Nutrition Week Teaches Kids Valuable Nutrition Information

Published On: July 11th, 2017By Categories: Miscellaneous1.8 min read

The aim of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is to bridge the gap of hunger that often occurs when kids no longer have access to school meals in the summer time, which is extremely detrimental to children. Equally alarming is the lack of education and engagement that kids often endure in these months. That’s where SFSP Nutrition Week comes in! The program capitalizes on an audience of kids enjoying their free nutritious meals, while providing them with valuable nutrition education.

SFSP Nutrition Week is hosted by FSD interns and volunteers who travel across the county and beyond, from Jacumba to Vista, to provide nutrition education in a food friendly environment. Ten sites over the summer will feature a Nutrition Week. The curriculum of the program operates under the overarching theme, “Fuel for Summer.” Each day focuses on a specific sub-theme with three activities and/or recipe demonstrations that delve deeper into the topic. Examples of themes include “Food as Fuel for Sports and Activities”, “Fruits and Vegetables”, and “USDA MyPlate”.

Each activity station aims to engage each participating child for 10 minutes. Currently, Nutrition Week has engaged kids in over 240 educational activity sessions!

To promote participation in our activities, we offer an incentive each day. Upon completion of their first activity, the kids receive a “passport” that serves as an invitation and a checklist. Once they have completed all stations, as noted on their passport, they will answer a brief evaluation question on the back. These evaluation questions serve as a means for us to track the impact of our education, as many sites are pre-screened with the same questions. After the kids complete the passport they receive a prize!

Aside from interactive games, Nutrition Week also features three recipe demonstrations of nutritious snacks that can easily be prepared. They include a Banana Crunch Wrap, Oatmeal Energy Bites, and a Raspberry Zinger Punch. Our team involves the children in the preparation process so kids can experience how easy it is to prepare simple, healthy snacks.

Attending sites during these weeks is truly a valuable experience. Kids race from their lunch tables to come participate, and take home key nutrition messages along the way.