News Type: Program Highlights

Austin Adds Two More Staffers!

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

Bethany Dawson was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. She graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a B.S. in Biology in 2012. She went on to serve a year as an AmeriCorps member with City Year San Antonio, where she worked as a full-time math tutor in a low-income middle school. This past May, Bethany graduated from the UT Health Science Center School of Public Health in Houston with a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology. Bethany is passionate about childhood obesity prevention through nutrition and physical activity, and she developed an adaptation of the CATCH Middle School curriculum for use in faith-based communities for her Master’s thesis. During her second year at the UTSPH, Bethany found out about Brighter Bites and joined the Houston team as a part-time Graduate Assistant on the research end. After graduating in May, she moved to Austin but just couldn’t say goodbye to Brighter Bites and is very excited to join the new Austin team full-time! Bethany enjoys running, photography, traveling, and trying to replicate her mom’s cooking. Ellen Orabone is originally from the Chicagoland area. She has a BS in Food Science from North Carolina State University, an MA in International Affairs from American University, and an MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from the United Nations-mandated University for Peace. Ellen started her career in the food world with a scientist’s eye, but has incorporated social and environmental threads into her passion for food. She has realized that what is most important for a sustainable food system is the balance between nourishing our growing population with healthy, affordable food and maintaining a healthy, thriving planet. Ellen has lived, worked and attended schools in multiple cities. In Costa Rica, she worked on sustainable agricultural practices and studied neglected and underutilized crop species. In California she was a Garden Programs Coordinator with Bronco Urban Gardens where she constructed school gardens and implemented garden-based education programs in low-income communities. And, most recently, in Austin, Ellen built and managed the Sustainable Food Center’s Teaching Garden, where she was also the Teaching Garden Coordinator. In that role, she created and taught food gardening classes, led food-system youth field trips, coordinated free seed and plant giveaways, and composted anything she could get her hands on. In her free time, Ellen enjoys participating in Camp Gladiator bootcamp-style workouts, kayaking on Lady Bird Johnson Lake, and watching the latest sci-fi and comic book superhero movies at the Alamo Drafthouse with her boyfriend.

BB Summer Season Begins

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

Tribute to an Intern

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

During last week’s distribution at Jack Lowe Elementary School in Dallas, I had the opportunity to gain some insight from Sarah Payne, one of our amazing Brighter Bites interns. Sarah is currently a graduate student at Medical City completing her Dietetic Internship. After she graduates, she hopes to find a job where she can make an impact on community health and nutrition. Sarah stayed busy during her week with Brighter Bites. She worked on creating CATCH lessons, handing out food samples, engaging with families, and giving a green smoothie presentation. Sarah had a few minutes to talk with me about her experience. “I loved working with Brighter Bites!,” she said. “Not only does it give back to the community but it also provides nutrition education, recipes and samples that make the families excited about eating fruits and vegetables,” I give Sarah an A+! The Dallas Brighter Bites team has truly enjoyed working with all of our interns. It has been rewarding for our staff to provide hands-on experiences to the interns and to receive fresh perspectives and innovative ideas from them. We look forward to working with more student interns in the future!

Overcoming Portion Distortion

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Christina Blick -

Understanding portion sizes doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it’s as effortless as printing off this handy dandy tip sheet and keeping it on your refrigerator! Comparing common household objects to your food is a fun and easy way to make sure your family eats the right amount. (Don’t forget to build your meal using MyPlate too!)

Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

On Saturday, April 25th, over 1,300 YMCAs across the country took part in Healthy Kids Day, holding free community events that were open to all kids and families and filled with fun, active play and educational opportunities. Brighter Bites was excited to be a part of this at two Houston-area YMCAs! We gave away oranges and grapes to participants, as well as healthy recipes and parent education materials. We also informed parents about our upcoming summer season that will take place at both locations we visited; families are excited for the Brighter Bites summer season to start! The gymnasiums were filled with children hula-hooping, eating oranges, learning about first-aid, and many other healthy activities. Parents learned about how Brighter Bites will impact their children’s lives this summer. Last summer, over 100 families at the San Jacinto YMCA received fresh fruits and vegetables every week and 150 families participated at the MD Anderson YMCA. This summer, we hope to serve even more families and make a bigger impact in their lives with our new recipes and educational materials.

