Author Archives: Hollis Bass

Celebrate MyPlate This Summer

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June 2nd is MyPlate’s 11th birthday! Celebrate with these 11 tips for teaching with MyPlate, using materials from NutritionEducationStore.com and MyPlate.gov:

  1. First stop: Look at all the items available in our MyPlate theme. Whether you’re planning a booth at a health fair or decorating a bulletin board, you’re sure to find something inspiring here.
  2. Make it your own: Everyone’s MyPlate doesn’t have to look the same! Give your audience the MyPlate Quiz to assess current eating patterns and identify healthy eating interests.
    • Each person who completes the quiz receives a snapshot of how they’re doing on the food groups, along with personalized resources and tip sheets.
    • Users can also sync their quiz results in the free Start Simple with MyPlate app and set food group goals based on those results.
  3. MyPlate 101: Offer a class on MyPlate. We’ve done the work for you with our MyPlate PowerPoint lesson, which includes three different presentations with handouts:
    • MyPlate for Adults
    • MyPlate Express
    • MyPlate for Kids
  4. Go social: Let your friends and followers know it’s MyPlate’s birthday. Encourage them to share their favorite summertime meals, nutrition tips, or activities using #MyPlateBirthday.
  5. Make it fun: Everyone will learn about MyPlate AND have fun playing ourMyPlate Trivia Game or MyPlate Bingo.
  6. Earn the badge: MyPlate’s Birthday App Challenge runs from June 1 through June 30, 2022. Achieve 11 food group goals to earn the 11th birthday badge!
  7. MiPlato: Distribute these color handouts that come in English and Spanish:
  8. Ask Alexa: MyPlate is now an Alexa skill!
  9. Wear the MyPlate message: Give out our MyPlate (or MiPlato) wristbands.
  10. Get cooking: Find healthy, delicious recipes online in the MyPlate Kitchen.
  11. Eat with your eyes: Take MyPlate further by using MyPlate Food Photos to show real, healthy, mouthwatering foods that go on real plates.

Find more ways to celebrate MyPlate’s 11th birthday here.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

My Plate Kids Banner - Health Fair Banner Featuring Choose MyPlate 48X36 - Nutrition Education Store

My Plate Kids Banner - Health Fair Banner Featuring Choose MyPlate 48X36

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Show Off Fruits & Veggies

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‘Tis the season for fresh fruits and vegetables and we have a beautiful new poster that shows them off. Take a look at the I Heart Fruits & Veggies poster:

I Heart Fruits and Veggies Poster - Photo Heart - NEW - 18" x 24" Laminated Food Art Nutrition Health Poster - Nutrition Education Store

I Heart Fruits and Veggies Poster - Photo Heart - NEW - 18" x 24" Laminated Food Art Nutrition Health Poster

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Here are some ways to use this bright, eye-catching poster in your nutrition and health education:

  • With younger children:
    • Ask questions…
      • What colors do you see?
      • Can you count the fruits and veggies?
      • Can you name them?
      • Which ones do you eat?
      • Which ones have you never tried before?
    • Do a hands-on activity with a fruit or veggie that’s in season: look, touch, smell, taste.
    • Have a fruit & vegetable story time: here are some children’s book suggestions from University of Nevada Extension.
  • With teens and adults:
    • Ask questions…
      • How many of these fruits/veggies can you name?
      • Which ones have you tried?
      • Which ones do you like?
      • How do you prepare them?
      • Are there any that you’ve never tried?
      • Any you’ve never seen?
  • Alongside these nutrition education topics and activities:

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

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Time for a Hand Hygiene Refresher?

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Are you washing your hands as often as you were two years ago? Singing the birthday song twice to make sure you wash for 20 seconds? Using hand sanitizer when you can’t wash?

Many of us have let our pre-COVID handwashing habits (or lack thereof) sneak back in. But handwashing is still important.

According to the CDC, handwashing education can reduce:

  • Diarrheal illnesses
  • Respiratory illnesses
  • Absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in schoolchildren

Our Handwashing poster is an easy way to remind people to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. Here are some activity ideas to go along with it:

  1. Play a handwashing video from the selection available on CDC’s website.
    • The collection includes videos in Spanish and American Sign Language, as well as special videos for kids.
  2. Post handwashing reminders on social media.
  3. Conduct a handwashing experiment:
  4. Remind your audience to pick a 20 second song they can sing while they wash:

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Handwashing Poster - 12" x 18" - Laminated Poster - Health Poster - Nutrition Education Store

Handwashing Poster - 12" x 18" - Laminated Poster - Health Poster

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Bulletin Boards for Spring

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Are you ready for spring? The flowers are starting to bloom, farmer’s markets are opening back up, and people are getting outside more.

