TNCEP Nutritional Day Camp fun

By Janice M. Howard / Style Editor for the Southern Standard

Macy Jaco experiences the taste of Gouda cheese during the Nutritional Day Camp taking place at West Riverside Resident Activity Center. (Margaret Hobbs photo)

A number of exotic places were visited with healthy food samples available at each stop when the Tennessee Nutrition and Consumer Education Program Nutritional Day Camp was held at McMinnville Housing Authority’s Resident Activity Center in West Riverside. The Day Camp featured a tour around the world where the young attendees could learn more about nutritious foods from other countries.

The trip began with a stop in Honduras to explore the nutritional benefits of the banana. A healthy snack treat made with pita bread, fruit spread, peanut butter and banana was available to sample. Ryan Johnson presented information about the banana and prepared the snacks for the children.

As the tour continued, a visit was made to Mexico where the children learned about good nutrition in some Mexican cuisine, such as the quesadilla, which they got to make and taste. They were also introduced to some Spanish words by Mary Beth Gribble and Emily Hobbs.

A visit to Hawaii revealed hula-girls April Kirby and Kristen Sharpe serving healthy pineapple milkshakes and sharing with those on tour about the nutritional value of the pineapple.

Across the ocean was a stop-over in France where Jason Roberts and Garrett Martin were heard explaining the healthy benefits of cheese. A variety of cheeses was available to sniff and taste.

No trip around the world would be complete without a visit to Italy where the healthy benefits of pasta and pizza were discovered. The children were kept busy there reading about pizza, playing a matching game with pasta, and creating a book about pizza. Amanda Reuter and Ryan Bush taught the youngsters to prepare an easy, nutritional snack pizza on an English muffin. The children enjoyed the activity of making their own snack and getting to eat what they cooked.

The day concluded with a wrap-up of the quick tour around the world and all participants receiving educational booklets that included nutrition information and food ideas for use at home.