Nutrition Olympics

cooking
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
Shauna Schultz, RD, plays games to keep kids interested in nutrition and health education.
1. Set up different stations for children to participate in, making sure each activity is age appropriate. Station ideas include melon dumbells, apple toss and broccoli forest (obstacle course), carrot javelin throw and a rainbow track.2. You may choose to use plastic versions of fruits and vegetables for the activities to cut down on the mess.3. Children will have the opportunity to participate in each activity and learn about the featured fruit/vegetable at the same time. For instance, at the melon dumbell station they can lift the dumbell, learn about different kinds of melons and which vitamins and minerals they contain.4. Posters can be displayed showing different varieties as well as the vitamins present and the benefits. For example, write vitamin A on a poster board and include pictures of eyes, skin, etc. to show the benefit.5. You may also choose to have a trivia contest, food samples, coloring stations or novelty items for the children to take. It’s also nice to set up a table for parents where they can take recipes and fact sheets.6. Playing themed music as well as dressing in fruit or vegetable attire may liven up the event.
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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