Display of the Month: New Food Label

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

It’s time for another display of the month, and this one is all about the new format of the Nutrition Facts label. Did you know that these new labels are already hitting stores? Help your clients use the new food labels to improve their eating patterns by inspiring them with this great display…

The Materials:

Banners: 48-inch by 36-inch Banner or 26-inch by 62-inch Banner and Stand
Posters: New Food Label Poster or Food Label Math Poster
Floor Sticker: Nutrition Facts Floor Sticker
Prizes/Smaller Decorations: I Know How to Read a Food Label Stickers, New Food Label Bookmarks
Handouts: Nutrition Facts Tearpad

The Activities:

The Label Says: Nutrition Facts Label Game
Food Label Comparison: What a Difference a Label Makes

Nutrition Facts Label Poster - New Food Label Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

The Display:

Instead of setting up a tabletop display as we’ve done in the past, this month’s display can be arranged on a bulletin board or a spare space on any wall. If you’d like to adapt it to a tabletop display, you absolutely can, and you’ll probably need a few of these fabulous Tabletop Easels to ease the transition.

Anyway, make either or both of the New Food Label Posters or Food Label Math Posters the center of your display (if you have more room, you can also use the 48-inch by 36-inch Nutrition Facts Banner). Surround your poster or banner with stickers and bookmarks so that the whole display looks like a sunburst with the posters or banner in the middle.

Either tear off a few handouts from the Nutrition Facts Tearpad or mount the whole thing to the wall just to the right of your sunbursts so that interested parties can take a sheet home for themselves. Balance the handouts on the other side with the 26-inch by 62-inch Food Label Banner and Stand. Arrange the Nutrition Facts Floor Sticker in front of your display for an extra-intriguing draw to your information, then step back and admire the view.

$Food Label Math Poster - Nutrition Education Store$

Food Label Math Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Activity Leader Guide:

To play The Label Says: Nutrition Facts Label Game, you’ll need a projector, a screen, and a copy of the The Label Says: Nutrition Facts Label PowerPoint presentation. Everything else you need is built into the presentation itself, so as long as you review it before you start presenting, you’ll simply need to turn it on and work your way through the slides. In this game, participants will evaluate a food based on information from its Nutrition Facts label, learning common label-reading mistakes and exploring healthful eating pattern strategies along the way. The I Know How to Read a Food Label Stickers and New Food Label Bookmarks make great prizes and incentives!

For the second activity, Food Label Comparison: What a Difference a Label Makes, you’ll need to do a bit more legwork. Bring in a few varieties of the same foods (3 fruit juices, 3 cans of beans, etc) that each have different Nutrition Facts. Compare across the types of foods and find the most healthful options as a group. What parts of the label were the most useful? Why? Use this activity to highlight the impact of reading a food label on health, explaining that the new Nutrition Facts label is a helpful tool for developing and maintaining a healthful eating pattern.

New Food Label Handout Tearpad

$42.00 ~~$46.00~~

Add to Cart

Other Fantastic Display Ideas:

We’ve been putting together these display posts for a while now, so there’s lots of inspiration available for a wide range of health and nutrition topics. Which ones will be the most useful for you?

Store Links:

Here’s a closer look at some of the top new food label resources that my team and I have created…

New Food Label Vinyl Banner and Banner Stand 26" X 62" - Nutrition Education Store

New Food Label Vinyl Banner and Banner Stand 26" X 67"

$125.00 ~~$135.00~~

Add to Cart

New Food Label Vinyl Banner 48" X 36"

$88.00 ~~$110.00~~

Add to Cart

$Food Label Math Banner on Banner Stand 24" x 62" - Nutrition Education Store$

Food Label Math Banner on Banner Stand 24" x 67"

$125.00 ~~$135.00~~

Add to Cart

$Food Label Math Banner 48" x 36" - Food Label Banner for Wellness Fairs - Nutrition Education Store$

Food Label Math Banner 48" x 36" - Food Label Banner for Wellness Fairs

$88.00 ~~$110.00~~

Add to Cart

Nutrition Math Quiz

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

Recently I was asked for STEM nutrition and health materials. Do you ever address STEM topics with your clients?

