Community Partnership Provides Hands-On Learning about Healthy Eating

OXNARD, Calif. - Sept. 18, 2018 - PRLog -- The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme has partnered with Community Memorial Health System (CMHS) to educate Club members on the importance of healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. The newly implemented Healthy Kids in the Kitchen program aims to improve diet choices and enhance the overall health of children and their families.

More than 80 Port Hueneme Club members, ages 8-13, took part in the Club's Healthy Kids in the Kitchen program this summer. Working with small groups of kids, CMHS's team of certified-nutrition chefs and a registered nurse gave detailed hands-on demonstrations of how to cook and prepare a variety of healthy meals. The program focuses on exposing participants to various nutrient-dense ingredients such as kale, squash and collard greens, while also teaching them how to use more familiar ingredients such as ground beef, rice, and cheese, in healthier ways.

The Club members were shown how to make kale salad and a black bean vegetarian chili.

"The program has been so successful; the children learned about food safety and the importance of washing their hands before cooking. Overall, they were really interested in preparing and cooking the food, then sitting down as a group to enjoy what they made together," said Omar Zapata, BGCOP director of program services. "We are now looking into implementing this program at other Clubs, such as at our Nyeland Club."

The Boys & Girls Club has served the youth of Oxnard and Port Hueneme for over 60 years. With three full-service clubs and 17 school program sites, the organization is one of the largest of its kind in California. The Club provides programs for more than 10,400 youth and teens in three priority outcome areas: Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles. For more information please visit www.BGCOP.org.