Bring the freshness of spring into your office, classroom, or cafeteria with a new bulletin board display. It’s an easy way to brighten up any space, while also teaching positive, memorable healthy eating messages.

We have a full collection of bulletin board materials. Here are some of my favorites for spring:

  1. The Art of Health bulletin board banner with handouts reminds you to slow down and really look at the visual appeal and beauty of healthy food. After all, you eat with your eyes first, right?
  2. The MyPlate bulletin board kit for adults or kids gets back to basics by showing you how to make a healthy plate for every meal.
  3. The Spring Season bulletin board banner reminds you to head to the farmer’s market to try all the spring fruits and veggies that are being harvested in your area.
  4. The Focus on Fruits bulletin board kit shows off brightly colored fruits and teaches serving sizes for fresh fruit, dried fruit, and fruit juice. The kit comes with handouts on how to make a smoothie, fruit and yogurt snack recipes, and how to make a watermelon cake.
  5. The Vary Your Veggies bulletin board kit advertises a bounty of beautiful vegetables while also teaching serving sizes. Handouts include how to steam veggies, a garden salad recipe, and a winter soup recipe.

No matter how you decide to brighten up your space, you can’t go wrong with the colors of spring!

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Spring Season Bulletin Board Banner 24" x 24" Square Banner for Bulletin Boards, Walls, and More - Nutrition Education Store

Spring Season Bulletin Board Banner 24" x 24" Square Banner for Bulletin Boards, Walls, and More

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Spice it Up with Salsa

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May is National Salsa Month! Have some fun promoting this fresh, healthy food that’s versatile, easy to make, and loved by kids and adults.

Our Salsa Wellness Fair Kit has everything you need to celebrate Salsa Month in the office, cafeteria, classroom, farmer’s market, or other location:

  • Poster: Dance with Your Veggies They are Great at the Salsa
  • Mylar balloons: happy cartoon green pepper, tomato, and carrot
  • Copy-ready handouts
  • Guide for wellness fair setup and activities
  • Instructions for making an eye-catching salsa bulletin board

Here are some other ways to celebrate salsa any time of year:

  • Hold a virtual or in-person cooking demo showing how to prepare several types of salsa
  • Invite social media friends and followers to make their favorite salsa and post a picture
  • Challenge your students to create their own salsa using a special ingredient, like pineapple, beans, or avocado
  • Talk about ways to increase the heat by using different peppers
  • Ask a salsa dance teacher to come in to teach some moves
  • Remind everyone that salsa goes with more than just chips – explore fresh veggies to dip into salsa as well as entrees and side dishes that are enhanced by salsa
  • Make a salsa bulletin board with recipes people can take with them

And don’t forget the salsa music! Make a playlist and use your phone, laptop, or iPad.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

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The Many Layers of Health Literacy

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With all the health and nutrition mis-information out there, health literacy is an important topic to cover with your clients, students, and employees.

But where to start? Because once you begin looking at health literacy, you see that it’s more than fighting fake health news.

Like an onion, health literacy has many layers. Let’s peel them back!

Mis-information:

From fad diets to cancer cures, dietitians and other health professionals deal with mis-information constantly. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could teach everyone how to spot quackery and where to find credible information? Our Health Literacy PowerPoint show helps you do just that! It’s appropriate for virtually all audiences, from teens to older adults.

Health decisions:

Health literacy also includes being able to use information to make health-related decisions. That’s why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services created a National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. It focuses on two core principles:

  • Personal health literacy: All people have the right to health information that helps them make informed decisions
  • Organizational health literacy: Health services should be delivered in ways that are easy to understand and that improve health, longevity, and quality of life

Health equity:

Healthy People 2030 focuses on health literacy through the initiative’s goal to eliminate health disparities, achieve health equity, and attain health literacy to improve the health and well-being of all.

According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, low health literacy is more prevalent among:

  • Older adults
  • Minority populations
  • Individuals with low-incomes
  • Medically under-served people

Health economics:

Low health literacy leads to higher medical costs. According to the CDC, improving health literacy could prevent nearly one million hospital visits and save more than $25 billion a year.

