University of California
Agricultura y Recursos Naturales

Posts Tagged: Families

Adolescentes ponen a prueba sus conocimientos sobre alimentos

In English.

Una botana saludable
Comprar los alimentos puede ser la necesidad más anticipada o amedrentadora de la vida diaria. Un viaje al supermercado puede terminar con una sonrisa por la emoción de la victoria que representa encontrar grandes ofertas o con el ceño fruncido por la agonía de la derrota por la ansiedad causada por el presupuesto. Para la mayoría de nosotros, el presupuesto es el principal factor en nuestras experiencias alimentarias. Un presupuesto bajo o inexistente es con frecuencia el culpable de que elijamos alimentos poco saludables.

Dotadas del conocimiento acerca de la  nutrición adquirido a través del programa Familias Expertas en Alimentos de 4-H de la Universidad de California (University of California 4-H Food Smart Families), junto con el Centro Kearny de Investigación y Extensión Agrícola de la UC,  adolescentes de la preparatoria Parlier del condado de Fresno enseñan a otros jóvenes de 8 a 12 años cómo darle la vuelta a los obstáculos económicos en pos de una alimentación saludable. El programa utiliza un enfoque donde los adolescentes son los maestros que educan, después de clases, a muchachos más jóvenes mediante una serie de lecciones prácticas e interactivas sobre nutrición.

Las conexiones entre los alimentos y la agricultura local se resaltan a través de la cooperación con el Centro Kearny de Investigación y Extensión Agrícola de la UC. El centro ofrecerá recorridos por las zonas agrícolas y actividades de educación acerca de la nutrición para familias en una feria de bienestar que se llevará a cabo más adelante para concluir este programa.

De acuerdo con estudios recientes del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos aproximadamente 16 millones de niños viven en hogares que no tienen acceso continuo a alimentos durante todo el año.

El programa Familias Expertas de 4-H de la UC capacita a las familias mediante conocimientos y educación acerca de alimentos para fomentar soluciones sustentables para hacer frente  a una inseguridad alimentaria y mejorar la salud. Los jóvenes se involucran a una edad crítica para aprender habilidades sobre crecimiento y establecer conductas ahora y convertirlas, en el futuro, en hábitos sustentables y saludables para sus familias y comunidades. Los jóvenes aprenden a preparar alimentos por si solos y los padres a trabajar en familia para planear comidas saludables.

Ir de compras al supermercado es parte del entrenamiento.
Los maestros adolescentes pusieron sus nuevas habilidades a prueba durante una reciente visita de estudios a la tienda de abarrotes local. Después de la visita a la tienda y del entrenamiento de 4-H sobre cómo hacer compras inteligentes a lo largo del perímetro de la tienda donde están los alimentos saludables, precio por unidad y las desventajas de hacer comprar impulsivas, se les dio un reto de compras. El objetivo era comprar, dentro del presupuesto asignado, tres cosas de cada uno de los grupos de alimentos de frutas y verduras, granos, productos lácteos y proteínas y preparar comidas saludables en sus casas. Mientras tanto, los adolescentes aprenden al mismo tiempo que enseñan a sus contrapartes más jóvenes, que comer saludable y dentro de un presupuesto es algo que se puede lograr con un poco de educación sobre nutrición y una planificación detallada.

Después de unas discusiones francas y a veces debates apasionados, que oscilan desde la comparación de pasta de grano integral a pasta de trigo integral, hasta las virtudes del hummus, mezclado con las risas juveniles. Los adolescentes se sorprendieron al  descubrir que contaban con un presupuesto adicional para gastar. Regresaron a la tienda de abarrotes para comprar más frutas y verduras y hasta hummus.

Los comentarios de los adolescentes relatan sus éxitos. “Ahora entiendo por lo que mi mamá pasa cuando va a comprar los alimentos” y “¡Mira mi carrito. Familias Expertas en Alimentos realmente está influyendo en mí!”. ¿Quién se imaginaba que ir al supermercado fuera tan divertido?

El programa Políticas y Promoción sobre Nutrición del USDA ofrece estos 10 consejos para comprar verduras y frutas a precio asequibles:

• Use las frutas y verduras frescas de temporada.
• Revise su periódico local, en la internet y la tienda en busca de ofertas, cupones y especiales.
• Planee sus comidas con tiempo y haga una lista de lo necesario.
• Compare el precio y número de porciones de la misma fruta y verdura en las opciones frescas, enlatadas y congeladas.
• Compre cantidades pequeñas de alimentos con mayor frecuencia para asegurarse que puede comerlas sin tener que tirarlas a la basura.
• Para frutas y verduras que use con frecuencia, es mejor comprar el paquete grande.
• Opte por las marcas de la tienda cuando sea posible.
• Compre verduras y frutas en su forma más simple.
• Siembre un huerto para tener frutas y verduras frescas, baratas y sabrosas que pueda añadir a sus comidas.
• Prepare por adelantado y congele sopas de verduras, guisados y otros platillos.

Posted on Monday, May 16, 2016 at 3:13 PM

Hispanic consumers boost foodservice opportunities

The growing U.S. Hispanic population is shaping the foodservice industry, according to Technomic research.

?By 2060, Hispanics are expected to make up nearly 30% of the total U.S. population. As this demographic grows, so too will its impact on the foodservice industry. Technomic's Hispanic Foodservice Consumer Trend Report explores how this consumer group has and will continue to shape foodservice as their usage grows.

