We take time to find facilitators who are able to relate to the clients both linguistically and culturally. Most of our workshops are in English, but we also run workshops in Farsi, Spanish, and Chinese. Workshop length is flexible and usually depends on a site’s budget and schedule, but in general, workshops run for 4 to 8 weekly sessions, for 1 to 2 hours each. All workshops cover the following information:
- Basic nutrition, with a focus on whole foods
- Kitchen safety and cooking skills
- Meal planning, budgeting and grocery shopping
- Nutrition labels, nutritional claims, ingredient lists
- Nutrition and health: obesity, diabetes, heart health, etc.
- Food advertising and media literacy
- Dining out and fast food
Designed for adults and families living in affordable housing communities and homeless shelters. Additional topics include:
- Emotions, Energy and Concentration
- Involving children in meal planning, shopping, and cooking
- Positive strategies for encouraging children to eat; developing healthy habits in kids
- Expanded media literacy: teaching children about advertising and the media
- Kid friendly recipes
Designed for students from 6-15 years old. Offered as an after school or summer program. Additional topics include:
- Body image: eating disorders and obesity
- Nutrition and school: fueling your brain for success
Designed for senior citizens. Usually facilitated by a Registered Dietitian. Additional topics include:
- Expanded health and nutrition information
- Healthy Cooking for One
Designed for prenatal and postpartum women. Additional topics include:
- Nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women
- First foods for infants
Each workshop is created by beginning with the outcomes we’d like to see for the participants. From there, we consider factors such as the number of participants, their ages, housing situation, language, ethnicity, and income level. With the cooperation of the facilitator and the Workshop Coordinator, we choose activities that are likely to create a lively, interactive, and supportive environment for our clients to consider healthy changes to their diet and routine.
Sample 5-Week Curriculum: Food Smarts for Adults & Families
Workshop Objectives
By the end of this workshop, students will be able to:
- Create SMART nutrition goals
- Use food journaling to help achieve nutrition goals
- Identify different types of whole grains and use them in recipes
- Identify foods that contain healthy fats and use them in recipes
- Read a food label in English and develop a personal criteria with which to evaluate a food by reading the label
- Create a weekly meal plan and shopping list
- Explain the connection between adequate sleep, adequate exercise, and proper nutrition
Activities may include but are not limited to:
- Your Meal Plan and Grocery List
- What's On the Label?
- Veggies Are Vital
- Exploring Whole Grains & Beans
- How Much Sugar in a Large Coke?
- Feeding Your Baby, Toddler, and Healthy Eating Strategies for Kids
- Eating & Emotions Inventory
- Sleep Cycles
- Activity & Exercise
Each class begins with a Taste Test and ends with a Recipe. The aim of these activities is to increase awareness of a variety of healthy foods in an interactive format. Below is a sampling of recipes we use in our workshops. As we encourage facilitators to use seasonal ingredients, recipes and taste tests vary depending on the time of year.
- Yogurt Parfaits
- Hummus & Veggie Wraps
- Pita Pizzas
- Persimmon & Spinach Salad
- Quinoa Veggie Salad
- Black Bean Salad
- Oat Bran Banana Muffins
- Tofu Berry Smoothies
- Tabouleh
- Avocado & Orange Soup
- Curried Waldorf Salad
- Spicy Sweet Potato & Apple Soup
- Salsa Two Ways
- Green Smoothies
- Fenugreek & Tofu Soup