Literacy vs. health literacy:

In addition to being aware of health literacy, you need consider that as many as half of U.S. adults have limited literacy skills (source). Reaching both populations means keeping health messages basic and free of medical jargon. Two resources for this are:

Health literacy and mis-information came to the forefront during the coronavirus pandemic. This resulted in another good resource: Confronting Health Misinformation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment. Take a look at the chapters on what educators and health professionals can do.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

 

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Resources for Every Kid Healthy Week

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This year’s Every Kid Healthy™ Week is April 25-29. Are you ready?

Every Kid Healthy Week celebrates school health and wellness achievements. Each day of the week spotlights actions schools and families are taking to improve the health and wellness of their kids.

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) provides plenty of ideas and activities for school and home. Each weekday has a topic and here are some ideas to go with them:

Mindful Monday – Social Emotional Health: Children (and adults) build resilience by practicing social-emotional health and mindfulness skills.

Tasty Tuesday – Nutrition and Food Access: Build lifelong healthy eating habits by exposing kids to new foods, healthy cooking, and growing their own produce.

Wellness Wednesday – Physical Activity and Active Play: Get Moving! Physical activity fuels the body and the mind.

Thoughtful Thursday – Equity Awareness: Create a school culture that celebrates diversity and works progressively towards creating a more equitable learning community.

Family Friday – Family-School Partnerships: Bring families and schools together to support child health at school and at home.

No matter how you celebrate Every Kid Healthy Week, post photos and videos from your events and activities on social media using the hashtags #EveryKidHealthyWeek and #TakeAction4HealthyKids.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Eat from the Rainbow With Chef Ann Foundation 18" x 24" Floor or Wall Decal - Nutrition Education Store

Eat from the Rainbow With Chef Ann Foundation 18" x 24" Floor or Wall Decal

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4 Ways to Use the MyPlate App to Teach Healthy Eating on a Budget

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As I mentioned in last week’s blog, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released Actions on Nutrition Security, a report on the agency’s commitment to ensuring both nutrition security and food security to support optimal health and well-being for all Americans.

  • Food security is having enough calories.
  • Nutrition security is having the right calories.

Healthy Eating on a Budget Poster

Our Healthy Eating on a Budget poster conveys a simple, yet effective, four-step approach to help your students, employees, or clients make healthy, budget-conscious decisions at the supermarket.

  • Step 1: Buy on sale and in season
  • Step 2: Buy less processed food
  • Step 3: Buy only what you need, avoid food waste
  • Step 4: Skip the royalties (high fat/high sugar foods and beverages, like chips, candy, and soda)

Go a step further by combining the Healthy Eating on a Budget poster with USDA’s free Shop Simple with MyPlate mobile or desktop app.

  • Create an eye-catching and informative bulletin board. Put the Healthy Eating on a Budget poster in the middle, surrounded with color printouts of key screenshots from the app, OR
  • Hold a lunch-and-learn session to introduce the four steps to eating healthy on a budget. Use the Shop Simple with MyPlate app to engage your audience in real-life scenarios.

Using MyPlate App with Healthy Eating on a Budget steps

  1. How to find seasonal fresh produce or the most affordable canned/frozen fruits and veggies using the Shop Simple with MyPlate app:
    • Click on Ways to Save -> Shop Smart -> Fruits and Vegetables. From here you’ll find a link to the Seasonal Produce Guide from SNAP-Ed Connection, as well as tips on choosing canned and frozen fruits and veggies.
    • You can also Browse Budget-Friendly Fruits and Browse Budget-Friendly Vegetables.
    • To locate the nearest farmers market, click on Farmers Markets in your area. Enter your zip code, then click on Find Farmers Markets. You’ll get a list of farmers markets in the area. Click on the market to get directions.
  1. How to choose less-processed protein foods when meat, poultry, and fish prices are so high, using the Shop Simple with MyPlate app:
    • Click on Browse by MyPlate Food Groups -> Protein Foods. You’ll find a list of budget-friendly protein foods, along with tips, serving ideas, recipes, and nutrition information.
      • For example, under chicken drumsticks or thighs, there’s information on freezing chicken when it’s on sale, and how to make baked chicken nuggets at home.
  1. How to cut down on food waste using the Shop Simple with MyPlate app:
    • For each budget-friendly food, the app gives tips that can help limit food waste.
      • For example, the app tells you how long milk stays fresh after opening, and how to freeze and thaw milk. It also provides ideas on how to use up foods that are about to go bad or are over-ripe.
  1. How to avoid impulse purchases of junk food using the Shop Simple with MyPlate app: Even when junk food isn’t on your shopping list, it can end up in your cart when you shop while hungry or give in to a screaming child. One way to deal with this is to order online for curbside pickup.
    • Not all grocery stores accept SNAP/EBT for online orders, but the Shop Simple with MyPlate app can help you find ones that do.
      • On the home page, click on SNAP EBT Savings. Enter your zip code and click Find Stores. Choose Online SNAP Stores. Click on the name of the store and you’ll be directed to the retailer’s website page that explains how to use your SNAP/EBT card for online orders.