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math, and these subjects are a priority among many of the educators I know. To add one more resource to your arsenal of STEM topics, I am proud to present this quick nutrition math quiz, which can be used in your next email blast or as an icebreaker for your next presentation (or however else you’d like).

Nutrition Math Quiz:

Question #1: How many ounces of liquid are there in a cup?

A) 4
B) 6
C) 8
D) 1o

Question #2: At what temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) does water usually boil?

A) 202
B) 212
C) 222
D) 500

Question #3: How many grams of sugar are there in a teaspoon?

A) 4
B) 8
C) 12
D) 16

Question #4: What is the energy density of a pound of flour?

A) 1651
B) 1492
C) 1000
D) 6

Question #5: What is the energy density of a pound of sugar?

A) 1558
B) 1607
C) 1775
D) 2000

BONUS: Compare the energy density of a pound of potatoes with the energy density of a pound of French fries.

Nutrition Math Quiz Answers:

C) 8
B) 212, though altitude affects the boiling point. To calculate the temperature at which water boils in your area, take 1 degree away from 212 for every 500 feet you are above sea level.
A) 4
A) 1651
C) 1775
Bonus: A pound of potatoes has roughly 347 calories, while a pound of French fries has approximately 1,415 calories. The regular potatoes have roughly 1/4 of the energy density of French fries, which makes them the more healthful option because they are lower in calories and empty calories, yet higher in nutrients than their fried counterparts.

Here is a collection of other fabulous STEM resources…

3 Activity Ideas to Make Every Bite Count

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

New wristbands have hit the store and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Check out these great reminders to help your clients build a healthful eating pattern:

The thing I love about wristbands is that they are present every day. You can get the reminder whether your motivation is waxing or waning, and their placement on the wrist ensures that wristbands don’t get overlooked. The eye-catching color of these particular wristbands is an added bonus.

Today I want to celebrate the debut of these wristbands by featuring 3 activities that bring home the message that it’s important to make every bite count. These wristbands can be used as prizes for achievement and/or participation.

Activity #1: Word Cloud

Give each participant a blank sheet of paper and some colored pens or pencils. Have everyone write “Make Every Bite Count” in large letters in the middle of the page. Then, working individually, have each student write down words that can inspire them to make every bite count. Recommend varying the font size based on that idea’s importance to each student.

Once everyone has created their word clouds, reconvene the group and discuss what they wrote. You can either collect their papers and turn them into a display, or create a larger word cloud on a piece of posterboard with everyone’s suggestions.

Make Every Bite Count Wristband 8" Adult - 20 pack - with forks

$26.00 ~~$25.00~~

Add to Cart

Activity #2: Bite Buffet

Have each person bring in enough bite-size portions of their favorite healthful snack for each other member of the group to try. (Discuss food allergies and aversions before introducing this activity). As people snack, discuss what makes each food healthful. How does a single bite play into a larger eating pattern?

Activity #3: Bedazzle the Band

Distribute one Make Every Bite Count wristband to each person, along with a few colorful sharpies. Discuss the key topics addressed in this page, highlighting MyPlate’s encouragement to make small changes and remember that every food and drink you consume matters.

Have people decorate their wristbands with images of healthful foods and drinks or other reminders that every bite is important, keeping attention focused on the central premise highlighted on the band itself. This can be done in a group setting or individually at home.

And here are a few more wristbands for your perusal…

Display of the Month: MyPlate

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

It’s been a while since we’ve done a display of the month, and now is the perfect time to revive the tradition with MyPlate!

