Youth Nutrition and Gardening Initiative Spring CurriculumKeshav RaoStanford University

Overview

Integrated 6 class curriculum covering: Key nutritional concepts (40 min/class)

Gardening experiences (20 min/class)

Healthy recipes and cooking demonstrations (20 min/class)

Target Audience: East Palo Alto students in the 4th Grade – 8th Grade

Weekly classes will be offered at the Ecumenical Hunger Program in EPA

Table of ContentsNutrition Gardening Recipes

Module 1 Intro to Healthy Eating and Gardening

Planning “Pizza Garden” and Mini-Greenhouse Seed Trays

Yogurt Parfait with granola and fruit

Module 2 Dangers of Added Fats and Sugars

Setting up the “Pizza Garden”

Chicken Fingers

Module 3 Fruits & Veggies: Key Sources of Vitamins

Placing & Installing the Plants

Fruit Smoothies

Module 4 Grains & Proteins Create Your Own Compost

Fritatta

Module 5 Portion Control & Healthy Snacking

Maintaining & Growing the Garden

Hummus

Module 6 Eating Healthy When Eating Out

Harvesting & Transplanting Seedlings to Garden

Garden Pizza

Module 1 Introduction of Healthy Eating and Gardening

Classroom MaterialConcept of Energy Balance

“Go, Slow, Whoa” Foods

How to read nutrition labels

Gardening MaterialReview edible parts of plants

Decide on what seeds to plant for “Pizza Garden”

Plant seeds in mini-greenhouse tray

Healthy Recipe: Yogurt Parfait with granola and fruit

Energy Balance

Weight Gain:

ENERGY IN (Calories consumed) > ENERGY OUT (Calories burned)

Same Weight:

ENERGY IN (Calories consumed) = ENERGY OUT (Calories burned)

Weight Loss:

Energy IN (Calories consumed) < Energy Out (Calories burned)

Activity: Given a one day sample diet and an estimate of calories burned, determine if the individual is gaining or losing weight

Go, Slow, Whoa! Review foods that kids can always eat (Go), sometimes eat (Slow), and rarely eat (Whoa)

Discuss the significant differences in calories, added sugars, and fats

Discuss recommended serving sizes for each type of major food group (based on USDA estimates)

Activity: Use American Heart Association age-specific caloric requirement chart to help students craft sample, healthy diets using a combination of Go, Slow, and Whoa foods.

Source: NIH (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

How to Read Nutrition Labels

Discuss serving sizes

Limit saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium

Get enough of potassium, fiber, vitamins A & C, calcium, and iron

Use the Percent Daily Value (% DV) column when possible; 5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high

Activity: Read the nutritional labels for Cheetos. Ask the students to discuss why Cheetos are a “whoa” food.

Source: NIH (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Gardening Material (1)

Review edible parts of plants

Roots Stems Leaves Fruits Flowers Seeds 

Beets Asparagus Cabbage Apple Artichoke Beans

Carrots Celery Chard Avocado Broccoli Chocolate

Jicama (tuber)

Garlic (bulb)

Herbs Banana Cauliflower Corn

Parsnips Kohlrabi Lettuce Cucumbers Nasturtium Nuts

Potato (tuber)

Onion (bulb)

Spinach Eggplant Violets Peas

Radishes Turnips Bell Pepper Rice  

Squash Wheat  

Strawberry  

Source: Nutrition to Grow on Curriculum

Gardening Material (2)

Discuss “Pizza Garden” with students and choose from the following toppings (seeds to plant)

Tomato

Bell pepper

Onions

Eggplant

Rosemary

Basil

Oregano

Parsley

Source: HGTV

Gardening Material (3) Activity 1: Plant seeds in mini-greenhouse tray

Filling cells loosely with soil, planting at the appropriate depth, watering seeds, etc.

