- Author: Consuelo Cid
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.
- 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: DeAnna Molinar
Students and teachers at Vang Pao Elementary aren't just talking about good nutrition - they are living and learning it! With the new common core standards in the classroom, these teacher are finding that nutrition education fits right in!
Transitional Kinder teacher, Mrs. Sandra Garcia, pulled her resources together, including the UC CalFresh Curriculum, Happy Healthy Me, to put together her next unit!
After receiving their November nutrition lesson, Mrs. Bonnie Ring's 1st grade class went straight into their writing lesson. The topic? Nutrition! Great job Vang Pao elementary!
- Author: Shelby MacNab
- Contributor: Elizabeth Villalobos
Physical activity doesn't always need to take place in a gym or on the playground!
With short videos available for checkout from UC CalFresh, you can turn a 10-minute break into an instant recess!
In honor of the late Dr. Toni Yancey, we encourage you to plan a 10-minute recess with your students or staff!
Recapturing Recess, by Dr. Toni Yancey
Now I know
Y'all can remember
The recess bell
The wave of exhilaration
The sigh of relief
The sheer release
The transformation
Of fidgeting
Into linear motion
Raise up your hands
If you can remember
All that pent-up energy
Exploding
Into air and space
And wind and sunshine
And if you can recapture
Even a little of the joy
Of unbridled movement
Then just maybe
There's hope
For the couch potatoes
Those of you
Too worn down
Even to fidget
Think you need rest and food
But you toss and turn in bed
And meals don't really sit well
These bodies just weren't meant
For so much sittin' and standin'
And so little recess
