UAPB celebrates garden goals | Pine Bluff Commercial News

Information on proper nutrition, healthy recipes and a food demonstration by a professional chef were the highlights of the Nutrition Café hosted by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Human Sciences. The recipes are healthy options just in time for homecoming gatherings, potlucks and the holidays.

The event took place at the UAPB Business Support Incubator in downtown Pine Bluff. At the end of the presentation, participants sampled a variety of fresh vegetables and sugar-free desserts, received healthy food brochures and received prizes.

“Well, (what) we’re celebrating here today is the Evans Allen Demonstration Garden Site Project,” said Marilyn Bailey, interim chair of the UAPB Department of Human Sciences and leader of the project titled ” Implementing Healthy Eating Strategies in the Fight against Obesity in Preschool Settings.”

“We have child care providers from four counties – Jefferson, Bradley, Drew and Chicot. Our goal is to encourage children to eat healthy, starting with fresh fruits and vegetables in the classroom, said Bailey.

Children, parents and carers were present during the discussions which were full of educational information about how food affects the body and ways to change the makeup to be healthy.

Kimberly Haynie, UAPB assistant professor of food science and nutrition, presented on the difference between good and bad fats. He showed the foods related to both groups and encouraged the group to avoid certain foods because they increase the chances of heart disease.

Master Chef W. Jinnings Burruss Jr., UAPB assistant professor of food service and restaurant management, demonstrated how to make hummus. He said the recipe is perfect because it is simple, quick and inexpensive to prepare. Attendees enjoyed hummus, topped with fresh, colorful vegetables from the garden, including broccoli, carrots, celery, squash, red and green peppers, tomatoes and cauliflower.

The Nutrition Café was created to bring together childcare providers to discuss ways to encourage healthy eating in the classroom through curriculum, role modeling and hands-on experience. , according to Bailey.

He shared that the garden project was inspired by walking into a UAPB Pre-K classroom a few years ago. The children were sitting at the table eating lunch, which included french fries. He remembers looking at one of the children and asking what they were eating. The child replied that they were eating french fries. He then asked if the child knew where french carrots came from. The child’s answer was McDonald’s, he said.

“Of course, I knew we had work to do,” Bailey said.

That conversation prompted him and Janette Wheat, UAPB assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences and project leader, to write a proposal for the project. He said they invited a group of adults to visit the garden, harvest and get their ideas for planning lessons in the classroom.

Bailey says there are physical and emotional problems, such as depression – which affects mental health and well-being – that are becoming more prominent in the wake of the global pandemic.

“We can see it even in the young population … the opposite kind of disorderly behavior … we have seen a little head banging and other behaviors that say to me children, young children are under the pressure of mind,” Bailey said.

He added that giving the children the opportunity to work with the UAPB farm manager and allowing the students to “handle the dirt is very cathartic.”

“The overall goal is to be able to support the mental health and well-being of our young citizens so that they can grow up to be leaders in our community and grow up in a healthy way,” the said Bailey.

While the Nutrition Café started in 2021 and officially ends in September 2024, Bailey has applied for an extension to keep the garden going. This commitment ensures that the benefits of the project will continue to be felt in the community.

“It’s been a good, good time tonight,” he said.

Bailey expressed his excitement about the project’s future, saying: “We look forward to maintaining this project for years to come.”

He also invited the audience to watch a recent video showing families touring the garden, learning about what is being grown and visiting a nearby farm. This video is available at https://bit.ly/4gkiXc3. This invitation highlights the potential role of the audience in the future of the project.

Details: https://uapbnews.wordpress.com/.