By Kate Graziano | Public Health Corps Fellow, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County
National Nutrition Month, established in 1973 by the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is upon us! The campaign invites people to celebrate nutritious foods by learning how to make informed food choices and develop healthy habits. This year’s theme is “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” with weekly activities relating to healthy choices and nutrition on a budget. Nutrition powers individuals and communities, and building nutritious habits into your day through this campaign can empower you to improve your health and well-being now and in the future.
Discovering the power of nutrition can be done at any age, but Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County (CCE Essex) will soon be debuting a way for kids in particular to do this via a nutrition superhero game. Through the support of the Hannaford 2024 Childhood Obesity Prevention Project, Ellie Hoffman, Jake Yambor, and Kate Graziano created a deck of cards that features 13 fruits, vegetables, and legumes – all of which grow locally in Northern New York – depicted as superheroes. Each food will have specific, nutrition-based powers to show kids what healthy foods can do for their bodies. For example, the Carrot Superhero will have Vitamin A Vision Powers to keep eyesight sharp, and the Spinach Superhero will have Iron and Calcium Powers for energy and strong bones.
In addition to superhero cards, the game will also include “villains” such as germs, fatigue, hunger, and broken bones. To play the game, kids will have to use the combined powers of the different foods in their hand to fight the villains that appear throughout gameplay. So, if they’re fighting germs, they will need foods with Vitamins C and E powers to strengthen their immune systems. If they’re fighting hunger, they’ll need to find foods with carbohydrate, protein, fiber, and/or lipid powers to decrease hunger and keep them full.
The nutrition superheroes game will go beyond the lesson that fruits and vegetables are healthy to get kids excited about the specific ways that local produce can improve their health and power their bodies. By turning fruits and veggies into superheroes, the game puts nutrition into terms that many kids already know and love, making it more approachable and fun. The nutrition superheroes game is still in development, but keep an eye out for it at CCE-led Power of Produce Club (POP Club) events at local farmers’ markets this summer!
In the meantime, CCE Essex is focused on local food and nutrition in many other ways, too. Ellie Hoffman, Kate Graziano, and Mina Weymouth-Little teach Agriculture in the Classroom lessons to over 400 K through 5 students throughout Essex County. Each month, participating classes learn about local, in-season foods with a fun activity and a taste test from a farm in the Adirondacks.
Photo by Tim Rowland
Additionally, Samantha Davis and Kate Graziano lead senior health and wellness classes to older adults throughout the county and provide monthly healthy recipes and nutrition-based gatherings. Any questions or interest in setting up future events can be directed to Kate at kmg324@cornell.edu.
CCE Essex also collaborates with the Essex County Well Fed Collaborative to provide Essex County residents with information about places to source affordable healthy food. The Well Fed Collaborative website includes an interactive Food Resources Map with filters showing food pantries, stores accepting food assistance benefits, and locations offering free and low-cost meals (including Adirondack Community Action Programs, Inc.’s Aging Adults Nutrition Sites).
Furthermore, Alisha Thapa at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County (CCE Clinton) provides SNAP-Ed resources and workshops for residents of Clinton and Essex counties. SNAP-Ed workshops are designed to help participants learn how to make affordable nutritious choices. Any questions or interest in future events can be sent to Alisha at at996@cornell.edu. For more information about ongoing programs, visit the CCE Clinton SNAP-Ed page.
The North Country Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx) through Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County (CCE St. Lawrence) is another resource for residents of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence Counties. The FVRx program works with healthcare providers in the North Country to refer patients with chronic diseases or food insecurity to virtual and in-person nutrition workshops in which patients receive nutrition information and $25 in vouchers for healthy food purchased at select North Country businesses. Patients referred to the program can attend up to six nutrition workshops, where they receive $25 in vouchers at each workshop. If you live in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, or St. Lawrence County and are interested in participating in this program, ask your healthcare provider if they can refer you. If you are a healthcare provider and/or have any questions about the program, please contact Sarah Bentley-Garfinkel at sb2742@cornell.edu for more information.
Information about healthy, local, in-season food at Adirondack farmers’ markets and businesses is always accessible on the Adirondack Harvest website. Join us in celebrating National Nutrition Month by Discovering the Power of Nutrition in our community today!
