body fat, your BMI can give you an insight to your weight status and indicate if you need to make a change. An individual with a BMI that falls into the overweight or obese category has an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type-2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.
At a recent no cost adult nutrition class, Nutrition Educator Consuelo Cid taught her participants about BMI and encouraged them to use it as a catalyst for healthy lifestyle changes.
If you are interested in finding out your BMI, click here.
- Author: Mary Grace Hallare
- Contributor: Nath Say
- Editor: Emily Harris
UC CalFresh Fresno County has a long standing partnership with the Fresno State Dietetic Internship Program. This blog post is part of our Intern Reflections Series.
The Carnaval Children's Festival, held at the Mosqueda Community Center on September 19th, offered family fun and entertainment with bounce houses, wildlife exhibits, and swimming pool games. Families visited colorful booths that offered a wealth of information about their community and a handful of freebies.
Children enjoyed getting physically active in the bounce houses!
So many great vendor booths to visit!
The UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program joined in the event and set up their own booth to promote the importance of milk and calcium-rich food consumption.
UC CalFresh's "Milk is for Me" workshop display
Different models of milk—whole to fat-free—were displayed to reveal their fat content along with other interesting hands-on visuals. Many parents were amazed to discover the amount of fat they were consuming on a daily basis. They were also surprised as they felt the actual weight of both one pound and five pounds of fat. Most importantly, they learned the pivotal role of calcium in bone health.
We would like to extend a special thank you to Parks and Recreation, the City of Fresno, Fresno Unified School District, and PG&E for sponsoring yet another awesome community event for the city of Fresno!
