Nutrition

	Confronting Obesity Recently fourth graders at PS 246 in the Bronx raised $227 to donate to a local children's hospital by selling healthy snacks, including fruit smoothies and apples-and-cheese, to kids and parents after school. The fourth graders, whose after-school program is operated by Good Shepherd Services, have been learning about the childhood obesity epidemic in communities like theirs. Through their involvement in an after-school initiative called Building Healthy Communities, they've also been strategizing about how to serve their communities with the goal of promoting good health. These fourth graders educated their classmates on nutrition facts, shopped for and served snacks and, at the end of their sale, even tidied up the cafeteria.

Childhood overweight and obesity in the U.S. has grown to epidemic proportions, partly as a result of the high-fat American diet. In New York City, one quarter of elementary school children are obese, and more than one in four are overweight. In TASC after-school programs, kids build their enjoyment and appreciation of whole foods through the fascinating process of preparing, serving and eating new dishes.

Research shows that children need to be exposed to unfamiliar foods many times to change their behaviors and attitude toward those foods. Kids in cooking programs:

• Spend up to a full school year cooking and eating dishes they make with fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Invite their families to special events where they share the dishes they've cooked
• Publish healthy recipes as family keepsakes
• Visit local farms and greenmarkets to get close to the source of fresh foods

After-School CookShop® Program
FoodChange, a nonprofit organization that works to make healthy eating a reality for all New Yorkers, created the CookShop program for elementary-aged kids. CookShop, which is offered by many TASC programs, gives kids ways to explore plant-based foods and create nutritious, delicious dishes.

CookShop provides programs with pots, pans, kitchen supplies and such wholesome and minimally processed foods as fruits and vegetables from local farms. After-school staff members are trained to use the CookShop curriculum. To extend healthy cooking ideas to their families and friends, children take home newsletters, recipes, and other informational tools. Kids are encouraged to reinforce their new skills and involve their families in healthy eating by cooking at home. The CookShop program's evaluation data shows that kids who participate increase their consumption of whole foods and change the way they think about these foods.