Have students draw predictions of plant growth from seeds

Source: Nutrition to Grow on Curriculum

Healthy Recipe: Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients ½ cup granola, low-fat

¾ cup (6-oz container) vanilla or plain yogurt, low-fat

½ cup fresh blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries or bananas

Set-up/Prep: Have students construct a healthy parfait by combining granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit

Key Nutritional Information: Serving Size: 1 ¾ cups

15 g protein, 6 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 35% DV calcium, 20% DV Vitamin C

Source: Kidshealth.org

Module 2

Dangers of Added Sugars and Fats

Classroom Material Fats: Functions and Types

Moderation of Fats

Case Study: Nutritional Differences in Milk

Added Sugar: Rethink Your Drink

Gardening MaterialSetting up the “Pizza Garden”

Healthy Recipe: Chicken Fingers

Fats: Functions and TypesRole of Fats

Most concentrated source of energy (2x kcal of proteins, carbs)

Necessary for growth, healthy skin, and metabolism

But excess fats lead to higher cholesterol and risk of heart disease, as well as other conditionsType of Fat Food Source Impact

Unsaturated Fats Olives, Nuts, Avocados, Olive oil, Corn, Sesame

Lower cholesterol

Omega-3-Fatty-Acids

Cold-water fish, flaxseed, soy

Lower risk for heart attack, improve immune system

Saturated Fats Meat, butter, cheese, most milk

Increase cholesterol, raise risk of heart disease and other conditions

Transfat Margarine, hydrogenated oils, packaged/fried foods

Source: Kidshealth.org

Moderation of FatsRule of thumb: 30% of calories should be from fat

Sample Meal:

Two slices of bread = 13% fat (30 of 230 calories from fat)

Two tablespoons of peanut butter = 75% fat (140 of 190 calories from fat)

One tablespoon of jelly = 0% fat (0 of 50 calories from fat)

One cup of 1% milk = 18 % (20 of 110 calories from fat)

Apple = 0% (0 of 80 calories from fat)

Total = 29% fat (190 of 660 calories from fat)

Activity: Ask students to recall their lunch and identify the approx. percentage of calories from fat

Source: Kidshealth.org

Rethinking MilkType of Milk Calories Total Fat

(g)Protein (g)

Calcium (% DV)

Fat Free Milk 90 0 9 30%

1% Low-fat Milk 120 2.5 11 35%

2% Reduced Fat Milk

130 5 10 30%

Whole Milk 160 9 8 25%

• Activity: Ask students to sample different types of milk. Show them that 3 glasses of low-fat milk would still have less total fat than one glass of whole milk, while having over 4x the protein and calcium.

Source: California WIC

Added Sugars: Rethink Your Drink

 Type of Beverage Calories in 12 ounces

Calories in 20 ounces

Fruit punch 192 320

100% apple juice 192 300

100% orange juice 168 280

Lemonade 168 280

Regular lemon/lime soda 148 247

Regular cola 136 227

Sweetened lemon iced tea 135 225

Tonic water 124 207

Regular ginger ale 124 207

Sports drink 99 165

Unsweetened iced tea 2 3

Diet soda (with aspartame) 0 0

Water 0 0

Source: Centers for Disease Control

Gardening MaterialActivity: Preparing the Pizza Garden

Choose the size and location of the bed

Ensure maximum sun exposure

Create a circular bed with enough room for individual plants to grow based on requirements

Prepare the soil Remove weeds

Add in composted material to create a nutrient-rich growing environment

Install the edging Plastic edge for outer circle, with wooden dividers for individual “slices” or growing areas

Source: HGTV

Healthy Recipe: Chicken Fingers

Ingredients: 1 4-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, rinsed, patted dry, and sliced into strips or 4 1-oz boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute or ¼ cup skim milk

1/3 cup cereal flakes, crushed (preferably cereal with 3g or more of fiber per serving)

Set-up/Prep: Preheat oven to 350º F (176º C).

Dip chicken strips into egg, egg substitute, or skim milk.

Roll dipped chicken in high-fiber cereal to coat.

Place coated strips on nonstick baking sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, turning after 9 minutes, until chicken is done (it must be white, not pink, inside).

