When it comes to keeping your family healthy, navigating the grocery aisles can be a daunting experience. Knowing how to read labels and choose the most nutritious foods can help chart a course to better well-being.
That’s why the Good For You Pantry program — an initiative led by Texas Health’s well-being arm, North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC) — has teamed up with Texas Christian University (TCU) Department of Nutritional Sciences to offer Shop To Well-Being, a series of interactive nutrition education classes for parents. This fall TCU students on a pathway to become registered dietitians provided classes at six of the Fort Worth area Good For You Pantry locations—M.H. Elementary, Alice Conteras Elementary, Versia L. Williams Elementary, Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary and Wedgewood Middle schools, along with LVT Rise. Instruction and educational materials are offered in both English and Spanish.
Launched in 2020, the Good For You Pantry program provides no-cost fresh produce and other healthy staples at locations in schools and community centers throughout Tarrant County. When pantry shoppers expressed interest in learning how to better use those grocery items, NTHC reached out to TCU’s Combined Program in Dietetics to create a tailored curriculum for Shop To Well-Being
Kelly Fisher, director of the program at TCU, says the partnership is a great way for students to put their education to work as they study food insecurity and community nutrition education.
“The students are tailoring their presentations to foods readily available to Good For You Pantry participants,” Fisher explained. “This is a valuable activity for our students in considering cost, access and nutrient quality when creating nutrition education presentations and materials.”
This is the second semester for the Shop To Well-Being classes. This fall, participants are learning about the importance of understanding food labels and the benefits of a high-fiber diet, including how to shop for a fiber-filled cart and how to prepare kid-friendly, high-fiber snacks. Content is modified based on feedback from prior participants. The classes are only offered in the fall as they align with the TCU program’s curriculum.
Meanwhile, offering fresh produce and pairing it with nutrition education is paying off at Good For You pantries. In a recent survey, 95% of Shop To Well-Being participants reported their families had tried new fruits and vegetables; 96% reported eating more fruits and vegetables every month; and 68% found the children’s healthy snacking information to be most impactful.
“The Good For You Pantry program is one way we are working to make fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods more available and affordable in high-need communities, and in the process, we’ve learned that many families want to know more about how to include these foods on the dinner table,” said Matt Dufrene, vice president for NTHC/Texas Health Resources. “Our survey findings show that this kind of nutrition education is really benefiting area residents, and TCU Nutritional Sciences is a wonderful partner in those efforts.”
To learn about how to incorporate healthy produce in your diet, go to LiveLongFortWorth.com for delicious recipes and nutrition tips.