News Type: Media Mentions

Houston Chronicle Features Brighter Bites Co-Founder Dr. Shreela Sharma

Posted on January 7, 2016 by -

Shreela Close Up Headshot

Every five years the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publish a set of dietary guidelines in a report based upon the recommendations of a committee of scientists who are experts in nutrition, health and medicine. The newest report, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published this month, focuses on making healthy dietary choices to improve and maintain health and prevent diet-related chronic disease. The report makes several recommendations, which can be read here. The five overarching guidelines of the report are:

  1. Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan. All food and beverage choices matter. Choose a healthy eating pattern at an appropriate calorie level to help achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, support nutrient adequacy, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
  2. Focus on variety, nutrient density, and amount. To meet nutrient needs within calorie limits, choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within all food groups in recommended amounts.
  3. Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake. Consume an eating pattern low in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Cut back on foods and beverages higher in these components to amounts that fit within healthy eating patterns.
  4. Shift to healthier food and beverage choices. Choose nutrient-dense foods and beverages across and within all food groups in place of less healthy choices. Consider cultural and personal preferences to make these shifts easier to accomplish and maintain.
  5. Support healthy eating patterns for all. Everyone has a role in helping to create and support healthy eating patterns in multiple settings nationwide, from home to school to work to communities.

Brighter Bites Co-founder, Dr. Shreela Sharma, an expert in nutrition, commented on the Dietary Guidelines for an article in today’s Houston Chronicle. In addition to her role on the Brighter Bites Board of Directors, Dr. Sharma is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health, where her research portfolio includes her leadership in several nutrition-focused research projects.

A Banner Week

Posted on May 15, 2015 by -

Lisa_full size

Brighter Bites made news this week and I could not be prouder. The Houston Chronicle’s Mother’s Day tribute and Andrea White’s insightful article in the Chronicle about Brighter Bites created a buzz in social media and in our schools. Hundreds of our Facebook friends “Liked” the two pieces and other friends emailed and called to wish us well on our continued growth and the families that flourish from it. We are thrilled to begin our summer distribution cycle next month as we look back on three great years. Brighter Bites started with just one school in Houston and now serves 32 schools and community programs in both Houston and Dallas. Over the last three years, we have distributed nearly three million pounds of fruits and vegetables to more than 8,500 families. Brighter Bites is currently one of the Nation’s only non-profit initiatives that simultaneously target both increasing food access and food literacy. We help teach families to make healthier choices via in-class lessons for kids, nutrition education handbooks for their parents, and weekly recipes for everyone to try at home together. All of our materials (including this Website) are available in Spanish. The best news yet is that we are feeding with impact and have a lasting effect on the families we touch. Here are some recent numbers crunched by our statisticians:

  • >98% of parents reported that their children ate more fruits and vegetables while participating in Brighter Bites.
  • >Of those, 74% said they were able to maintain that increased level after the Brighter Bites season ended (Brighter Bites provides 30-35 pounds of produce each week for eight weeks three times per calendar year).
  • >In the 2013-2014 school year, Brighter Bites families surveyed said that 89% of them ate all or most of the vegetables we provided and 93% ate all or most of the fruit.
  • >Families are also telling us that Brighter Bites is helping them save some money, too. Each week, Brighter Bites pays an average of $2.67 for the produce each family takes home. The fruits and vegetables we provide allow them to save an average of $36.77 on their weekly grocery bill.

Looking ahead to the summer, I feel even more confident about the future of Brighter Bites in Texas. We are excited about expanding our operations in Houston and Dallas, growing the number of sites we serve, and increasing the population we reach.  Stay tuned to find out where we’re going next…

Houston Food Bank President discusses Brighter Bites in Houston Chronicle Op-ed

Posted on March 20, 2015 by -

In an article about the accessibility of healthy foods for low-income families, Houston Food Bank president Brian Greene discusses how Brighter Bites harnesses the power of “produce as a life-changer.” Our partner explained the Brighter Bites model of filling the plates of young students and their families with fresh produce and educating them on the benefits of fresh food in a fun environment. We’re grateful for the kind shout-out!

Read the full article here.

Have you heard the news?

Posted on February 24, 2015 by -

DWTV

Brighter Bites made it to the small screen last week!  It was a watermelon sized honor that the faculty and staff at Daniel Webster Elementary featured Brighter Bites’ own Kristin Michalewicz on their morning news show. The students love seeing new faces on the show so were thrilled to be able to bring some Brighter Bites excitement to their morning. Kristin recorded a quick commercial about Brighter Bites to remind the students that Brighter Bites was back and to get them excited to try the fun food sample.  One of the fifth graders recorded the video and then the whole class got in on the action by proclaiming how much they loved Brighter Bites at the end. Check out Kristin’s (second!) appearance on the Daniel Webster morning news show, as well as the Brighter Biters big smiles and big thanks for the program. The Brighter Bites students and families at Daniel Webster are perfectly peachy! Check out the Brighter Bites commercial at 3:55!