Key Nutritional Info: Serving size: 1 tender

227 calories, 30 g protein, 3 g fat, 0.8 g sat. fatSource: kidshealth.org

Module 3

Fruits & Vegetables: Key Sources of Vitamins

Classroom MaterialFruits and Veggies: Student Recognition and Initial Preferences

Nutritional Information and Serving Sizes

Gardening MaterialPlacing the plants

Installing the plants

Healthy Recipe: Mango & Banana Smoothie

Fruits and Veggies: Student Recognition and Initial Preferences

Activity: Ask students to list fruits and veggies that they know. Fill in responses that were not discussed in class to get a complete list.

Then have each student rate how much they like each fruit/vegetable on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest)

Finally, ask each student how often they eat major fruits and vegetables on a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always)

California WIC and FDA Nutritional Estimates

Fruits and Veggies: Nutritional Information and Serving Sizes

Activity: Ask students to write down all fruits they ate in the last 24 hours with approx. serving sizes

Hand out the color cards that correspond with fruits and veggies eaten by the students.

Review the nutritional benefits from each group, show the importance of eating fruits of different colors, and go through proper serving sizes

Activity: Have students identify best sources of Vitamin A, C, Potassium, etc. based on FDA estimates

Source: FDA Nutrition Information

Gardening Material (1)Activity: Placing the Plants

The tomato plants should have an entire “slice”, while up to three other plants can share a section

Source: HGTV

Gardening Material (2)Activity: Installing the Plants

With one hand, gently grasp the main stems of each plant, and with the other hand, tip the container upside down and gently squeeze or shake the container (Image 1) until the plant is released.

If the plant is root-bound, gently tease the outer roots apart (Image 2)

Plant the transplants at the same depth as they were in their containers, and firm the soil around the roots. Top-dress each plant with a handful or two of compost (Image 3).

Note: Plant tomatoes a little deeper than they were in the pot / bend and bury part of the stem for “trenching”

Source: HGTV Pizza Garden Guide

Healthy Recipe: Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients 2 cups 1% milk

1 fresh pitted mango

1 small banana

2 ice cubes

Set-up/Prep Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until foamy. Kids can add more fruit and/or vegetables.

Key Nutritional Information:Serving Size: ¾ Cup

106 Calories, 2 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 157 mg calcium

Source: Delicious Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes

Module 4

Grains & Proteins

Classroom MaterialWhy whole grains?

Sources and key nutrients

Importance of proteins and natural sources

Proteins: Daily Requirements and Dietary Recommendations

Gardening Material Create Your Own Compost

Healthy Recipe: Fritatta

Why Whole Grains?Whole grains retain the fiber rich bran, the heart healthy germ, and the starchy endosperm while other grains only keep the endosperm after processing

Source: Whole Foods Market

Whole Grains: Sources and Key Nutrients

Types of whole grains include:Brown Rice Barley Whole wheat bread/tortillasOatmeal

Health Benefits: Great source of fiber & vitamins, can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer

Goal: 50% of all grains should be whole

Activity: Teach students how to identify whole grain tortillas, breads, and cereals (cheerios vs. cornflakes) based on ingredients (WIC)

Source: California WIC

Proteins: Importance and Sources

Activity: Ask students to describe the importance of proteins as well as key sources in our diet

Role of Proteins: Supply the amino acid building blocks our cells need for growth, development, and other processes

Primary Sources:

Meats, poultry, and fish

Legumes (dry beans and peas)

Tofu, nuts, grains

Milk and milk products

Proteins: Daily Requirements and Recommendations

Most individuals easily reach target levels, but need to make lower-fat protein choices

Choose lean poultry & fish, trim excess fat, remove skinSubstitute pinto or black beans for meat in chili and tacos. Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, cheese

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein

Age Group Grams of protein (daily)

Children ages 1 – 3 13

Children ages 4 – 8 19

Children ages 9 – 13 34

Girls ages 14 – 18 46

Boys ages 14 – 18 52

Source: CDC

Gardening MaterialReview significance of composting to build nutrient rich soil

Activity: Create Your Own Compost Take a 2-liter plastic soda bottle, cut its top off, and remove all labels. Poke holes around the middle section (to provide air to worms) and the bottom (to allow for drainage).

