Mantua – Research has shown that a healthy diet supports normal growth and development and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. But not everyone understands what constitutes good nutrition. When the Portage County Community Health Assessment identified food insecurity and good nutrition as crucial needs within the community, the idea to hold Nutrition Night at Crestwood Intermediate School (CIS) came to fruition.
“Admittedly,” Crestwood Schools Behavioral Health & Wellness Coordinator Cara Baker shared, “it started on a whim.” Knowing how crucial good nutrition is to students, she wanted to provide families with resources and ideas to help make good choices more achievable. As an added benefit, Patrick Griffis, Crestwood Intermediate (CIS) Principal shared that positive events like Nutrition Night help increase connections between the school and parents, as well as the rest of the community.
Nutrition Night was the first activity of its kind since Covid necessitated limiting visitors in the school. Future programs include one on April 13th where parents will learn how to help their children deal with stress. CIS will also host another on May 18th highlighting special opportunities to keep kids engaged throughout the summer months. There are roughly 320 students at CIS in grades four through sixth grades.
Baker called in experts from throughout Portage County to share information and make resources available to local families. Representatives from University Hospitals Community Outreach, Haymaker Farmers’ Market in Kent, and Portage County Master Gardeners were on hand to meet with parents and students.
University Hospitals outreach team provided families with insulated lunch boxes and reusable tote bags, as well as information about packing healthy meals on the go and eating well on a budget. Mindy Gusz, UH RN noted that the Community Health Improvement Plan has helped bring these resources together to help improve the health of Portage County residents. “There have been lots of collaborative programs in the works.” According to Gusz, one big initiative is to raise awareness on childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes in the county’s children. She encourages families to watch portion sizes, eat less, and move more. To make progress on the last element, the team is working with the Portage Park District to promote hikes and outdoor activities.
UH Dietitian David Yakunich promoted increased consumption of colorful fruits and vegetables. He shared that only 1 in 10 Americans consume enough plant-based foods in their diet. He recommended ways that families can incorporate more vegetables and fruits into their diets, and suggested the more colors, the better. According to Yakunich, most Americans only get 8-10 grams of fiber each day (women are recommended to consume 25 grams and men should aim for 30). Adding more plants to meals and snacks can help achieve the recommended amount while reducing the number of processed foods eaten.
Yakunich promoted simple changes, such as incorporating red fruits and vegetables into one’s diet during the month of February, since the phytonutrients in naturally red foods contain anthocyanins, a powerful compound shown to reduce cardiovascular risks by up to 25%.
Andrew Rome from Haymaker Farmers Market encouraged families to check out the market, which provides families with the opportunity to purchase healthy, local foods. Haymaker vendors also accept food assistance benefits, ensuring that quality food is accessible to everyone. The indoor market runs each Saturday through the end of March at the Unitarian Universalist Church. The outdoor version returns to downtown Kent each Saturday from April through November.
Portage Master Gardeners also had a booth to encourage families to try growing some of their own healthy foods. They shared information about gardening basics, and to encourage families to begin this healthy hobby, they raffled starter baskets filled with basic gardening supplies to give winners a great start. Master Gardeners have a wealth of knowledge and experience; gardeners or any skill level are welcome to ask questions of the Master Gardeners at go.osu.edu/pchelpline. For a complete list of upcoming public events, visit portage.osu.edu/program-areas/master-gardener-volunteers/program-and-events.
