GBFB Registered Dietitians Hold Health Fair for Children

On August 1, GBFB Registered Dietitians and staff members traveled to Camp Welch in Assonet, Massachusetts to put on a nutrition fair for children from the Boys & Girls Club of Fall River. Many of these children are also part of the Kids Cafe program, which provides nutritious meals for disadvantaged children five days per week. During the summer when school is out, the children go to Camp Welch to partake in outdoor activities. “We are so pleased to partner with Fall River Boys and Girls Club for our annual nutrition fair, which builds upon the nutrition education these children receive through the Kids Cafe program and our Fall River Mobile Market,” said Kendra Bird, GBFB Nutrition Director. “Our goal is to reinforce the importance of nutrition with the children in hopes that they bring the conversation home and help make well informed decisions at the grocery store.” This was the third annual nutrition fair done in partnership with Boys and Girls Club of Fall River. Throughout the day, children had the opportunity to learn about healthy eating at the following fun stations:

• Fruit and Vegetable Rainbow – Children learned about the benefits of different colored fruits and vegetables and had the opportunity to taste test them
• MyPlate, Your Plate – GBFB Dietitians taught campers how to build a healthy meal, using the USDA MyPlate tool and food models. The children used this visual cue to draw on a paper plate what they would want to eat at home.
• Whole Grains Detective – After an educational piece about how to identify a whole grain product, children looked through several food boxes to “find” the whole grain items.  They also all received a whole grain snack to take home.
• Hydration Station – In order to encourage a healthy alternative to sugar sweetened beverages, campers created their own flavored waters using fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise Dice – Children learned new exercises by rolling interactive fitness dice and participated in toe-touches, push-ups, leg lifts, and other activities, according to the number of repetitions rolled on the dice.

In total, 250 children, ages 7-13, attended the nutrition fair. If you would like to help support the Kids Cafe program, click here.