Combatting Obesity with Nutrition Education

Education is a key component of the work done through the CHRISTUS School Clinics. Four years ago, the School Clinics saw a need to help combat early childhood obesity by providing nutrition education to students. In collaboration with the Houston Food Bank and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, they developed a seven-week program that not only taught healthy nutrition habits but also integrated nutrition into the school curriculum.

“What started as a once-a-week lesson for third grade students has expanded to grades three to six at St. Augustine Catholic School,” School Clinics physician Dr. Nancy Kwan, who oversaw the program launch, said.

Houston Food Bank nutrition educator Kellee Bennett teaches the Kids in the Kitchen program at St. Augustine. “This curriculum is an evidence-based nutrition program created by the University of Missouri to teach students about MyPlate, healthy eating patterns, food preparation, food safety and physical activity,” Bennett said. “The recipes included are healthy, kid-friendly meals or snacks that they can recreate at home and share with family members.”

The program also encourages teamwork and hands-on learning and connects the importance of nutrition and cooking skills to overall lifelong health and well-being.

“The students are usually very excited for the opportunity to cook or create their own meals in class because it gives them a sense of independence and ownership in the kitchen,” Bennett said. “By being actively involved in the preparation, they feel more confident and proud of what they’ve made, making them more likely to try a recipe with new or unfamiliar ingredients.”

For Kwan, the success and growth of the program is encouraging. “I hope to eventually expand the scope to all of our participating schools.”