A look at USDA's Nutrition Education and Training Program

Food and Nutrition, Dec, 1992

"For example, some parents were concerned that the food service personnel were not sensitive to the food preferences and eating habits of Hispanic children. By developing rapport with parent groups, teachers, and the nutrition program staff, Jeanette Candelaria and other Project Salsa staff were able to discuss and address these concerns."

Involved children and school staff

Learning more about children's preferences was an important part of the process. The student nutrition advisory groups created an arena for the children to taste test new foods and for the food service staff to learn about the youngsters' perceptions of school meals.

The groups also enabled children to have a key role in planning nutrition-related activities, such as field trips and health fairs.

Food service staff learned new food preparation techniques to help bring menus more closely in line with federal dietary guidelines that recommend moderating the use of fat, salt, and sugar. While doing this, they kept the children's food preferences in mind and looked for ways to adapt the menus so they would appeal to their young customers.

They also worked on marketing techniques to help 'sell' children on the idea of eating nourishing foods, starting with breakfast every day.

Teachers had opportunities to learn more about food and nutrition, too.

In October 1990, a $6,000 mini-grant from the state department of education to the San Diego State University Foundation provided funds to send two teachers, the school district's instructional services coordinator, and a Project Salsa staff member to Sacramento for training in how to use California's nutrition education curriculum "Choose Well, Be Well."

According to state NET coordinators Jacqui Smith and Marilyn Briggs, "Choose Well, Be Well" is a comprehensive curriculum developed by the California NET program for use with students from preschool through grade twelve. It's designed to be used sequentially, with each grade level building on the previous one.

When the teachers returned home, they trained six other teachers and four school food service staff to use it. Janice Taylor, one of the teachers who went to Sacramento, is continuing to help with this year's training.

"She knows the curriculum and helps the teachers with it," says Candelaria. "She'll say, 'Now look at Lesson 2 on page 11 and turn to page F2 for the coordinated handout. See, it's all there. You don't have to do any additional preparation work in your busy day.'"

That's a big plus, Candelaria adds. "I really like the way the 'Choose Well, Be Well' materials for children are ready to use," she says. "They are written for children's reading and language skills."

Project Salsa staff translated into Spanish the "Choose Well, Be Well" materials selected for the children's nutrition lessons in San Ysidro. The state department of education is planning to translate into Spanish all of the student materials for the whole curriculum series.

Another successful part of the school component of Project Salsa has been using student interns from San Diego State University. The arrangement gives undergraduate nutrition majors opportunities for field practice while contributing their time and talent to Project Salsa.