The Materials:

Banners: MyPlate Banner or MyPlate Bulletin Board Banner or MyPlate Banner and Stand
Poster: MyPlate Art of Health Poster
On Your Table: MyPlate Wellness Fair Kit, MyPlate Handouts
Prizes: MyPlate Stickers, MyPlate Vegetable Stickers, MyPlate Fruit Stickers and/or MyPlate Bookmarks
Eye-Catchers: MyPlate Floor Decal and MyPlate Apron

The Activities:

Food Group Lottery
Food Group Lighting Rounds

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

$88.00 ~~$110.00~~

Add to Cart

The Details:

If you have access to the wall behind your table, set up either or both of the MyPlate Banners along with the Art of Health Poster. If you don’t have access to that wall, use just the MyPlate Banner and Stand alongside your table and add the Art of Health Poster to your table (you can prop it on a Tabletop Easel). In front of your table, arrange the MyPlate Floor Decal to add extra interest to your booth.

On the table itself, scatter the resources included in the MyPlate Wellness Fair Kit, leaving room for some MyPlate Handouts and the prizes (MyPlate Stickers, MyPlate Vegetable Stickers, MyPlate Fruit Stickers and/or MyPlate Bookmarks) you’re going to offer in order to draw people to your booth and reward participation during activities. In one corner of the booth, arrange the materials you’ll need for the food group lottery.

And, just for fun, finish setting up by tying on a MyPlate Apron, which you can later give away as a prize, if you’d like!

Now, on to the activities!

For the Food Group Lottery, have volunteers write down their names and favorite food groups on individual pieces of paper and put them all in a clear bowl or box. Shuffle all the submissions, then draw 10 winners. Reward them with the prizes listed above, or these adorable MyPlate buttons.

For the Food Group Lightning Rounds, gather all your participants in a circle in front of your booth. Explain that you’re going to name a food group and then each person has to list a healthful food that would fit in that group, one at a time. If a person can’t think of a food or lists something that isn’t healthful, he or she is out and the circle gets smaller. Repeat with the rest of the food groups until you’ve got a small group of winners remaining. All of the previously-suggested prizes would make great rewards, as would these pretty MyPlate plates!

Portion Control Plate for Diet and Exercise Success 10 Pack

$80.00 ~~$99.00~~

Add to Cart

Previous Display Inspiration:

Free Handout:

And, to add one more fun aspect to your display, here’s a free MyPlate coloring page. How will you incorporate this into your booth?

Finally, here are some fantastic workbooks to help your clients learn valuable health and nutrition lessons…

Easter Candy and Your Health

Posted on April 11, 2017 by cheryle

Easter is the second biggest candy holiday in the United States.* According to the National Confectioners Association (NCA), over 120 million pounds of Easter candy is purchased each year. This includes 16 billion jelly beans, 90 million chocolate bunnies, and an untold number of marshmallow peeps.

That’s a lot of sugar!

Moreover, according to research from the NCA, 87% of parents will make Easter baskets for their children this year. It’s also interesting to note that 81% of these parents will then steal candy from their children’s baskets.

So, what are parents usually putting in Easter baskets?

89% say Easter candy and chocolate
79% include non-edible items like crayons, stuffed animals, books, and movie passes
46% add candy with “added benefits” like dark chocolate or chocolate with added fruits and nuts
44% fill the baskets with what they call “heathier snacks” such as granola bars or dried fruit
35% include gums and mints

How about you and your clients? How do you fill the baskets?

That stash of Easter candy can easily put everyone in the family over their recommended sugar intakes for the day. Remember, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans assert that people should “Consume less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars.”

Perhaps it’s time to think outside the jelly bean.

A full 11% of the families surveyed by the NCA didn’t add any candy to their baskets, so I’m not being unrealistic when I say it can be done. Although candy is part of Easter traditions, consider at least limiting the amount and types of candy you put in the basket. I do like the idea of chocolate with “added benefits” like nuts. Other healthful food ideas include some 100-calorie snack packs, nuts, dried fruits, little boxes of raisins, and trail mix.

