Youth

UNH Cooperative Extension nutrition programs help children and adolescents develop into healthy adults by teaching them to make good choices related to diet and physical activity. Trained staff provide up-to-date information and share it through hands-on learning activities. Learn more about Nutrition Connections Programs for Youth.

The number of overweight youth, both nationally and in New Hampshire, has increased significantly in the last few decades, a matter of serious concern given that relationship of obesity to diabetes, heart disease, asthma, some cancers, and other chronic diseases. In addition, research has shown a link between nutrition and children's cognitive development, performance, and ability to concentrate.

The UNH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Connections program provides a series of four to six nutrition lessons to youth. We target schools that have the highest percentages of children eligible for free and reduced lunches. We also work with children in after-school and summer programs. In 2007 we reached more than 4, 000 children throughout the state with our nutrition lessons.

What do youth learn?
Nutrition Connections lessons teach the importance of:

• Making smart choices from every food group.
• Making physical activity a part of daily life.
• Practicing food safety as it relates to food handling.

The lessons also support and encourage eating breakfast. Children have the opportunity to taste new foods. Nutrition activities provide skill development in reading/language arts, math, and science, plus nutrition and health, meeting some of the State of New Hampshire Education Standards.

What children say about the program
Involving youth in food preparation helps make them more likely to try new foods. Some comments from children include:

I never would have tried this if I hadn't made it.
This tastes better than it looks.
I didn't think I'd like this stuff, but it's pretty good. Can I take some home for my mom to try?
If I just saw this on the table I would never have eaten it.

By eating a variety and being willing to try new foods and new recipes, these children have a greater chance of eating healthier. ~Christine Parshall

What teachers say about the program
Teacher feedback is one way we evaluate the impact of nutrition education. Here are some comments we received last year from teachers:

Today for the first time, everyone had a healthy snack!
More students eat breakfast.
Children are bringing in more healthy foods for snack time. They are also telling their parents about the nutrition classes and what they are learning.
Approximately half the children started drinking one percent and skim milk instead of chocolate, strawberry, and whole milk.