Chicken nuggets and mac ’n cheese are popular meals for children. They’re quick, they’re easy, and the kids typically put ‘em down; another meal- thank goodness!
But parents… not so fast!
For 2019, JCC Early Childhood Health Educators Janene Malamud and Laura Fink are advocating slower, healthier, and more mindful eating and moving for children.
Janene, a Baltimore native and health educator with the J’s Early Childhood Education Center, has taught and served many a picky eater in the J‘s healthy halls since 2011. Janene and Laura have encouraged hundreds of moms, dads, and grandparents to bring healthy eating home.
Janene and Laura teach the J‘s Healthy Choices Curriculum, where children are introduced to new, healthy foods.
Persimmons, Kale, Quinoa, Kiwi – on a typical day in the JCC kids might try one these during a Healthy Choices class; the key word here being “try,” as developing an awareness of nutritional eating often comes in small steps.
“Touch it, smell it, lick it, and then let’s take a small bite together and taste it,” says Janene. “It all comes back to mindfulness.”
Using the USDA’s My Plate model, which emphasizes healthy portions of fruit, vegetables, lean proteins and grains per meal, the two educators teach children and caregivers how to eat whole foods and avoid processed foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat and sodium.