There are lots of suggestions online for non-edible items like marking pens, money, stickers, and toys. Our own Chef Judy has some great ideas for non-candy items that could also promote physical activity and healthful eating. How about replacing at least some of those jelly beans or marshmallow peeps with:

Noodles for the pool
Jump ropes
Balls
Bubble supplies with big wands
Colorful athletic shoes
Activity passes for fun things to do in the area
Family board games
Pool towels and swim goggles
Athletic clothes
Frisbees
A healthful cookbook
Cooking equipment for foodie kids
A new reusable water bottle

Anything that gets the kids and family outside and moving or interacting together makes a great stuffer for an Easter basket, and they’ll last longer than candy too!

So, what will you be putting in your baskets this year?

By Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS, Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University

* Halloween is the first.

And here are some other fun prizes that you can put into Easter baskets…

Nutrition Month Activity Idea

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

Yes, I know that Nutrition Month is drawing to a close, but I couldn’t resist sharing one last activity idea to promote good health. Plus, this activity doesn’t have to be limited to March — use it anytime you want to teach a nutrition lesson!

I planned this activity around the topics in the Nutrition at a Glance Poster so that you could help your audience internalize 3 keys to balanced nutrition. If you don’t have the poster, no sweat! Just address the topics with your class before you begin the activity.

Divide everyone into three groups and assign one of the three topics on the poster to each group:

Let Macronutrients Put Their Best Food Forward
Get Your Vitamins and Minerals from Food
Avoid Extra Processed Food Dangers by Reading Food Labels

Explain that each group is going to come up with 5 Jeopardy-style pairs of questions and answers about their assigned topic. If computers or smartphones are available, let the students use those to research fun facts and key points to address in their questions.

As the groups work, circulate around the room addressing any issues they might have and reviewing their question and answer pairs to make sure that they’re both accurate and answerable.

Once all the groups have their 5 questions, reconvene the class. Have the macronutrients group present their questions to the vitamins and minerals group, then have the vitamins and minerals group present their questions to the food label group. Finally, the food label group can present their questions to the macronutrients group. With this system, each group can engage deeply with 2 of the 3 topics on the poster.

As the teams are competing, keep score so that you can announce a winner at the end of the activity.

And what’s a good activity without a few prizes to motivate and reward your audience? Here are some of my favorites for Nutrition Month!

And for other great activities, don’t miss these fun posts…

Finally, what would Nutrition Month be without a little decoration? Check out these amazing materials…

$Food Label Math Poster - Nutrition Education Store$

Food Label Math Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Choose Wisely Fruit and Vegetables on Forks Poster - Nutrition Poster - Motivational Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Fork Stickers 2" - Pack of 100

$12.99 ~~$12.99~~

Add to Cart

What's On Your Fork? Poster - Nutrition Poster - Motivational Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

What's On Your Fork? Bulletin Board Banner 24" x 24" Square Banner for Bulletin Boards, Walls, and More

$49.00 ~~$0.00~~

Add to Cart

Nutrition At A Glance Poster 18”x24” laminated nutrition poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Activity Idea: Teaching Food Safety

Posted on March 14, 2017 by cheryle

I don’t watch television cooking shows very often, because their food safety practices usually upset me.

I once watched a popular show (the hostess is a household name that I won’t mention) and spotted at least three things that I would consider food safety problems — these included unsafe recipes for food preservation and cooking temperatures that were just WRONG.

I’m not the only one who is concerned about these shows and what they are teaching (or not teaching) their audiences. Back in 2004, a research project looked at over 60 hours of cooking shows. They spotted an unsafe handling practice every four minutes. More recent research studies have shown similar results.

It isn’t getting better.

All of the studies documented a lack of handwashing, cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food, and not using a thermometer to ensure that the foods have been cooked properly.

Other unsafe practices spotted include: fly-away-hair, chipped nail polish, potential contamination with wiping cloths, not washing produce, touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands (combined with inadequate handwashing), sweating onto food, touching hair, licking fingers, double dipping with tasting spoons, and eating while cooking.

