Nutrition Education
Community Nutrition Engagement Program
In recognition of the intimate relationship between a child’s nutrition and their development, Hays County Food Bank’s Community Nutrition Engagement Program aims to fight hunger through dietary and nutritional awareness. In collaboration with local schools and school programs targeting children, the Community Nutrition Engagement Program will employ several different teaching tools to enrich the lives of young individuals, their families and the communities in which they live.
A trained nutrition professional will provide a 1-hour program, which includes a nutrition lesson geared towards children, an interactive game to help solidify the lesson’s concepts, and a food demonstration and tasting of a healthy, low-cost snack.
6 OR 12 Session Program
- Food groups and serving sizes
- Colorful fruits and vegetables
- Importance of protein
- Good fats v. bad fats
- What makes a grain whole
- Dairy and healthy bones
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Limiting sugars
- Limiting salts
- Reading a food label
- Making healthy snack choices
- Importance of breakfast
Kids Cooking Club
An interactive cooking class for kids. Personally execute a budget friendly and healthy recipe! Eat the meal you cook with other participants. Kids will be exposed to nutritious foods with a variety of textures and flavors and learn:
Once a week for a semester
- Kitchen Safety
- Knife Skills
- How to Read a Recipe
- Measuring Techniques
- Methods of Cooking
Food Wise Cooking Class
Food-Wise is a hands-on nutrition cooking class for families that includes both children and adults. This class focuses on the nutrient value of individual fruits and vegetables in a hands-on environment to demonstrate how to cook the particular fruits and vegetables being featured. We use fresh, seasonal items in this class. We also use this class to teach families and individuals how to use the foods they receive from the food bank in a healthy way. For example, we suggest trying black bean burgers instead of regular hamburgers. Food-Wise is three times a month for families and individuals.
Senior Nutrition and Wellness Program
A trained nutrition professional provides a 1-hour program, which includes a stretching session, a nutrition lesson geared towards seniors, and a food demonstration and tasting of a healthy, low-cost recipe, which the participant gets to take home with them for future use.
6 OR 12 Session Program
- Blood pressure and salt
- Diabetes and managing blood sugar
- Diet and bone health
- Immune boosting foods
- Importance of fiber
- Portion control
- Limiting Cholesterol
- Boosting energy and metabolism
- Anti-inflammatory foods
- Preventing dehydration
- Kidney health
- Stretching your food dollar
If you would like to schedule a class or find out more information about our Nutrition Education program please contact programs@haysfoodbank.org.