In 2008 an acre sized school farm started at IDEA schools on the border of Texas and Mexico in Donna, Texas, (92.3% Latino). The farming classes taught by Hernan Coldemero, practice agriculture basics and learn about food systems, all the while consuming healthier school lunches. In fact, 95% of the 6600 lbs of produce is used in school lunches while the leftover produce helps to keep the farm and schools sustainable, selling the produce to parents at the school's farmers market Noah, a student who comes after school to help take care of the plants and hopes to learn more about how to grow food so he can one day plant a garden at home said in the video, "Not all schools have this opportunity", he said, "If you're going to the cafeteria and eating fruits and vegetables, you can ...
According to the newly released State of Obesity report, Texas it the 10th most obese state in the country. Now the American Heart Association along with many other organizations are asking parents, teachers, and health advocates to step up for kids health and take action. AHA is asking anyone who is interested in supporting kids in Texas with more physical activity and access to healthier foods, to join the movement through social media and beyond! Latino kids often face limited access to healthy food and physical activity, creating awareness of these inequities is a helpful way to inform communities and get initiative moving for healthier changes. To join the Thunderclap and share the message, click here. To learn more about how you can take action for Texas kids, ...
Healthy marketing can help people purchase more produce, shows a recent study, but it also can help people who speak different languages see the healthier choices in stores. Two years ago, working in various neighborhoods in California, including Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park, Latino teens also saw the difference healthier marketing can do to protect the hearts of their family members. Six Spanish-speaking high school teens came up with a simple way to help mark healthier foods, despite lingual obstacles, and show other Spanish-Speaking shoppers which foods were best for their health, all by following dots. Dots? Yes, students placed colored dots to help shoppers understand health benefits of certain foods while shopping. Red dots on food showed ...
Is your school on the healthiest schools list? Healthier Generation is asking anyone who cares about healthy schools to join the Healthy Schools Program! They hope to help build healthier schools by giving out free tools to help all kids enjoy physical activity breaks, help schools find healthy ways to fundraise and starting walking clubs. They also give parents and teachers healthy ways to reward kids, as well as free recipes. They even offer all materials in Spanish! To learn more about how you can play a part in creating healthier schools, visit ...
What can community gardens bring? Not only can community gardens help people grow healthy food, it can also build and connect a community. In Los Angeles, Calif. (48.4% Latino) the Los Angeles Community Garden Council (LACGC) is helping to manage over 40 community gardens for local communities. Julie Beals, the executive director of LACGC explained to SeedStock, that the gardens have helped lower body mass index (BMI) of residents where the gardens are and have helped reduce crime. Beals also explained that members are getting more exercise, property values are increasing with the gardens as well. The LACGC also offers nutrition classes, helping members of the gardens learn about the health benefits of what they are growing. Latino communities need access to healthier ...
How can food banks work with local farmers and provide sustainability for local farms and people in need of fresh healthy foods? Partnering with local farmers, Mainers Feeding Mainers program, part of the Good Shepard Food Bank of Maine (17.6% Latino) has started an innovative way to capture and provide fresh foods to over 37,000 people. How do they make it happen? The simple system and social mission to help those in need have nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables have helped the program partner with over 30 local farms throughout the state since 2010. Over 60,000 children are suffering in Maine from food insecurity, explained Kristen Maile in the programs web page video. Maile went on to explain that it doesn't matter what the vegetables look like, or their shape or size, ...
Latino teens on average consume more sugary beverages than their white peers, studies show. In fact, about 74% of Latinos have had a sugary drink by age 5. But what if teens and kids knew the impact sugary drinks had on their health? A new study from Penn Medicine analyzed how teens perceived sugary drinks with health warning labels. Researchers from the Center for Health incentives and Behavior Economics used an online survey to gauge more than 2,000 teens, ages 12-18, perception of their favorite sugary drinks, some drinks included a health warning labels while others did not. The teens who didn't see a warning label on their beverages (77%) chose a sugary drink. The teens who saw the warning labels were 8 to 16 % less likely to select a sugary beverage.
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According to Michigan State University, in Detroit, Michigan, up to 52% of Latino children live in poverty, and where there is poverty, many times there is little to no access to fresh vegetables or healthy foods. But new considerations for the state's urban agricultural laws may help provide new small business opportunities for indoor and vertical farming and also help increase access to healthier food within the state. A new urban agriculture ordinance is being proposed to increase zoning districts for indoor agriculture that would take into account smaller businesses and operations that could help provide healthy fresh foods like Kale, lettuce and more. The new policy change could also open up the over 78,000 vacant buildings that are not being utilized for any business, city ...
The fight against the beverage industry for Boulder, Colo.'s sugary tax measure to be put on the ballot has been contested back and forth. Two protests from a city attorney circulated but local Judge, Norma Sierra, ruled that the petition was valid and Boulder City Clerk Lynette Beck also denied the protester's appeal. Now, the measure for the sugary beverage tax is officially on the measure on November's ballot. Healthy Boulder Kids campaign manager, Angelique Espinoza is a supporter of the tax and explained to local news that the closer they get to the tax the more they can ensure a way to increase healthy foods and activities for kids in Boulder. Boulder, Colo. is a community with a growing Latino population (13.9%). Latino kids are often targeted by beverage companies and ...
