FoodWIse Programming
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
