Statewide
October 2, 2017
Healthy lunches don’t have to be boring or redundant! National School Lunch Week (NSLW) is October 9-13, 2017 and this year’s theme is: ‘School Lunch: Recipes for Success’, making it the perfect time for parents to revamp the art of packing lunches. NSLW was created in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy to celebrate the successes of the National School Lunch Program. Here are three easy tips for making lunchtime fun and healthy: Smaller portions and more options – The term ‘bento’ is the Japanese word for a meal in a box with compartments. Utilizing a bento box for lunch time is a great way to keep portion sizes in check while allowing for a variety of foods to eat during meals. Not sure where to start? Here are 20 creative ideas that will inspire you. Avoid white bread – White bread has little nutritional value and eating it often […]
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October 2, 2017
Observed annually from September 15 – October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the history and culture of American citizens with ancestry in Mexico, Cuba, Spain, the Caribbean and both South and Central America. September 15 represents the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Started in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and expanded to a full month in 1988, National Hispanic Heritage Month spotlights the impact of Hispanic culture and ancestry with activities, lectures, tours, and events nationwide. According to the CDC, about one out of every six people in the United States is Hispanic, making it the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the US. New Jersey is also the home to a significant number of persons of Latino Hispanic descent, representing 18.9% of the total population.* Along with education, public health is an important issue in the Hispanic community. The CDC […]
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October 2, 2017
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to turn your life around. In fact, choosing just one or two “doable” changes beneficial to good health is the better path to wellness according to Susan A. Jones, RDN dietitian, and nutritionist with the Henry J. Austin Health Center. Jones helps families examine their school, work and home routines and their mealtimes and then identify small changes in their food and activity choices. Over time, those small changes can become new healthy habits. Jones shared six doable changes that families can make to eat healthier. She emphasized that all family members need to engage in the changes. “Parents can’t be drinking soda and telling their kids to only drink milk. Parents have to set the example, and the family must work together as a team,” Jones said. Six Doable Changes Find out what kids like: Don’t force alien foods on unwilling children. Talk […]
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September 5, 2017
Carla Bittner, Principal of National Park School, knows that healthy bodies create healthy minds. Over the years, National Park School has become the poster child for making sure students are safe, physically active and fed well so that they can focus on their education. The tiny town of National Park, NJ is approximately one square mile and is surrounded by West Deptford, NJ. The school has 275 students ranging from pre-K to sixth grade. The Road to School Wellness For the past three years, National Park School has received a New Jersey Healthy Communities Network (NJHCN) grant totaling $10,000 per year to implement various school wellness initiatives. “Carla and her team have been very innovative and among the best in implementing healthy sustainable strategies, said Valeria Galarza, senior project manager, Coopers Ferry Partnership and NJHCN Coach. However, their quest to create a healthy school environment started a few years before […]
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July 31, 2017
The healthiest snacks are grown naturally, and farmers markets are great places to find affordable and healthy produce. This year, National Farmers Market Week is August 6 – 12, 2017. Markets like the Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market in Trenton, New Brunswick Farmers Markets and the mobile farmers market in Camden are great places to get fresh produce and even recipes for snacks and smoothies. Be sure to check out your local market to pick up fresh fruits and veggies. SaveSave SaveSave SHARE:
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March 2, 2017
NJ Commissioner of Health Cathleen Bennett addresses the crowd of grantee representatives during the NJHCN Year 2 Kickoff Meeting. The New Jersey Healthy Communities Network (NJHCN) met on February 16th at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton to celebrate the past year’s successes and discuss plans for the future. The event was attended by nearly 120 individuals representing grantees and community partners from across the state. “Good health is crucial to our communities, and I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made over the past year,” said New Jersey YMCA State Alliance executive director Bill Lovett in his welcoming address. Erin Bunger, a senior research assistant at Montclair State University, shared the 2016 evaluation. Some of the highlights included supporting 42 statewide communities, create 26 new healthy living opportunities, have 18 new stores participate in the Healthy Corner Store initiative, and 9,110 students statewide received a school breakfast during the […]
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August 24, 2016
4 Tips to Help Children Achieve A Healthy Weight One in three children in New Jersey are considered overweight or obese, and the state ranks 27th in the overall prevalence of childhood obesity. Also, nationally, the cost of childhood obesity health care is a staggering $14 billion per year. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK) is working with partners across New Jersey to implement environmental and policy changes that support access to affordable healthy foods and increase opportunities for physical activities that help children achieve a healthy weight. “Since 2009, we’ve expanded our impact to improve the health and well-being of children in more than 45 New Jersey communities,” said Darrin Anderson, state deputy director, […]
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June 21, 2016
Your voice can be a powerful tool in pushing for social changes around the world. That’s according to Monifa Bandele, senior campaign director for food justice and children’s nutrition at MomsRising. Bandele gave advice about getting your voice heard above the noise in today’s super-connected world to 40+ local residents, nurses, and child obesity advocates during the “How to Use Your Superpowers and Get Your Voice Heard!” Workshop on June 1st at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, NJ. The event was sponsored by the New Jersey Healthy Communities Network as part of its Communities of Practice series. During the meeting, Bandele explained how MomsRising takes on the most critical issues facing women, mothers, and families by educating the public and mobilizing massive grassroots actions to: Bring the voices and real world experiences of women and mothers straight to our local, state, and national leaders; Amplify women’s voices and […]
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December 10, 2015
Originally published in The Sentinel A local pediatrician warned parents about the dangers of children facing the same diseases adults often are diagnosed with. Sandra G. Hassink, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, spoke about “Childhood Obesity from the Perspective of a Pediatrician: Social Determinants of Health and Civil Rights Pertaining to Food Access and Physical Activity” during a program at the Pines Manor in Edison on Dec. 2. “We can’t build a culture of health without raising the value of a child in our society,” Hassink said during the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids’ (NJPHK) Building a Culture of Health in New Jersey Conference. “We need to change the framework of how we think about children. As a pediatrician, I would have never thought that I would treat children with such illnesses as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver disease and many others that […]
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November 10, 2015
Nearly 27 percent (26.9%) of New Jersey residents are obese according to a recent analysis by The Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That obesity percentage places New Jersey 41st out of 51 states and the District of Columbia. New Jerseyans are in slightly better shape than residents of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York where the obesity rankings are 17th, 20th and 39th respectively. The bad news is that the obesity rate in all four states is trending upward compared to 2010. The fact that over one in four NJ residents is obese is reflected in the rate of disease associated with obesity. The study shows that New Jersey ranks 28th in rate of diabetes (9.7%) and 30th in hypertension with a rate of 31.1 percent. Lisa Scheetz, Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer of the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA is optimistic because of efforts […]
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