Forty-one percent of Hispanic consumers (PDF) say they use foodservice twice a week or more often, up from 36% in 2013. The study identifies operator and supplier opportunities to appeal to Hispanics by emphasizing elements like healthy eating as well as connection to family and authenticity, which this group tends to prioritize to a greater extent than other consumers.

“Hispanics prioritize eating meals with family, and they feel strongly that restaurants are an ideal place to spend time with family,” explains Sara Monnette, senior director of consumer insights for Technomic. “There is a greater opportunity to gain Hispanics' loyalty, as they're visiting foodservice locations, especially coffee shops and family-style concepts, more often than the general population.”

Meanwhile, a subset of the U.S. Hispanic population is growing both in numbers and buying power. Earlier this year at the NACS State of the Industry Summit in Chicago, attendees learned that multicultural consumers make up 45% percent of the Millennial population in the United States — and 21% of them are Hispanics.

In terms of foodservice opportunities for the c-store industry, this younger Hispanic cohort is also growing up with well-defined eating attitudes and behaviors. To help build loyalty among these customers, convenience retailers can incorporate spicy flavor profiles and zesty condiment bar options into prepared food programs.

Source: NACS, Hispanic consumers boost foodservice opportunities, July 17, 2015

Posted on Monday, October 5, 2015 at 7:30 AM

Preparing the Children of Immigrants for Early Academic Success

Even though recent research shows that children of immigrants in high school perform well and often outperform their peers with U.S.-born parents, the opposite is true for young children, according to a report by Migration Policy Institute. Elementary-age children of immigrants face more health risks and educational challenges that could strongly affect their futures.

Early childhood education and elementary school readiness is a source of concern for many children of immigrants, the report says. These children are often at a disadvantage because they have not had access to childcare or preschool. As a result, children of immigrants are academically unprepared for school and perform worse than their peers.

This same group of children is generally at risk for childhood health problems, the report finds. Poor health can lead to lower academic performance since sick children have a harder time being attentive in class and usually miss more school.

Because the move from kindergarten to elementary school is a time that is extremely critical to a child’s development, the report finds that early educational deficits can have an impact on the child’s life for years to come.

Different interventions can help children of immigrants and immigrant children to improve their performance and have results similar to their native-born peers. Investments in greater access to early childhood education, promotion of better health policies for young children and dedication to creating stronger relationships between family and school could positively benefit this group of youth.

Source: Published originally on Journalism Center on Children and Families as Preparing the Children of Immigrants for Early Academic Success, August 23, 2013.

Posted on Monday, November 18, 2013 at 2:15 PM
  • Author: Journalism Center on Children and Families

More multigenerational households in immigrant areas

A Bureau of the Census brief shows a rising trend of grandparents, children and grandchildren living in the same home. According to researchers, this rise is fueled largely by hard times, the increase in Hispanics and other immigrants, and cultural preferences.

Multigenerational households are more likely to be in areas where immigrants live with relatives and in places where housing costs are so high that families are doubling up, according to the state-by-state Census brief. Non-Hispanic white families make up the smallest share of these households — 3.7 percent compared with more than 10 percent Hispanic and American Indian and 9 percent black and Asian.

Households of three or more generations also are prevalent in low-income areas and places with a higher percentage of children born to unmarried mothers.

Multigenerational families live in 4.3 million homes in the U.S., or 5.6% of all family households. That's up from 3.7% in 2000. In California, 8.2 percent of the households are multigenerational.

Almost two-thirds of these families include a householder, a child and a grandchild. About a third have a householder, a parent and a child.

The largest concentration of multigenerational families are in the South, West and eastern coastline — areas that have a lot of immigrants, expensive housing or both.

Unemployment has sent many young adults back to the nest in recent years but demographers expect that pattern to be temporary.

Boomerang kids may eventually move out but home builders are preparing for the tidal wave of aging Americans that they expect will lead to more generations moving in together.

Source: USA TODAY, More multigenerational households in immigrant areas, by Haya El Nasser, October 25. 2012.

Posted on Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 10:01 AM
  • Author: USA Today, Haya El Nasser

Poverty, food insecurity and Hispanic children

In 2009, nearly 1 in every 5 children in the United States lived in families that used emergency food assistance through Feeding America, the nation's largest organization of emergency food providers. Higher shares of Hispanic and black children used emergency food assistance than white children, reflecting their higher rates of poverty. Emergency food assistance may be the only option for immigrant families, which may not be eligible for government help. While the majority of families using emergency food assistance also accessed at least one of the federal nutrition assistance programs, only one in four received food stamps.

The brief “Emergency Food Assistance Helps Many Low-Income Hispanic Children,” published by the Urban Institute, highlights the characteristics of children in families that use emergency food assistance, focusing especially on Hispanic children.

Most children in families using food assistance are food insecure and poor. Hispanic households that use emergency food assistance tend to have more members than other racial and ethnic groups, a factor that places additional pressure on food budgets. The majority of families that tap into the emergency food assistance network also receive help from federal nutrition assistance programs. Hispanic families, however, are less likely than others to get help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation's largest federal food assistance program. Hispanic families more often include noncitizens who may be ineligible for SNAP. Their lower participation also may reflect confusion about rules governing citizens and immigrants or less awareness of the program. While Hispanic families received SNAP less often, they did frequently get help from programs such as school nutrition and WIC.

The U.S. emergency food assistance network plays an important role in meeting families’ needs, especially during tough economic times.

Source: Urban Institute, “Emergency Food Assistance Helps Many Low-Income Hispanic Children”, October 05, 2010.

Posted on Friday, February 25, 2011 at 3:52 PM
  • Author: Myriam Grajales-Hall

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