Curriculum:
- Summer focus is on putting our bodies and minds first
- Basic nutrition: examples of protein, fiber, fats, sugars / vitamins & minerals / food is medicine food is fuel
- Relationship to water – how much should you drink?
- Recommended 80-120 ounces a day
- Relationship to sugar – how much should you eat?
- Recommended 6-9 tsp / 24-36 grams // one serving of gummy bears is about 21 grams, one serving of strawberries is about 7g
- What is glucose & how does it affect your body / why do we need it
- Fruit sugar vs processed sugar
- Relationship to salt – how much you should eat?
- Recommended 1500 mg per day
- One serving of lays original is 170mg (who eats just one serving?)
- One serving of Ragu pasta sauce is 460mg (when we make things ourselves, we control how much goes in)
- Dietary restrictions?
- Cookbook intro: goal of books, discuss how they are safe spaces for everyone to explore their relationship to foods as well as a resource guide. Discuss how cooking is another way to engage in growing plants, drawing and being creative, and relaxation practices
- Nutrition discussion questions
- Make mango salsa & write recipe in books
- Cooking is creative and you can do whatever you want in the kitchen – no rules!
- Add cabbage to make it a slaw, add chopped chicken to make it a chicken salad, adjust spices and flavors as you like.
- Don’t be afraid of adding fruits into savory dishes (peach chicken, blackberry vinaigrettes, fruit in salads, etc.)
To begin the season, I felt it was important to establish language right off the bat to begin creating a safe space for conversations about our bodies, food, and mental health. Ending stigmas and isolations regarding these issues can only begin to be tackled through discussion. Affirming that HOPE’s table is a safe space to share and explore these topics was the first step to beginning the program.
I handed out everyone's Garden Journals as we sat around the picnic tables. I asked a series of questions - themes we will return to later in the season - and they wrote out their answers inside their new journals. Once finished, we began to chop up vegetables for our meal. While doing so, we discussed our answers together. There was no requirement to share or participate in the conversation, only to listen.
Some of the questions we discussed: - What is your relationship to snacking like? - What is your relationship to vegetables? - What is one of your favorite meals? - Do you experiment with new and unfamiliar foods? What was the last new food you tried? - What food makes you happy? - Can you decipher your cravings? - Are you a routine or convenience eater? - Do you notice reactions your body has to foods that you eat? (Bloating, blood sugar spike, nausea, energy, etc.) - Do you think you have autonomy around foods accessible to you? - How is your family's relationship to food?
Throughout the week we focused on building up the soil and planting seeds at the Callanan Community Garden and tidied up the beds at the hospital garden. We played lots of great games and enjoyed “Sit-Spot Time” – a time when everyone picks a place to sit and be in silence for 10-15 minutes. It’s a great way to connect with our inner monologue, our bodies, our environment, and to refresh and reset.