FoodWIse Programming

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Rock County FoodWIse partners with local agencies to provide free nutrition education in English and Spanish to school-age youth, and parents/caregivers of children 18 years and younger.

Parent/Caregiver Programs

Around the Table: Nourishing Families

6-week series for parents/caregivers of children 18yrs and younger. Classes are 90 minutes each. This curriculum upholds principles of trauma-informed engagement and nourishment. Participants enjoy conversation, reflection, cooking, sharing a meal together, and learning holistic skills to care for their family’s nutritional well-being. Designed to be taught with small groups of 10-14 adults.

Eating Smart Being Active

7-week series for parents/caregivers of children 18yrs and younger. Classes are 80 minutes each. Each lesson includes recipe preparation and 15 min of light physical activity. Participants also receive a gift after each lesson: measuring cups/spoons, cutting mat, food safety magnet, fridge thermometer, water bottle, veggie brush, cookbook.

  • Welcome to Eating Smart Being Active
  • Get Moving!
  • Plan, Shop, Save
  • Fruits and Veggies: Half Your Plate
  • Make Half Your Grains Whole
  • Build Strong Bones
  • Go Lean with Protein
  • Make a Change
  • Celebrate! Eat Smart and Be Active

*Childcare providers who complete the series receive 11 CEUs through The Registry. At least 75% of the childcare providers participating in the series must be income eligible but do not need to be parents/caregivers of children 18yrs and younger. Income eligibility is 185% FPL and evidenced by their participation in or eligibility for public benefits programs, such as SNAP.

Walk with FoodWIse

Walk with FoodWIse is a 6-week nutrition education and structured walking program. Sessions are held twice weekly, 75 minutes per session. Each session includes a nutrition component and a gradual progression in time spent walking.

Session Outline

Physical activity includes warm-up, walk, cool-down, and stretch.

Week 1

  • Lesson 1
    • Nutrition: Introduction to MyPlate, Fruits and Vegetables
    • Physical Activity: 20 minutes
  • Lesson 2
    • Nutrition: Create Recipe, Physical Activity Guidelines
    • Physical Activity: 20 minutes

Week 2

  • Lesson 1
    • Nutrition: Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping
    • Physical Activity: 25 minutes
  • Lesson 2
    • Nutrition: Create Recipe, Goal Setting
    • Physical Activity: 25 minutes

Week 3

  • Lesson 1
    • Nutrition: Nutrition Facts Label, Grains
    • Physical Activity: 30 minutes
  • Lesson 2
    • Nutrition: Create Recipe, Physical Activity Barriers
    • Physical Activity: 30 minutes

Week 4

  • Lesson 1
    • Nutrition: Dairy & Smart Beverage Choices
    • Physical Activity: 35 minutes
  • Lesson 2
    • Nutrition: Create Recipe, Aerobic Activity, Resistance Training
    • Physical Activity: 35 minutes

Week 5

  • Lesson 1
    • Nutrition: Protein & Food Safety
    • Physical Activity: 40 minutes
  • Lesson 2
    • Nutrition: Create Recipe, Balance & Flexibility
    • Physical Activity: 40 minutes

Week 6

  • Lesson 1
    • Nutrition: Healthy Eating Patterns
    • Physical Activity: 45 minutes
  • Lesson 2
    • Nutrition: Create Recipe, Injury Prevention, Physical Activity Review
    • Physical Activity: 45 minutes

Teens Programs

Teen Cuisine

6-week series for grades 6-12. Helps teens become self-sufficient in the kitchen while learning healthy habits. Group size 3-15. 60-90 min lessons; total of at least 6 hours of teaching time.

  • Eat Smart
  • You Are What You Eat
  • Power up with Breakfast
  • Find the Fat
  • Watch Out for Added Sugars
  • Snack Attack 

Around the Table

6-week series designed for groups of 7-15 youth, aged 14-21 years. Designed to build food, nutrition, and cooking literacy, while integrating social emotional learning and using trauma-sensitive facilitation. Participants enjoy hands-on cooking, facilitated conversations, and interactive activities that support healthy connections to food, self, and community. 60-90 min lessons; total of at least 6 hours of teaching time.

Participants:

  • Cook and eat together
  • Share memories and stories about food
  • Explore their personal relationship to food
  • Improve cooking and food resource management skills
  • Learn about nutrition for good physical and mental health
  • Explore healthy coping and self-nourishment skills
  • Plan their own menu
  • Practice mindful eating, grounding, and gratitude

Youth Programs

In School

We offer a six-week nutrition education series to 1st, 5th, and 7th-grade classrooms in schools where at least 50% of the enrollment is eligible for free or reduced school meals. For other middle and high school programs, please see our teen program options.

  • Show Me Nutrition Grade 1
    • Lessons can be done in 60-minute, 45-minute, or 30-minutes sessions. Series of 6 sessions.
    • Lessons include a tasting activity in 5 of 6 sessions.
  • Show Me Nutrition Grade 5
    • Lessons can be done in 60-minute or 45-minute sessions. Series of 6 sessions.
    • Lessons include a tasting activity in 5 of 6 sessions.
  • Show Me Nutrition Grade 7
    • Lessons can be done in 60-minute or 45-minute sessions. Series of 6-8 sessions.
    • Lessons include tasting activity and hands-on recipe preparation.

After School or Summer: Choose Health – Fun, Food and Fitness

Grades 3-5. Lessons are 60-90 minutes. Series of 6 to 8 sessions. Tastes of foods that go along with the lesson are included.

  • Drink Low-fat Milk and Water Instead of Sweetened Drinks
  • Color Your Plate: Eat More Vegetables and Fruits
  • Read It Before You Eat It! The Nutrition Facts Label
  • Make Half Your Grains Whole!
  • Healthier Foods – Fast: Eat Fewer High-Fat, High-Sugar Foods

After School or Summer: Kids in the Kitchen – Level B

Grades 3-5. Lessons are 60-90 minutes. Series of 6 to 8 sessions. Kids in the Kitchen encourages young people to eat healthier meals and snacks as a result of hands-on cooking experiences. Youth learn to prepare simple, healthy foods they can make for themselves and their family members. Each lesson includes kid-friendly handouts such as recipes and tips for how to use kitchen equipment safely.

For more information, contact:
Shana Leith
FoodWIse Program Administrator
608-757-5048
shana.leith@wisc.edu

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