Dietetics, nutrition students teach local children about healthy eating

An estimated one third of all children in the United States are overweight or obese. While the obesity rate is possibly stabilizing, it is still alarmingly high, with more than 17 percent of children considered clinically obese. 

One way to help combat this issue is through nutrition education. Unfortunately, many individuals and families do not receive formal or informal nutritional guidance.

To help raise nutrition awareness, more than 40 dietetics and nutrition students in FIU's Student Dietetic Association (SDA) partnered with Common Threads, a national nonprofit that offers nutrition education, afterschool cooking programs and parent and educator engagement programs. The organization teaches children and adults how to choose, prepare and enjoy healthy food at home, empowering them to become lifelong cookers and to share the family table.  

Trained as Common Threads “Healthy Teachers,” the students recently taught kids in summer camps about making healthier food choices through fun, hands-on lessons that include simple, child-friendly cooking lessons and tips.

“We know that healthy, balanced meals and snacks are the key to weight control. Making healthy choices can seem overwhelming or even confusing for many families on the go but with the right advice, it can be made simpler. Small modifications at each meal can come together to make a big difference and that is something that we hope to teach,” said Tania Rivera, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition and advisor to SDA. “This project was a great learning experience that was mutually beneficial to both the participants and the students.“

This is the second year that SDA has partnered with Common Threads on the project. The program nearly doubled, with more than 1,000 students learning the basics of nutrition.

"Our hope is that teaching children how to snack better and eat better will have a lifelong impact on their health,” said Alexander Gonzalez, former SDA president and coordinator of the project.

In partnership with Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation and the City of Miami Parks & Recreation Departments, Common Threads and the SDA students taught cooking lessons over the course of eight weeks to children at nearly 40 parks in the county. The lessons were each paired with a nutritional lesson to explain how the snack fit into a greater context of healthy eating. Lessons included: healthy trail mix paired with a lesson on the importance of eating a healthy plate with all food groups; mango lime parfait with plain nonfat yogurt paired with a lesson on how to read food labels; and whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter and banana slices paired with a lesson on the difference between whole and refined grains.

“We value our partnership with FIU’s Student Dietetic Association tremendously. Over the past two years, we have been blown away by the dietetic and nutrition students’ passion and commitment in bringing valuable and meaningful nutrition education and awareness to the families and children we serve,” said Mimi Chacin, program coordinator at Common Threads. “We could not have had the impact across the county this summer without the support of this team of hard-working young professionals, and we look forward to many more opportunities to partner with students at FIU’s Stemple College and the SDA”.

Many of the children who took part in the program come from under-resourced neighborhoods, where obesity is statistically more prevalent and nutrition education is most needed.  At the end of the lessons, the children went home with recipe cards to continue practicing at home.

“Good nutritional knowledge can save you money on your grocery bill but, more importantly, on your future health care bills. Starting when they're children gives them a world of opportunity and can make them a change agent for their families and communities,” Gonzalez added. 

SDA members hope to continue the partnership next year and possibly expand the program to more FIU students.