New training promotes healthy eating

AMES — While many caregivers know how challenging it can be to get kids to eat vegetables — especially the green ones — they also understand how vital it is.

Introducing fruits and vegetables early and often is key to helping children develop lifelong healthy eating habits.

“Community support is important for raising healthy, independent kids,” said Kelsey Salow, a health and human sciences educator with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

“That’s why ISU Extension and Outreach partners with child care providers to offer training on effective strategies and developmentally appropriate practices that encourage nutritious eating. Providers play a critical role — they understand children’s physical and developmental needs and the challenges of offering healthy, food-safe options.”

One way to model healthy habits is by growing food at child care centers. To support this effort, ISU Extension and Outreach is launching a new training program for child care providers.

Produce Basics is a two-hour virtual training approved for credit by Iowa Health and Human Services and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. It equips providers with best practices in food safety and garden safety, helping them create a healthy environment for the children in their care

The training will be held virtually Oct. 2, from 6-8 p.m. Participants will explore garden safety guidelines, learn how to identify risks associated with fresh produce, and discover safe methods for storing, cleaning and preparing fruits and vegetables.

The training costs $20 per person, and the registration deadline is Sept. 25. Registration for this training has two steps:

Step 1. Enroll for the training and CEU tracking on the Iowa's Early Childhood and School Age Professional Workforce Registry (I-PoWeR) website.

Step 2. Register and pay the course fee through ISU Extension and Outreach Registration Services.

“Most children aren’t eating enough produce,” said Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt, state extension specialist in food and health and assistant professor at Iowa State University.

“Only 14% of Iowa youth eat vegetables more than three times a day, and just 20% eat fruit more than three times a day. Research shows that fewer than 10% of youth meet the recommended intake for fruits and vegetables.”

The old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, only scratches the surface of the benefits of produce, Buckingham-Schutt said.

“Eating fruits and vegetables provides essential vitamins and minerals for brain and cognitive development, supports healthy development, strengthens the immune system, promotes digestive health, and reduces the long-term risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which are increasingly common in adulthood.”

For more information, contact Kelsey Salow at 563-920-0081 or ksalow@iastate.edu.