March is National Nutrition Month!

I am late on that announcement. But before the month is over, I do want to write a blog that goes along with this month’s theme of nutrition awareness. So this week I have decided to write about my teenagers who I eat with once a month. Once a month I head up to a certain neighborhood in Manhattan, set up a folding table, lay out my ingredients, and teach about 21 teenagers how to prepare a healthy snack. Every month the snack is different, but the teens stay the same. They don’t always like what I bring to the table, but my small steps forward with them have gone a long distance over the last few months. Since starting, I have had 2 kids try Almond Milk. I had almost a 100% approval rate on drinking smoothies that had no ice cream, or added sugar in it. We dipped fruit in yogurt and crushed graham crackers, and when I admitted they weren’t getting caramel as an option to roll it in, they ate them (and enjoyed them) anyway. I have one girl who is lactose intolerant and she has agreed to try a soy yogurt cup that I am going to bring for her next time. Each time I go, I push a few more buttons. (mwa ha ha, my hidden agenda of making them nutrition enthusiasts is revealed). You see the first time I went there; I don’t think they cared for me at all. I knew though, that with each month I returned they would start to trust me a little more. It is this trust that I rely on, when I bring something more risky each time. My goals are clear. Introduce teenagers who have had no prior nutrition education, and are dealing with a wide range of health issues, to new foods that they can easily prep at home, and foods that can improve their health. Teach these teenagers that healthy food does not mean “taste like cardboard.”Empower them to prepare food themselves, so they can shy away from depending on bodegas and fast food restaurants to give them a meal. My last goal is that when they eventually move on from this program, they grow up to be open to trying new foods, and that they understand “you are what you eat”.
Since community nutrition is determined by the people who make up the community, changing the numbers relies heavily on education interventions, in addition to improving access to, and affordability of foods. This is why when I am there, I don’t want to make the food for them and ask them to eat it. I want them to touch the food, smell the food, and well…play with it. I want them to learn how to measure out diced garlic, and see that food does not come from a person behind the drive through window. This has been challenging for me. Typically, they rush the table because they know they are getting a snack, but they’re more eager to “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” me than they are to actually learn. They are all about the instant “yuck” or “yum”. We are working on that.  What am I giving them in April? Well, I am taking a leap of faith this upcoming month. White bean bruschetta, with goat cheese and arugula. To me, it sounds amazing. To them? We will see. But this no cook, light snack is going to introduce them to a few new foods, and if they enjoy it…then their diet is once more varied. As for you, go ahead and give this one a go at home. I have faith that at least a few of you will enjoy it.
4 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 garlic cloves diced, and salt and pepper to taste, whisked in a bowl and poured over giant white beans. Toast your whole wheat crostini bread pieces for a minute or two. Remove the bread and spread with goat cheese. Top with Arugula, and finally scoop the bean mixture on top to complete.