Pass the Veggies: Central Florida Is Hungry for Nutrition Education

“When you’re hungry, you don’t care about eating healthy.” It’s a myth so often repeated that it’s become entrenched in our culture – the idea that families living with food insecurity are happy to reach for chips or soda to get the calories they need to make it through the day. But across Central Florida, the facts tell a different story: Folks are hungry for nutritious food.

At Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, the eight-person team of instructors leading the SNAP Ed program – a USDA-approved nutrition curriculum – stay busy conducting more than 1,100 events every year at community centers, senior centers, after-school programs and more. The objective of these events isn’t to lecture people about making better choices, but to give them the hands-on experiences, skills and confidence they need to access fresh food and prepare nutritious meals.

Good Nutrition, From Pantry to Plate

Salad or soda. Carrot sticks or potato chips. Chicken soup with rice … or chicken nuggets with fries. When it comes to nutrition, not all choices are created equal. Parents want their kids to grow up healthy and happy, and most of us know that diet – what we eat, how much, and how it’s cooked – plays a major role in overall well-being.
But for the tens of thousands of families facing food insecurity in Central Florida, ensuring that everyone in the household is getting the nutrition they need may be challenging. When you’re choosing between buying groceries, paying the rent, or keeping the lights on at home, every dollar – and every meal – needs to stretch as far as it can.

5 Tips for Reading Food Labels to Truly Understand What Is in Your Food

Nutrition education is essential for fostering a healthier society. Starting early in life with comprehensive nutrition education is crucial, as childhood lays the groundwork for lifelong habits and attitudes towards food. Understanding the importance of nutrition from a young age helps prevent the development of unhealthy eating habits and reduces the risk of developing chronic illnesses later in life. Although nutrition education is important, it may be challenging for parents to implement these practices with their kids. Consider these “to do’s” that will not only benefit your child’s heart health, but also set the foundation for a lifetime of well-being.