Place approximately 1 to 2 inches of moist, shredded newspaper in the bottle. Then place 1 to 2 inches of shredded lettuce on top of the newspaper. Continue alternating the layers until you reach the top of the bottle. Don’t pack the layers down or make the bedding too wet.

Add 10 to 12 red worms on top. Wrap black construction paper around the bottle and tape the ends together to form a tube that can be slipped on and off for viewing purposes.

Cover the top of the bottle with dark cloth and secure it with a rubber band to prevent light and flies from entering the compost.

Place the worm bottle on a tray for drainage purposes.

Add new food every three to four days and cover with more shredded newspaper. Spray to keep moist. You can add fruit and vegetable peels as well, but do not add foot faster than the worms can digest.

Add the compost/worm castings to the garden after a month or two. Lightly sprinkle them in the holes in which seeds are to be planted or around the new seedlings. Remember to replenish the worm bottle to keep the cycle going.

Source: Nutrition to Grow On Curriculum

Healthy Recipe: Frittata

Source: Edible Schoolyard Project

Module 5

Portion Control & Healthy Snacking

Classroom MaterialPortion Control: Survey

What are appropriate portions for various foods?

Guide to Healthy Snacking

Build Your Own Healthy Snacks

Gardening MaterialMaintaining and Growing the Garden

Healthy Recipe: Hummus

Portion Control: Opening Survey1. How often do you Value-size, Supersize, Mega-size or “whatever-size” your burgers, sodas or fries?

a) Always

b) Sometimes

c) Never

2. When you eat a packaged snack or dessert (like chips, crackers, cookies, or ice cream) do you usually:

d) Take out what you want and then put the package away

e) Take out what you want, but leave the package out, in case you want more.

f) Eat straight out of the package, sometimes until nothing is left.

3. How often do you read the label on food packages to see what the serving size is?

g) Usually

h) Sometimes

i) Never

4. How often do you check the label to see how many calories are in a serving”?

j) Usually

k) Sometimes

l) Never

5. When you go to the movies, what size popcorn do you get?

m) The biggest tub they have

n) Medium size

o) Smallest

p) Don’t buy food at the movies Source: Texas WIC Portion Control Lessons

Appropriate Portion Sizes

“Eating with Our Eyes” leads to excess calories

Demonstration 1: Ask students to pour recommended serving size of juice (4-6 oz) into a pitcher and see how close they come

Demonstration 2: Ask students to make a PB&J sandwich with only 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (normal serving) and ask them to compare to their usual portion

Demonstration 3: Ask students to look at different tortilla sizes. Compare calories between tortillas (including whole grain options) and encourage students to eat smaller tortillas

Demonstration 4: Ask students how many serving sizes are in microwavable popcorn bags (2.5). Show how this compares to the whole bag of popcorn, which people eat individually

Activity: Have students select one area to improve portion sizes

Source: Texas WIC

Guide to Healthy Snacking

Snacks are small meals that should add vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients with a low amount of added fat and sugar

Activity: Ask students what their favorite snacks are, how often they eat them, and if they are healthy/unhealthy. Review the table below for more comprehensive list of healthy and unhealthy snacks

Healthy Snacks Unhealthy Snacks

Yogurt (high in calcium) French fries (high fat, high salt)

Fruits (Vitamins A & C, fiber) Twinkie (high sugar, high fat)

Cheese (high calcium) Sunny delight (high sugar)

WIC Cereal (low sugar, low fat) Cookies (high fat, high sugar)

Vegetables (low in sugar, low fat, high fiber, vitamins A, C, folic acid)

Nuts (low sugar, high protein, vitamins and minerals)

Hard boiled eggs (low sugar, high protein, vitamins and minerals)

Source: California WIC

Building Healthy, Tasty Snacks

Activity: Have students work together to make healthy and tasty snacks from different combinations of food groups

Meat Group (for growth)

Hardboiled eggLeftover meatChicken legPeanut butterNuts or seedsTofuBeans

Milk Group (for bones and teeth)

MilkCheese SlicesCheese SticksCottage CheeseYogurt Soy Milk

Grain Group (for energy)

PretzelsCheeriosKix cerealsBagelsRice cakesGraham CrackersTortillasBread, various kindsPopcorn, plain

