February is American Heart Month. It’s a time to show your own heart some love and inspire others to do the same. It’s also a great time to learn more about your risks for heart disease and stroke. Many organizations use February as a time to focus on educating the public on how to prevent Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)—including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. CVD is the number one killer of women and men in the United States, and a major source of disability as well.
This month, Food $ense joins our partners at the Hope Heart Institute in celebrating what our hearts beat for and how we keep them healthy. Read on to meet some of our staff and remember to keep your heart healthy, for yourself and your loved ones!
Last month you were introduced to some of the nutrition education Food $ense does with adults in South King County communities. One of the ways we connect with the communities we work in is through a number of local food banks. Our adult educator provides regular recipe demonstrations at the Auburn Food Bank, Des Moines Area Food Bank, Salvation Army Renton Rotary Food Bank, and the White Center Food Bank. The recipes featured in demonstrations are healthy and quick to prepare, and always use ingredients commonly distributed at the food bank. Food bank clients continually impress us with their ideas for how to use the produce and staple items they receive from the food banks, and there is a lot we can learn from each other.
Food $ense youth educators have been visiting elementary school classrooms in the Auburn, Highline, and Kent School Districts since October, providing hands-on nutrition education to students with the help of their classroom teachers. In a recent visit to Springbrook Elementary School in Kent, F$ educators Kelsey and Mary prepared pancakes with applesauce (see recipe below) with Ms. Laurie Sison’s 5th grade class. The pancakes are made using one of WSU Extension’s most beloved recipes: the Master Mix. Turns out, Ms. Sison had a story to share with her class about the Master Mix.
