True family meals Local Farmacy program brings families together for healthy eating By Nathan Meacham Daily Press Staff Writer Some kids peeled carrots, others grated some squash, all while families worked together to make veggie tostadas at Centennial Middle School Saturday morning. The family project was part of the Local Farmacy RX program, organized by the Valley Food Partnership and LiveWell Montrose Olathe with funding through Colorado Health Foundation. Its focus is educating families, especially those with young children, about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables every day. Were hoping that the kids will get a good experience and want to be more interested in helping in the kitchen and eating more fruits and vegetables, said Teresa Tomasi-Maloney, a registered dietitian at Montrose Memorial Hospital. Six families attended the Saturday class, which is one of seven that will take place every other week into November. Tomasi-Maloney reviewed the programs health goals, explained how to make it fun for the kids and then guided the class through the veggie tostada recipe. Hopefully theyre learning a little bit about where food comes from, not just from the grocery store, she said. The Local Farmacy Rx program is designed to help low income families have greater access and knowledge of healthy eating habits. The fall pilot program, which continues to Nov. 1, includes 10 families that receive local Farmacy Bucks that can be used at the Montrose Farmers Market, along with cooking tips and instruction. Steve Sidanycz brought his family, which includes one picky eater, to the Saturday class. Even at home its hard to get everybody to commit to trying to eat something new, he said. This is giving us more tools. The timing was right for Sidanycz, who has diabetes and high blood pressure and said he was recently talking with his doctor about getting on a better eating plan. There were a lot of questions I had that theyre covering now, he said. It worked with perfect timing. Pat Mroczek-VanAllen, the family and consumer science/health teacher at Centennial, heard about the program and opened up her classroom at the school for the families. She said she supports all community programs that promote nutrition and get people cooking together. It delights me a great deal, she said. This is what its supposed to be used for. The grant totals more than $160,000 for two years to fund the program. Each family receives a stipend each week to spend at the local farmers market. The stipend serves as incentive to get out and try different fruits and vegetables. I didnt realize how much you could actually buy at the Farmers Market for your money, Sidanycz said. We spent $12 last weekend and had two bags full. The Local Farmacy RX program has room for a few more families, and others are placed on a waiting list in case anyone drops out. Interested families can email Local Farmacy RX manager Abbie Brewer at [email protected]. The goal is to increase the number of participating families to 40 in 2015. Brewer, after spending the morning helping kids in the kitchen, said the program is all about families working and learning while spending time together. You have to get back to the family, she said. In our society, were so busy. This is time that kids really get to spend with their parents.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 02:18:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015