- Author: Emily Harris
Fresno County's 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.
My rotation with UC CalFresh has been one of my very first community nutrition rotations in my dietetic internship. The nutrition education I previously provided was in a very different setting. Prior to starting this rotation, I knew very little about what UC CalFresh offers, however, my preceptors were wonderful at answering my questions, and their passion for their jobs really made me excited to spend two weeks learning from them.
One of my favorite parts of this rotation was going to the schools to observe and teach lessons to the kids. I was amazed at how knowledgeable the kids were about MyPlate and nutrition. To me, this was a reflection of the effectiveness of the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program. As I observed more lessons, I realized that the kids get really excited when the nutrition educators visit their classes because they make nutrition education so much fun by including games and songs in their lessons.
On the first day of my rotation I reviewed MyPlate with the kids and then sang and danced to the “MyPlate Shaky” with them. This was a lot of fun and the kids loved it! I really like that some form of physical activity is also incorporated into all of the lessons and that the importance of exercising each day is also stressed.
Haley teaching first graders at Yokomi about MyPlate
On this same day, part of the lesson was for the kids to build their own MyPlate. I like how this activity had the kids work in a group to help encourage teamwork and communication. It was great to hear the kids talk to each other about which foods fall into each food group and how to build a healthy meal.
I also loved observing and teaching part of the adult classes that the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program provides. One of my favorite adult classes was at Rescue the Children in Fresno, which was a combination of lessons three and four of the Plan, Shop, Save, and Cook (PSSC) curriculum. The nutrition educators did a great job with the lessons and I could tell that the participants responded really well to them. The participants were very engaged in the lesson and respectful to the educators.
I taught the physical activity portion of the class and showed them how to do a quick full-body stretch set. The participants really enjoyed the stretches and said that it helped them feel alert and more in the mood to exercise, especially since the class started early in the morning for them. I noticed that this group as a whole was much more invested in learning and they consistently participated in the activities.
The “Three Can Chili” recipe was the food demonstration that was presented on this day. The participants loved the idea of adding flavor to the chili with jalapeños, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder instead of using salt. They also enjoyed the whole wheat crackers that were served to compliment the chili. This class was also different than the two adult classes I had previously observed in that it was much smaller, with only six participants compared to 10-12 participants in the other classes.
First graders at Yokomi completing the MyPlate activity
I was asked by the nutrition educators throughout the week whether I preferred teaching the youth or adult lessons. I still haven't come to a conclusion whether I prefer one over the other because they both have great aspects that I personally enjoy. My favorite part of teaching children is their enthusiasm and excitement for learning. However, with children, it is important to explain nutrition in simpler terms that will make sense to them. One of my favorite parts of teaching the adult lessons was having the flexibility to give more descriptive and detailed explanations of the nutrition topics and be able to help them have a more in-depth understanding of how the food they consume affects their bodies.
Overall, my time during my rotation at UC CalFresh has showed me what a valuable program it is for its participants. One of the participants in the adult classes told the educators that the lessons made her realize that she wanted to pursue a career in the field of nutrition! This rotation has showed me first-hand the impact that community nutrition can make.