Foods-Fitness-Fun for Healthy Families
Part A: Classroom Activity
The Healthy Families program is a six session food and nutrition education program for children and their parents. The program consists of a series of 5 child activity sessions, 5 parent education classes, and a family food finale where kids cook and share food with their family members.
Each Child class engages children with a sensory food activity, a cooking project, and a fun activity related to food and nutrition. Children will learn about food and nutrition by tasting and preparing fresh, seasonal, and locally-produced foods. Relevant books and hands-on activities enhance involvement and learning during each session. Children will gain confidence to try new foods that they have prepared.
Parents are provided with a program of nutrition education classes where they discuss and participate in activities to improve the health of their families, including shopping for and preparing fresh foods, reading nutrition labels, and selecting healthy snacks. Parent education classes are given at the same time as child classes, and have an information component and a hands-on activity. In addition, parents will plan for healthy levels of physical activity for their families.
In the final session of the program, children prepare and eat food with their family members.
Throughout the program, families receive child-friendly, easy-to-prepare, culturally relevant and inexpensive recipes. Children will go home each week with ingredients to prepare a healthy recipe.
Part B: Farmers Market Tasting Tables
In our Farmers Market Tasting Table program, once a month our staff will bring a different fresh, locally grown fruit or vegetable to your site for children to taste. Foods are either tasted raw, or prepared in easy and inexpensive recipes. Newsletters accompany each tasting, providing fun facts and nutrition information—plus a recipe—for each food tasted. The program begins in summer or fall, and goes throughout the school year. Students will expand their food horizons as they try new foods, or new varieties of familiar foods.
Psychological & Educational Services | 1427 North La Brea Avenue | Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Phone: 323.851-4577 | Fax: 323. 878-0443