Contributed to by: Ambriale Davis
This week Fort Worth’s own Cowtown Marathon held a kid’s cooking demo as a part of their summer camp. The elementary age kids from surrounding schools showed an obvious knowledge of healthful eating, portion sizes, and negative health outcomes of poor eating choices. MyPlate from United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) was used as a template for what comprises a healthful meal. The first food group the camp went over was dairy. Props were used to show the differences in fat percentages amongst the different types of milk as well as how to balance between healthful choices like 2% milk and their personal favorite sweets like chocolate milk. Protein was the next group looked at on the plate where the kids were taught about plant based protein alternatives such as vegetables and beans. However, when using meat protein, it was emphasized to choose options with less fat such as fish and poultry as well as preparing and cooking them in healthful ways. This avoids the intake of saturated fats, which can accumulate and harden in the arteries over time leading to a heart attack or stroke. Next, the group went over grains and whole grains. Here the kids were taught how to incorporate grains into their diets via sandwiches, burgers, and snacks like popcorn. The last food group was fruit. The kids took turns yelling out their favorite fruits before the fruit based activity that took place at the end of the demonstration. Each kid got a plate of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapples, lettuce and carrots, so they could create their own fruit masterpieces before diving into a delicious mid-day snack.
For more infor on the CALF Program, contact Traci Cottrell at traci@cowtownmarathon.org
