Events

Making healthy choices at mealtime is not always easy, especially on a budget. The objective of a food demonstration is to improve and diversify family feeding practices. Live demonstrations help parents develop cooking skills and confidence to prepare nutritionally balanced meals at home. As nutrition educators, we know that families on a tight budget are less likely to try something new in the kitchen if they are required to spend money on unfamiliar foods and ingredients. Food demos are a great way to introduce new foods at no cost! Participants can see, smell and taste new recipes and discover firsthand that healthy foods can be delicious. Six in 10 adults who attend short, interactive sessions said they were willing to make a healthy change. https://community-nutrition-education.extension.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2018-Illinois-SNAPed-Impacts_spread.pdf It is our responsibility as educators to help our clientele understand what healthy eating is.

At Well Child Center (WCC) we have partnered with Activate Elgin, Advocate Sherman Hospital and U-46 to help our community better understand the importance of a healthy diet.

As part of National Nutrition Month, Well Child Center has partnered with Activate Elgin to promote their campaign: March Into Health. The WIC program’s Food Demonstration: Edible Kitchen on Thursday, March 26^th at 5:45 p.m. is open to the public to attend.  A seasonal soup and salad demo will be presented by Linda Rusenovich, RD, LDN and WIC Nutritionist for participants to sample. Adults and children in the community are welcomed to come! Please RSVP to this event with Karen at 847-930-6716 by March 20^th to attend.

Since 2016, Well Child Center and Advocate Sherman Hospital have worked collaboratively to offer Childbirth Education Classes. These classes are taught in 4-week sessions by certified instructors every month. Expectant mothers are provided with instruction and support to help navigate pregnancy through the postpartum period. In the final week of class, the instructor provides a cooking demonstration featuring nutrition education specific to mom and baby.

We are overjoyed to partner with U-46’s Parents as Teachers (PAT) program. The PAT program is designed to help parents of children from birth to age 3 to feel more confident in their role as their child’s first teacher. WCC’s WIC program is dedicated to helping parents feed their children properly during critical periods of growth. To help parents feel more confident in the kitchen, we have opened our WIC program’s Food Demonstration: Edible Kitchen to PAT parents in April.

WCC has one primary goal – to create and maintain broad-based community partnerships to help all families and children thrive. This goal remains the core vision of our organization and we will continue to carry out our mission to Growth Healthy Families.

With an aim to inspire families to eat at home together more often, to foster the best health possible for individuals and families now and into the future, we are proud to celebrate National Family Meals Month™!  During September, we encourage families to share one more meal together per week and we will highlight tips, resources, information, inspiration, and simple, healthy meal solutions to help make that happen.

Did you know that numerous studies underscore the long-term health, academic and societal benefits of consistently eating together as a family?  Home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain, and health of all family members.  Not to mention, people who frequently cook at home eat fewer and healthier calories.’ Additionally, regular family meals are linked to the kinds of outcomes that we all want for our children: higher grades and self-esteem, healthier eating habits and less risky behavior.

However, according to a 2013 Harris poll, only 30 percent of American families share dinner every night. Why is this?  Yes, juggling jobs, kids and the demands of a busy, modern life often come at the expense of family mealtime at home. But, this doesn’t need to be the case. You have allies all around you to provide solutions to your mealtime dilemma. We are committed to helping your family eat well to be well together.  Check out easy, budget friendly recipes on https://www.wichealth.org or ask your WIC Nutritionist for ideas at your next appointment.

So, as the new school year starts, we challenge you to renew your commitment to creating and serving meals at home that nourish your kids and your whole family, because family meals make families stronger. Pledge to Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to sharing one more family meal at home per week. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for family meal- focused content, including shopping tips and recipes

Share your own family meal experiences, misadventures, and solutions within your social channels.  And, remember, use the hashtag #familymealsmonth to be part of the conversation!  

About Linda Rusenovich

Linda is the mother of four young adults and has worked at the Well Child Center since 2005. She encourages parents to take small steps toward better health for themselves and their children.