It’s 7 pm on a Wednesday, and Alica Diehl, our community program coordinator, is wrapping up Healthy Cooking Family Night at Guilford Elementary/Middle School. A woman stops to thank her for a great night.
“With all the buzz around healthy food in the air at Family Night, her grandchildren tried new vegetables, made their own salad dressing, and learned to safely chop cucumbers,” Alica recalls. “She was grateful for this kick-off to a healthier way of being for her family.”
The school’s series of Family Nights promotes student achievement as well as family and community well-being. Each night has a different theme focusing on academics, enrichment, health/social support, youth and community development, and family engagement.
After hearing from parents who were interested in healthy eating and encouraging their children to enjoy fruits and vegetables, the school’s community coordinator invited the Institute to lead the healthy eating event on Wednesday, November 18th.
The Institute engaged families through hands on activities in which they learned safe and effective knife skills, tips for building a nutritionally balanced plate, the dangers of high-sugar beverages, and how to grow and prepare seasonal produce. They also learned how to make healthy recipes like vegetable dip, fun fruit turkey, and simple salad dressing.
With excitement and smiles filling the room, the program proved to be a success.
