Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education ProgramEducating families since 1969

Talking to Your Children About COVID-19

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It is normal for adults and children to experience anxiety during stressful events like the current worldwide pandemic surrounding the novel coronavirus. We personally know how this has changed our day-to-day routines, especially for our children. With schools closed, extracurricular activities cancelled, and practicing social distancing, our children are dealing with uncertainty, stress, and fear. Now, is the time to be honest with our children but only age appropriate information. 

General Principles for talking to your children

Remain calm and reassuring.

  • Remember that children will react to both what you say and how you say it. They will pick up cues from the conversations you have with them and with others.

Make yourself available to listen and to talk.

  • Make time to talk. Be sure children know they can come to you when they have questions.

Avoid language that might blame others and lead to stigma.

  • Remember that viruses can make anyone sick, regardless of a person’s race or ethnicity. Avoid making assumptions about who might have COVID-19.

Pay attention to what children see or hear on television, radio, or online.

  • Consider reducing the amount of screen time focused on COVID-19. Too much information on one topic can lead to anxiety.

Provide information that is honest and accurate.

  • Give children information that is truthful and appropriate for the age and developmental level of the child.
  • Talk to children about how some stories on COVID-19 on the Internet and social media may be based on rumors and inaccurate information.

Teach children everyday actions to reduce the spread of germs.

  • Remind children to stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing or sick.
  • Remind them to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow, then throw the tissue into the trash.
  • Discuss any new actions that may be taken at school to help protect children and school staff.
    (e.g., increased handwashing, cancellation of events or activities)
  • Get children into a handwashing habit.
    • Teach them to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
    • If soap and water are not available, teach them to use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol. Supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to prevent swallowing alcohol, especially in schools and childcare facilities. (CDC, 2020)

Help Children Cope

  • Self-care is crucial for kids as well as adults. Make sure kids have time to participate in stress-relieving hobbies and games. Try to schedule periods of time where they can do whatever hobbies or activities they enjoy.
  • Share information with children, but make sure it is age-appropriate and keep it to the basics. Let children know they are safest when they reduce their risk of getting sick by washing their hands regularly, resting and limiting contact with people outside of their home.
  • Reassure them that many people who contract COVID-19 will be sick but most will recover and everyone needs to follow precautionary measures to protect people who are at risk, such as older family members or those with health conditions.
  • Acknowledge this is a scary time for many people and whatever emotions they are feeling are valid.
  • Make sure youth have a regimented schedule to follow if their school is closed and they are at home. It is important for their days to still have structure and normality.
  • Let kids talk or video chat with distant family members, especially elderly ones they may be worried about.
  • Be aware of signs of stress in your children. For younger children this could be regressive behaviors such as bed wetting. Stress may also manifest itself in physical changes in appetite or digestive issues, such as constipation or diarrhea. For older children and teens, stress may also cause them to stop eating, as food intake is one of the few things within their control.  
  • Plan family activities. This facilitates communication and is a chance to connect with children who may be feeling vulnerable. Read a book aloud together, play a board game, create an indoor scavenger hunt or even play a video game with your child.
  • Physical activity can promote health and decrease anxiety. If possible, throw a ball around in your backyard, go for a walk in your neighborhood or just turn on music and have a dance party with your kids. (Treviño, 2020)

Author Manuela Molina has created a short book to support and reassure our children, under the age of 7, regarding the COVID-19. This book is an invitation for families to discuss the full range of emotions arising from the current situation.

View and download the  COVIBOOK book in English or Spanish.

Check our Recipe section for healthy recipes that the whole family will enjoy!! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter to stay updated for healthy recipes, family activities and upcoming virtual lessons!

More information on COVID-19 from AgriLife Extension. 

Writer: Susan Himes (2020, March 22). Covid-19: Self-care Crucial During Times Of Anxiety, Stress. Retrieved from https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/03/22/covid-19-self-care-crucial-during-times-of-anxiety-stress/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AgrilifeToday+%28AgriLife+Today%29

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020, March 19). Talking with Children About Coronavirus Disease 2019 [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/talking-with-children.html

 

The Perfect Slice

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It’s that time of year again! Holiday meals and DESSERTS!!!  These tasty treats are always around and hard to avoid.  Remember, moderation is key! 

Let’s talk pie.  Apple pie is a classic holiday dessert. It’s thought to be “healthier” because it contains fruit and “an apple a day keeps the doctor away!” 

Is Apple Pie Healthy? 

Apples are good sources of vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C produces collagen, keeps gums healthy, and helps heal cuts and wounds. Potassium helps maintain a normal blood pressure and is important for nerve and muscle function. Apples also provide fiber, which is important for the digestive system. 

But not all apple pies are created equal! 

Nutrition Face-Off

Let’s look at the facts.  

The homemade pie has fewer calories, total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars compared to a similar slice of a store-bought pie.  You never know how much added sugar or additional ingredients are in pre-made pies. By making the pie at home, you are in control!  

This holiday season make your own Guiltless Apple Pie! 

Keep it Safe

According to USDA, fruit pies are food-safe at room temperature for up to two days and can be refrigerated for 2 additional days. They can be stored in the freezer up to four months. 

Homemade vs. Store Bought Cranberry Sauce

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Did you know that cranberries boast healthy levels of vitamin C, fiber, manganese, and vitamin K, a package of nutrients rarely found in a single food! 

