Iowa State University Extension

Problem:
Beginning in the fall of 2005, the Iowa Department of Public Health has measured the height and weight of over 4,000 3rd, 4th,and 5th grade students in 12 schools across the state. 62.3% of the children had a normal BMI,a 19.6% were at risk for overweight, and 18.1% were overweight. Younger children who participated in the WIC program were about 17.9% at risk for overweight and 14.6% overweight. These statistics make nutrition education in elementary schools very important.

Response:
This summer, a kindergarten teacher from Monroe Elementary called the extension office and wondered what we had for nutrition education for kindergarten. Her daughter had participated in EFNEP nutrition classes in third grade. The teacher (mother) was so impressed with the things her daughter learned that she wanted nutrition information for her kindergarten class.

This fall, we are expanding the Food and Nutrition Program School Enrichment classes to kindergarten in several of the Cedar Rapids schools with over 50% free and reduced lunches. This included the above mentioned teacher. We used the University of Missouri Curriculum , “Let's Read About Healthy Eating”. In each of the six lessons, the FNP assistant read a book to the children and involved them in the story with questions. Then, there was a physical activity that the children participated in, followed by a tasting activity. The assistant left several activities for the teacher to do and a newsletter to send home with the children.

Impact:
One of the tasting activities was tasting raw baby carrots (yellow and orange) and dried banana chips. All 20 students ate their samples. Some of the students thought the yellow carrots looked very strange but as the noticed other children and the teacher trying them they also ate them. There was one little boy in the class who told the assistant that the dried banana chips got 3 thumbs up! We know that the food dollars are limited in many of the homes of these students but we are hoping to introduce foods that are more nutritious that high fat and high foods that they may be used to eating. Hopefully, the students may request some of the foods at home that we gave them to taste. All the students participated in the physical activity and asked to repeat the activities. The other kindergarten teacher at the pilot school what was going on in the other kindergarten class room and made sure that her room was scheduled for the curriculum next semester.

Contact:
Susan Uthoff
Linn County Extension
3279 7th Ave, Ste 140
Marion, IA 52302
319-377-9939
x1uthoff@iastate.edu