One of the studies noted that — not surprisingly — only 13% of the shows they watched mentioned any type of food safety practice.

While I know that these shows are produced primarily for entertainment, I wish they would do a better job of modeling good food safety procedures. They have the opportunity to teach millions of viewers, but they don’t.

So I had an idea for those that teach food safety.

Have your students watch a few of these shows and note the unsafe practices. Perhaps you could watch a few together and then discuss what they saw and why they identified those items. Have them check too for any good practices or mention of food safety too.

They’ll never look at a cooking show the same way again.

By Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS, Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University

References:

Mathiasen, L.A., Chapman, B.J., Lacroix, B.J. and Powell, D.A. 2004. Spot the mistake: Television cooking shows as a source of food safety information, Food Protection Trends 24(5): 328-334.
Nancy L. Cohen, Rita Brennan Olson. Compliance With Recommended Food Safety Practices in Television Cooking Shows. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2016.
Curtis Maughan, Edgar Chambers, Sandria Godwin. Food safety behaviors observed in celebrity chefs across a variety of programs. Journal of Public Health, 2016.

And here are a few fantastic resources for National Nutrition Month!

Make Every Bite Count Wristband 8" Adult - 20 pack - with forks

$26.00 ~~$25.00~~

Add to Cart

Choose Wisely Fruit and Vegetables on Forks Poster - Nutrition Poster - Motivational Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

What's On Your Fork? Poster - Nutrition Poster - Motivational Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

What's On Your Fork? Bulletin Board Banner 24" x 24" Square Banner for Bulletin Boards, Walls, and More

$49.00 ~~$0.00~~

Add to Cart

Nutrition At A Glance Poster 18”x24” laminated nutrition poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Fork Stickers 2" - Pack of 100

$12.99 ~~$12.99~~

Add to Cart

$Food Label Math Poster - Nutrition Education Store$

Food Label Math Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Quick Display Idea: Fruit

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

Adding a bit more fruit to an eating pattern is a great way to squeeze in a bunch of nutrients without excess calories, but some fruits are higher in calories than others. In fact, some fruits are even processed in such a way that they come with a boatload of empty calories and added sugars.

Help your audience navigate the fruit landscape with this quick and pretty display of fruit.

Arrange the following items in a highly-visible part of your space and make cards that list the calorie content of each item. For an activity, have people match the cards to the fruit. For a non-interactive display, simply place each card by the fruit it describes.

1 fresh apple: 71 calories
1 cup apple juice: 116 calories
1 cup canned peaches in juice: 160 calories
1/2 cup raisins: 216 calories
1 cup canned peaches in heavy syrup: 251 calories

This display will show participants that dried fruit and canned fruit in heavy syrup are much higher in calories than their less-processed counterparts.

Variations and Additions:

To add more depth to the display, note the fiber content of each item. This is especially useful when comparing the apple and its juice, since a whole apple contains almost 3.5 grams of fiber, while the juice does not contain any fiber at all.
For a temporary display or discussion, place actual servings of all the fruit in this list in glass containers on a table. For a more lasting display, use images, food models, or empty packages instead. This can be done on a table or a bulletin board.
Instead of comparing total calories or calories per serving, you could also compare sugars, highlighting hidden sources of added sugars in each food.

For other great fruit activity and display ideas, don’t miss these amazing materials!