Career Day at Adams Elementary

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

Last Thursday, Jacqueline Noyola was getting ready to give her career day presentation at John Q Adams Elementary School in Dallas when a group of kids entered the room dressed as the career they want to pursue when they grow up. She could see future doctors, nurses, football players, firefighters, and engineers in the crowd, but no one with her specific job. She felt inspired to talk about being a nutritionist at Brighter Bites. Most of the students did not even know that careers in public health, community nutrition, and dietetics existed so they were eager to learn about Jacqueline’s work. She described how the nutritionists and dietitians at Brighter Bites select fun recipes and ensure they are packed with a big nutrition punch. Since the kids at John Q Adams love the recipe samples Brighter Bites brings every Friday to their school, they were excited to hear Jacqueline’s behind-the-scenes stories. Her presentation was valuable for the kids. She provided them with a better understanding of the Brighter Bites program and its impact on them, their community and the rest of the participating schools in Dallas. Jacqueline was honored to participate in the school’s Career Day, teach the kids about the valuable work she does, and give them information about a job they could do someday, too. Brighter Bites’ efforts to bring healthier choices into the homes, minds and mealtimes of the families we serve extend beyond our day-to-day distributions. Career Days are another outlet through which we can discuss the importance of eating nutritious foods and help kids make brighter choices, one bite at a time!

Lunch Conversations at KIPP Dream

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

Meet my friend Isabela, a 1^st grader at KIPP Dream in Houston. She is one of the smartest, funniest, and curious kids I get the pleasure of hanging out with every week.

Every Wednesday at 11:47AM (that is when her class eats lunch), you will find me sitting on the last seat of the cafeteria table talking with her. She always saves me a seat! This week she was super sweaty when we met for lunch so I asked her why. She told me she had been playing football and refereeing the game. She loves football and even watched the Super Bowl this year. I told her I couldn’t even remember who won the game. Isabela was quick to remind me that the Patriots beat the Seahawks. Next, I asked about Isabela about her favorite meal. She loves carrot salad and even helps her mom prepare it! She gave me the recipe: shredded carrots, avocados, tomatoes and onions. Meeting kids like Isabela reminds me of the important role parents play in their kids’ eating habits. Isabela’s mom has exposed her to a great variety of vegetables and fruits and has also invited Isabela into the kitchen to prepare snacks and meals with her The result: a child who loves her fruits and vegetables. So, parents, encourage your kids to try different fruits and vegetables – they just might like them!

Jasmine’s Tasty-Monial

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

Jasmine, 5th Grader at Sherman Elementary

My favorite fruits are apples, oranges, and grapes. I like other fruit, but those are my three favorites. My favorite vegetables are celery and carrots. I don’t really have that many favorite vegetables. Each week, when I look in the Brighter Bites bag, I feel excited because I have fruit, and fruit keeps you healthy. I am most excited about the fruit that comes in the bags. I haven’t tried any of the recipes, but my mom usually cooks with most of the vegetables. I eat more fruits and vegetables now than I ate before the Brighter Bites program. My favorite dish my mom makes is stew. She uses potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, and onions. This program impacted my eating habits in a good way because I eat lots of vegetables I didn’t eat before.

The Brighter Bites Legacy

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Chris Manlapid -

As a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston, my favorite part of the job is getting to spend time in the community. I love meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. Brighter Bites gives me the opportunity to do that on a daily basis. When KIPP Legacy Elementary School in Houston joined Brighter Bites in Fall 2013, we were impressed with the level of commitment, organization and excitement the school leadership and volunteers displayed from the beginning. Almost two years later, their enthusiasm remains strong. Every week, between 18-22 KIPP Legacy parents volunteer to help make Brighter Bites happen for their kids. The bagging process is usually filled with jokes, laughter and food (a Brighter Bites formula for success). Almost every week, a parent volunteer will share a recipe and sample with the group. This week a mother shared Guayaba Tea (tea made from guavas). It was the perfect beverage for an unsually cold Houston morning. Last week another parent shared a delicious chocoflan (known in the US as “impossible cake”). It has been a joy for me to work with everyone at KIPP Legacy who has made the Brighter Bites program a huge success. The Brighter Bites team is grateful for everything you do. Keep up the great work!

Good Nutrition is our Mission

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Christina Blick -

National Nutrition Month is all about spreading the word on good nutrition to help families develop healthy habits. There are many resources out there to help guide you in making good nutrition decisions. Of course, the Brighter Bites parent handbooks are a great place to get nutrition information. Our handbooks cover a wide range of topics including ways to use fresh produce and tips on smarter snacking. We’ve even posted some of the handbook information on our website to share with you!

Other websites that have useful resources include Eat Right and Choose MyPlate. On the Eat Right website, you’ll find tons of great resources including wonderful recipes and different ways to make nutritious food fun for kids. Choose MyPlate is a great resource because it explains the basic guidelines of the meal planning tool which includes making half of your plate fruits and vegetables. Developing good nutrition habits early may help reduce the risk of many diseases later on in life. Here at Brighter Bites, we hope that the colorful fruits and veggies that we provide to families each week will help them develop good nutrition habits now and in the future!