Today in Washington, D.C., Brighter Bites Founder Lisa Helfman and Board Member Rich Dachman participated in a panel discussion about growing the grassroots and scaling through partnerships. It was an exciting day!
Did you know that some farmer’s markets accept SNAP? Now you can spice up your routine by taking the kids on a farmer’s market adventure! It’s a great way for the kiddos to learn directly from the farmers about the fruits and vegetables they love. A scavenger hunt [like the one found here] is sure to spark your kids’ enthusiasm for a normally boring errand. When you involve your kids in the selection process they are more invested in the final outcome: dinner! The produce found at farmer’s markets are usually fresher because local farmers sell what is in season. Ever notice why tomatoes in summer are so much more flavorful than ones bought in December? It’s all about the season. You can use SNAP benefits on other items such as bread, honey, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, and seeds/plants that produce food too. Below is a list of SNAP friendly farmer’s markets in Houston, Dallas, and Austin HOUSTON:
DALLAS:
AUSTIN:
Eating well is important, but staying physically active during the summer also promotes a healthy lifestyle. The following are a list of FREE activities in Houston, Dallas, and Austin that will keep your kids happy and healthy. HOUSTON:
DALLAS:
AUSTIN:
Brighter Bites staff members attended the Hunger Free Texans Annual Conference in Houston this year. We were one of the many booths educating industry professionals on our efforts to keep Houston healthy. The conference afforded us the opportunity to build partnerships with other organizations whose goals mirror our own: improving food literacy and igniting a passion for fresh produce. It was inspiring for us to meet and collaborate with other people who are as equally passionate about keeping our community healthy. Our co-founder Shreela Sharma, PhD RD LD, from the UT School of Public Health presented her research on Brighter Bites. She described how our model incorporates CATCH for promoting healthier environments at school and at home to help fight obesity. Dr. Sharma’s presentation is available here in video format or here in PDF only.
George Farhat, Program Manager Alicia Farhat, Community Relations Specialist Meredith Spence
The Get Kidz Fit Fest was held on Saturday, April 11th in Dallas. It is an annual family fitness festival that educates kids and their families about wellness and nutrition and engages them in fun activities. The kids participate in a variety of physical activities and games like dancing and obstacle courses, while the parents learn about healthier habits and nutrition. Brighter Bites participated in the Get Kidz Fit Fest too and we were really busy! In total, we brought 15 pallets (or 20,000 pounds) of carrots, apples and potatoes to the event. We filled 1600 Brighter Bites bags with that produce and gave them to 800 families. We also distributed our nutrition handbooks to families along with some healthy recipes like the Black Bean and Corn Salsa and the Cheesy Portobello Pizzas. To involve the kids in a more interactive way, we played a Jeopardy-style trivia game. The questions included topics such as fruits, vegetables, physical activity and GO vs. WHOA foods. The kids loved figuring out the answers to the nutrition questions. We even joined them in some physical activity when they were challenged to run in place for 10 seconds or do 10 jumping jacks. We got our workout in that day! The Brighter Bites staff in Dallas really enjoyed being a part of such a fun event! Educating families about healthier habits is what we strive to achieve every day.