Fruit and Vegetable Challenge Tool Kit With PowerPoint Shows - Nutrition Education Store

Fruit and Vegetable Challenge Tool Kit With PowerPoint Shows - DOWNLOAD

$39.00

Add to Cart

4 Fruit Balloons 18" Mylar Foil: Watermelon, Kiwi, Orange, Strawberry

$18.00 ~~$24.00~~

Add to Cart

Fruits Bulletin Board Kit

$49.00 ~~$55.00~~

Add to Cart

Eat More Vegetables: 3 Activity Ideas

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

Help your clients improve their eating pattern with these 3 great activity ideas…

Inspire Together! Have participants look up their daily vegetable needs at www.choosemyplate.gov. Divide everyone into groups based on how many vegetables they need each day, then have each member of the group share his or her favorite way to eat vegetables with the rest of the group. Have each group elect a spokesman who can write down the most popular suggestions. Once the groups have finished sharing, come back together as a class and have each spokesman share the most appealing ways to serve vegetables from his/her group.

With this activity, your participants will all get a few fun new ideas about ways to eat more vegetables each day.

Team Transformations! As a class, brainstorm some traditional meals that are generally low in vegetables. Divide your audience into groups of 3-4 people and give each group a different meal to make over. How can vegetables be added to the meal in an appealing way? After their discussions, have each group pick their top three ideas and share them with the rest of the class.

Now a few staple meals can be transformed into vehicles for more veggies.

Get on Board! Have your participants think about their favorite vegetable snacks. Ask each person to find a photo or draw a picture of these snacks at home or on their own, then reconvene as a group to post those images on a blank bulletin board that you’ve set up. Title the board Healthful Vegetable Snacks.

With this activity, you will get an engaging and unique display, made by your own students. Plus, this board will offer fun ways to try new vegetable snacks, which in turn can help your participants improve their eating patterns.

What do you think? What are your favorite activities to promote eating more vegetables?

Don’t miss these top vegetable resources from the store!

Lettuce Eat Light Vegetable Poster 12X18

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Vegetable Poster - Slicing, Chopping, and Cooking Guide

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Vegetables Bulletin Board Kit

$49.00 ~~$55.00~~

Add to Cart

New Activity Ideas!

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Stephanie Ronco

I love coming up with new activities that promote a balanced lifestyle and healthful choices! Today I want to share a few activities that make the most of the brand-new Steps of Health floor decals that just made their debut in the Nutrition Education Store.

These decals feature eight different steps that people can take to improve their health, including…

Move more
Fruit
Vegetables
Grains
Protein
Dairy
Sleep
Limit screen time

Their possible uses are endless, and these brand-new floor decals also come with a handout that details how those eight elements can help improve health. There’s even another handout that highlights some fun activities that are perfect for these materials, and that’s the handout I’d like to share today.

Enjoy!

The Path to Health:

Arrange the feet so that they appear to be a trail across the front of the room, leading from the door into the classroom.

As people enter your classroom, have them walk the trail and note what is on each footprint.

Once everyone has walked the trail and then found a seat, explain that each person can now brainstorm a few ways to implement each element of the path to good health in their own lives.

Have all the participants use a piece of paper and a pen, then divide their page into eight sections, one for each footprint. Let them give each section a title (“Move More,” “Fruit,” “Vegetables,” etc), then allow everyone some time to brainstorm while you re-create the grid of eight footprints on a whiteboard or large piece of paper that you have posted at the front of the room.

Once everyone appears to be done brainstorming on their own, bring the class back together and have people share what they wrote. Write the ideas down on your own board and encourage everyone to add ideas to their own sheets if the new options resonate with them.

Health Fair Decorations:

These decals make excellent decorations for a health fair booth. Consider using these little feet to create a path to your booth from the entrance, or arrange them in an arc around your booth so that people can make a full circuit of what you offer.

These creative materials are sure to help your booth stand out from the crowd at the next wellness fair.

Display the Path to Health:

These stickers don’t have to stay on the floor! Put together a colorful bulletin board and use these feet to join the ideas of good nutrition and regular physical activity.

You can use a grid format à la the “Path to Health” activity, or you can build a path along the center of the board and write out details/illustrate each key point along the sides of each foot.

Here’s a printable handout of these activity ideas. How will you use yours?

Looking for other fun additions to the Nutrition Education Store? There are lots! Here are a few of my favorites…

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