Buying cranberry sauce at the grocery store can come with extra unnecessary ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is linked to a variety of health problems, including weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Nutritional Facts Face-Off

We can see there is a significant difference in the nutrition facts between the two sauces. The homemade cranberry sauce has nearly half the calories, carbohydrates, and sugars compared to the store brand. It also has more fiber as well as potassium!

Thankfully, buying cranberry sauce at the store is not the only option. We have the perfect Simple Cranberry Sauce recipe to make for the upcoming holidays!

This simple cranberry recipe is perfect to involve children in the prepping process. Younger children can help with rinsing the fruit and removing any bad looking cranberries. Older children can measure out the wet ingredients. Not only does this recipe allow your family to help in the process, but it is also time-efficient too – only taking 20 minutes from prep to finish! You can make this before Thanksgiving and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. One less dish to worry about!

Keep it Food Safe

This sauce will also likely provide leftovers, just like most Thanksgiving meals. Remember to always store leftover food in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. 

Leftover Ideas

Leftover cranberry sauce does not need to be limited to Thanksgiving leftovers – enjoy it in a bowl of oatmeal, smoothies, or on a toasted bagel!

NEA Ana Hernandez brings a passion for healthy eating to Houston’s Denver Harbor community

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Participants walking into a nutrition education class at Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Clinic receive a warm welcome: an inviting display of fruits, vegetables and pantry staples lines a table at the front of the room, ready for use in hands-on learning activities. Colorful posters illustrate healthy eating and the five food groups.

But most importantly, participants are met each week by instructor Ana Hernandez, who spends time before each class catching up with families, swapping favorite recipe tips, and cheering on even the smallest successes.

Tight budgets and limited time make healthy eating a challenge

For a busy family on a tight budget, relying on prepackaged meals and fast food often seems like the only reasonable option. After all, food dollars stretch just so far, and working parents have very little time to shop and cook. Hernandez aims to change this misconception.

As a Nutrition Education Associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, she shares her passion for eating with working families throughout Harris County, spreading the message that cooking meals from home is not only easy, but healthier and far less expensive than prepackaged options.

Making healthy eating fun, affordable and achievable

Through a partnership with Vecino Health Centers, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension brings the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program to the Denver Harbor community twice each year. For seven weeks in the spring and fall, Hernandez makes the prospect of healthy eating and basic exercise fun, affordable and achievable for participants.

The popular course, currently offered to Spanish-speaking patients and community members at Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Clinic, gives participants the knowledge to understand balanced nutrition, read labels, and cook healthy meals with everyday ingredients. The program is also available in English.

“A lot of people in our community don’t know anything about how to cook for our families and how to have a healthy life,” says Hernandez. “We work with families to show them it’s not expensive to eat healthy and make better choices.”

A powerful impact on the health of a community

When it comes to the health of the community, courses like the one Hernandez’ teaches have a staggering impact. Studies show that every dollar spent on the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program reduces healthcare costs by ten dollars. For all of Harris County, where the program runs at schools, community centers, clinics, churches and jails, this equals a community-wide savings of more than eight-million dollars.

This partnership with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension is just one Vecino’s services aimed at helping patients prevent and manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. It represents a continuing commitment to expand preventative care and improve the long-term health of the entire community.

Article by: Vecino Health Centers

original post: https://vecinohealthcenters.org/partner-spotlight-texas-am-agrilife-extension/

Smarter Choices: Program serves up nutrition tips for community

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Educator looking at program booklet.

Nutrition Educator Assistant Laura Dorado explains how each class’s curriculum touches on a different area of nutrition for participants at the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program class Thursday morning at the Ringgold Civic Pavilion.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

A free food and nutrition education program where people learn to make healthy choices is offered on Thursdays at the Ringgold Civic Pavilion.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program was founded in 1969 and since then has addressed critical societal concerns by influencing nutrition and physical activity behaviors of low-income families.

During the classes, attendees learned how to cook more meals and snacks at home, eat more fruits and vegetables, be more active with their family, reach or stay at a healthy weight, save money on groceries, control portion size, have more energy and keep food safe.

As of right now, two more sessions are available for registration but the program may be continued throughout the year.

“This is great because this is to prevent a lot of diseases in the community,” Nutrition Educator Assistant Laura Dorado said. “It is for free and we are giving the participants resistance bands, thermometers and they are also learning about food safety.”

Dorado works with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and said she is really happy the City of Brownsville is trying to educate residents to make healthier choices, especially children who still can’t decide what to eat or not to eat.

“Sometimes parents buy their child a happy meal and give them a tablet but they have to learn to make healthier choices for them. Teach them how to eat to have all their nutrients,” Dorado said. “We need to promote this program more. This is for free and we have a lot of incentives.”

At the event participants are given resistance bands, measuring cups, thermometers, pamphlets that say how to eat and the right portions, among many other things.

To register for the class or to learn more about the program, call Dorado at (956) 545-4135. The next class is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 29.

Attendees for the next two sessions will learn tips for offering children healthy choices from each food group, how to deal with picky eaters and letting them play a role in meals and a summary of all the summer sessions.

“People are really engaged in the classes and we really need to teach our community to be healthy,” Dorado said.

By Nubia Reyna Staff Writer nreyna@brownsvilleherald.com

Originally published by The Brownsville Herald

https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/smarter-choices-program-serves-up-nutrition-tips-for-community/article_8a22c288-c52a-11e9-bdd1-e7c6391af813.html