It was very important to us to bring the entire school community into our nutrition unit. We had struggled with how to do this, until we met up with some wonderful people at New York University.Luckily, we have a great relationship with NYU and one of the Undergraduate Professors, Dr. Bree Picower was able to get her students involved in our goal to teach our students to be healthy and fit. Together, we planned a Health Choices Night where the students could practice shopping for healthy food, and preparing it for their parents to sample “Top Chef” style.
First, the NYU students came up with a few recipes they thought would be delcious, healthy and fun to make. They prepared them themselves, and made a list of ingredients for us. Next, we went on a supermarket scavenger hunt! The students got to take a trip to the local supermarket to apply thier knowledge of food lables. The students got into groups, and went around the score copying the nutrition facts for each ingredient. After they got all of the nutrition facts for each ingredient, they were required to calculate the nutrition facts for one serving of their Healthy Choice Snack. We put all of the recipes and nutrition facts into a cook book the students could take with them so they could recreate these delcious, healthy snacks at home.
The night of the gathering was so exciting. The students decorated the cafeteria with different facts they’ve learned about nutrition and different posters showcasing the different food groups. They went food shopping with college students for their ingredients. After shopping, the students buckled down and prepared 100 servings of their snack. They sliced bananas and strawberries, shmeared peanut butter, chopped avocado and tomatoes, applied organic tomatoe sauce to whole wheat english muffins, and blended smoothies. Finally the parents came, and everyone gathered in the cafeteria for the event. Some students even got to make their first public speaking appearence discussing what learning about nutrition has meant to them.
With a classic “Lets Eat!” cheer, we all gathered around tables and sampled the healthy treats. We were able to vote for our favorite foods, and if we thought we could cook them at home. By the time the night was over, there was no food left, and everyone left feeling happy, full and healthy. Families left with a resource and students left with a sense of accomplishment that they can take their health into their own hands.