Fruits and Vegetables(for vitality)

Fresh Fruit slices-Apple, Orange, melon Banana, Pear, grapesCanned fruit., applesauceStrawberriesSteamed cold vegetables-broccoli, cauliflowerFresh celery sticksFresh vegies-celery sticks, cucumber, snow peas, carrotsCherry tomatoes Frozen juice sticksJuice- fruit and tomato

Source: Snacks Count Pictures by Food Group (California WIC)

Gardening MaterialActivity: Maintaining & Growing the Garden

Water the plants properly Tomatoes need more water than the other plants, followed by basil and peppers; rosemary and thyme will need less water

Adding fertilizerDiluted liquid fish emulsion to replace soil nutrients

Remove weedsStudents should actively look for harmful weeds

Support tomatoes Tie plant stem to cage or wooden stake as it growsSource: Nutrition to Grow On, HGTV

Healthy Recipe: Hummus

Ingredients: 2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drainer

1/3 cup tahini, ¼ cup lemon juice

1 tsp salt, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil

1 pinch paprika, 1 tsp fresh parsley

Set-up/Prep: Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley

Key Nutrition Info: Serving Size: 1/16 of recipe

77 calories, 4.3 g fat, 0.6 g sat fat, 5% DV protein, 12% DV folate

Source: Eatingwell.com

Module 6

Eating healthy when eating out

Classroom Material How bad is fast food?

Checklist for Eating Healthy Away from Home

Gardening Material Harvesting & Transplanting Seedlings

Healthy Recipe: Garden Pizza

How bad is fast food?

Activity: Ask students where they get fast food, how often they go, and what they typically order

Show students that there are 16 sugar cubes in a “small” 20 oz. soda

Show students that a Big Mac has 6 teaspoons of shortening fat (30 g total)

Source: Texas WIC

Eat Healthy Away from Home

Do

Order a kids meal

Share a meal with friends/family

Ask for no mayo, dressing on the side

Pack up half of a lunch/dinner in a to-go box before even starting the meal

Ask if you could get the lunch-sized portion of dinner dishes

Don’t

Supersize your meals unless you plan to share

Order the largest size of drinks or main courses

Go to all-you-can-eat buffetsSource: Texas WIC

Gardening MaterialActivity:

For the final lesson, students should gather whatever vegetables and herbs are ready to be harvested

They also should transplant seedlings from the greenhouse trays to garden plots in preparation for the next cycle

Healthy Recipe: Garden PizzaIngredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste

8 fresh basil leaves, 2 tsp fresh oregano

¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, yellow cornmeal dusting

1 pound Easy Whole-Wheat dough

4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

4 baby zucchinis, 1 medium yellow bell pepper

Set-up/PrepPlace a pizza stone on the lowest rack; preheat oven to 450°F for at least 20 minutes

Roll out the dough and place on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or inverted baking sheet, using enough cornmeal so that the dough slides easily

.Slide the dough onto the preheated stone and cook until the bottom begins to crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the crust, making sure the underside is covered with cornmeal

Quickly add the toppings and slide the pizza back onto the stone. Continue baking until the toppings are hot and the bottom of the crust has browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

Key Nutritional Information:375 calories; 9 g fat (5 g sat, 1 g mono ); 26 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 8 g fiber; 531 mg sodium; Source:

Eatingwell,com

Key SourcesAHA Caloric/Dietary Requirements Table for Children and Adolescents: www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Dietary-Recommendations-for-Healthy-Children_UCM_303886_Article.jsp

California WIC: www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/wicworks/Pages/WICEducationMaterialsHealthyEating.aspx

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Nutrition: www.cdc.gov/nutrition/

Delicious Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes : www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/sp_recip.pdf

Edible Schoolyard Project: www.edibleschoolyard.org

FDA Nutritional Labeling: www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/

HGTV: www.hgtv.com/gardening/how-to-plant-a-pizza-garden/

Kids Health: www.KidsHealth.org

NIH (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute): www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/

Nutrition to Grow On: www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/he/nrttogrow.asp

Texas WIC: www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/nut/gnlessons-nut.shtm