Did you know?

One final tip: You can use SNAP benefits to purchase fresh herbs for cooking, as well as fruit, vegetable, and herb plants for gardening.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Healthy On A Budget - 4 Steps - 18x24" Laminated Poster - Nutrition Education Store

Healthy On A Budget - 4 Steps - 18x24" Laminated Poster

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Take Action on Nutrition Security

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week released Actions on Nutrition Security, a report highlighting the agency’s commitment to ensuring both nutrition security and food security to support optimal health and well-being for all Americans.

You’re probably familiar with the term food security, but what exactly is nutrition security? USDA puts it in simple terms:

  • Food security is having enough calories.
  • Nutrition security is having the right calories.

This new initiative is especially timely, given the rising costs of food, gas, and other consumer products. As inflation continues, healthy eating on a budget is becoming more and more of a challenge for the typical American family.

You need to teach your clients, employees, and students that healthy eating on a budget is possible. We have tools to help you do this, starting with our Healthy Shopping on a Budget PowerPoint.

The Healthy Shopping on a Budget presentation provides practical information about low-cost choices in each food group. It also includes a collection of recipes that are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and tasty.

To be most effective, you’ll need to modify the Healthy Shopping on a Budget PowerPoint show to take into account your audience and where they live and work.

This will take a little research on your part. Here are some questions to get you started:

Farmers markets:

Supermarkets:

  • Is there a full-service supermarket in the area?
    • If not, do your clients have transportation to a grocery store?
    • If not, are there nearby corner stores or convenience stores that sell healthy items, like fresh produce, at affordable prices?
  • Which stores have the best prices on quality fresh produce?
  • Is there an Aldi nearby?
    • If so, find out when regulars say is the best day to shop there for fresh produce (hint: it’s usually Wednesdays).
    • If so, what items should your clients look for at Aldi? (Here’s one list by a registered dietitian).

Food Assistance:

  • Where can your clients go when they can’t afford to buy food?
  • Are there food pantries that offer fresh produce? Salt-free or no-sugar-added canned foods? Whole grains?
  • Do schools or churches offer free food distribution?
  • Is there a community garden nearby that allows neighbors to share the harvest?
  • Do your clients qualify for programs like Meals on Wheels?

Answering these questions are key to being able to educate people about healthy eating on a budget.

You’ll find an infographic that summarizes USDA’s new nutrition security initiative here.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Healthy Shopping on a Budget PowerPoint and Handouts - DOWNLOAD - Nutrition Education Store

Healthy Shopping on a Budget PowerPoint and Handouts - DOWNLOAD

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Which Side Are You On?

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Don’t worry, we’re not talking about anything controversial!

In fact, our Which Side are You On? PowerPoint show will appeal to everyone who wants to eat healthier for any reason.

One side is the typical American diet of fast food and sugary beverages. The other side is a healthier eating pattern filled with nutrient-dense, less-processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.

Which Side are You On? uses more than 50 professional photographs of real food to compare the two sides.

This is a great way to do nutrition education for visual learners, people with low literacy, or any audience you want to impress. They will appreciate the picture comparisons and the messages will be easy to remember.

Use Which Side are You On? to teach:

  • Older adults at a senior center or retirement community.
  • Parents of young children (maybe for parent’s night at a child care center or elementary school).
  • Middle, high school, or college students or student-athletes.

Bonus – it’s only about 20 minutes long, leaving you plenty of time for Q&A or a cooking demo!

There’s also a Which Side are You On? poster. The poster and the PowerPoint come with our Fast and Lean Meal Planner Handout, which will help your audience start choosing the healthy side for all their meals right away.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Which Side Are You On PowerPoint Show PPT With Handouts - DOWNLOAD - Nutrition Education Store

Which Side Are You On PowerPoint Show PPT With Handouts - DOWNLOAD

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Which Side Are You On? | Healthy Food Poster - Nutrition Education Store

Which Side Are You On? | Healthy Food Poster

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