A recent study shows that two key factors -- taste and choice -- are instrumental in improving school childrens' lunchtime nutritional choices. You need both, the researchers found. Absent tasty food, choice alone is doomed to fail.The study was published in the March 2015 issue of JAMA Pediatrics. When children exercise their small measure of independence in the school lunch line, they do respond well to choice, according to the study. So giving kids a range of options for fruits and vegetables -- and presenting the healthiest options in attractive ways -- prompts these tough customers to pick them more often. But when it comes to getting kids to not just pick but actually eat more fruits and vegetables over the long haul, there's no substitute for a tasty food, the ...
Texas takes two steps back in childhood nutrition. Texas Agriculture Commissioner (1) repealed a decade-old ban on deep fryers in public schools and (2) is lifting restrictions on sugary drinks in school vending machines. The American Heart Association says “the changes fail to provide a healthy school environment”. This reversal will affect over 5 million Texan children (51.3% Latino). Click here to read more about the reversal of two healthy initiatives in Texan ...
It's known that all Americans need to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables in their diet, especially those in underserved areas. USDA announced in a recent article, that residents from Philadelphia are using their benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to purchase more locally grown food. In fact, an six-fold increase of purchases have been calculated since 2008. This means that previous food deserts and low-income populations, are eating fresher, locally grown foods. The Latino population in Philadelphia is just over 13%, with many living in low-income neighborhoods or "food deserts". Increased access to locally grown foods in farmers markets, with USDA's SNAP program is beneficial to having access to healthy food for the Latino ...
GrowNYC hosted a special guest to NYC Farmers' markets in hopes to bring awareness about the need and productivity farmer's markets provide to communities. A video on YouTube shows Krysta Harden, the USDA Deputy Secretary visiting GrowNYC's farmers markets, walking from booth to booth, tasting and experiencing what New Yorkers are doing to provide healthy foods to their neighborhoods. GrowNYC has created or rejuvenated over 70 community gardens. They work with schools, public housing associations, and neighborhoods in an ongoing effort to revitalize vacant land into urban agriculture destinations. Many of these gardens are in urban places where garden and green spaces are rare and large populations of Latinos live. An article from 2011 showed New York City being the number ...
One day a week, cut out the meat. This is the slogan of the Meatless Monday's. Meatless Monday's are one of the ways to help K-12 schools' diets become more sustainable and healthy. Since the movement's conception back in 2003, famous supporters like Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, and Ellen DeGeneres, have taken part to help bring awareness and various restaurants and organizations have jumped onboard as well. Through the years Meatless Mondays has become an international movement and schools across the United States have been implementing this movement along with the guidelines for the USDA’s National School Lunch Program. This free online cookbook gives 30 recipes on various tasty meatless options to start a Meatless Monday movement in any school. To find more ...
The local farmers' market in Tyler, TX is expanding! The 21% Latino east Texas town now has 2 farmers' markets, one on Tuesdays and another on Saturdays, both from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Rose City Farmers' Market was started by Tyler's Food and Farm Coalition. The market’s director, Carmen Sosa, has been working to connect farmers to the community to not only stimulate the farming economy but also to offer fresh, local food. Many residents in the area don't have easy access to grocery stores, limiting their healthy food options. But farmers' markets are a viable alternative. According to an article in the Tyler Morning Telegraph, the market accepts SNAP benefit cards and participates in the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which gives $30 ...
Healthy eating involves knowing what to eat, and when to eat it. When a certain food is more available to eat, it is easier to find in local farmers markets.
Knowing where to find the best and most available food is sometimes a difficult task, unless you have this handy little tool. Just put in your state, and what season (month) you are in to get the local grown foods that are most abundant in this season. Get your local greens, corn and squash in the closest farmer's market. Make sure to buy what is in season, as these fruits and vegetables are freshest, most nutritious, and less expensive then out-of-season ...
When Latino kids choose to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less soda and chips, they set a good example for friends and family. But what if they can’t maintain their healthy lifestyle at school? Read what happens when youth leaders work with their school board to get healthy, vegan and vegetarian-approved lunch items into their cafeteria, not only to satisfy their desire to eat healthy but to empower other students to make healthier choices.
EMERGENCE
Awareness/Learn: For Sandra Garcia, it took planting a garden to realize just how powerful healthy food can be, not only for a community, but for a culture. “When SWU [Southwest Workers’ Union] started the Roots of Change Garden in 2007, I realized how beautiful it was to grow your own naturally organic food,” said ...
The FDA has given food manufacturing companies 3 years to comply with a new ban on partially hydrogenated oils, also known as trans fat. Trans fat is found in baked, fried and processed food and is associated with heart disease. It has been used for decades because it is cheaper and lasts longer than animal-based fats. However, reduced cost means increased consumption in many low-income and minority populations. Latinos are not only faced with increased marketing for cheaper processed foods, but they are also burdened with increased risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, diabetes and physical inactivity. The FDA estimates that removing trans fats will help prevent up to 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths each year. Dr. Golomb said, “as I tell patients, while ...
