PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION + NUTRITION EDUCATION + FUN FOOD EXPERIENCE
PROMOTE AWARENESS
INCREASE ACCESS
There is widespread lack of understanding regarding how food impacts health.
An estimated 10% of the U.S. population has poor access to fresh food.
We make it fun. We make it free. And we make it happen via a simple, replicable formula.
IMPROVE HEALTH
WELCOME
Less than half of U.S. children eat the advised amount of fruits and vegetables daily.
CREATE DEMAND
Three out of every ten children in the U.S. are obese.
Our mission at Brighter Bites is to create communities of health through fresh food. We are a nonprofit that delivers fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands. We teach families how to use them and track their behavior change.
OUR NOT-SO-SECRET FORMULA
Brighter Bites distributes fresh produce to Brighter Bites schools. Each family receives a variety of fruits and vegetables, weighing about 20-25 pounds and equating to approximately 50 servings of fresh produce.
FUN EXPERIENCEFOOD
EDUCATIONNUTRITION
DISTRIBUTIONPRODUCE
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
We teach kids, parents, and teachers how to make the most of their produce. We provide nutrition education handbooks, plus weekly tip sheets and recipes, for everyone to use at home. We train and support teachers in their implementation of the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH), an evidence-based program that promotes healthy food choices and physical activity.
Brighter Bites staff engages with families through various digital platforms, like newsletters, text messages, web pages, our new Brighter Bites app, and social media, by sharing easy recipes, kitchen how-tos, culinary tips, and healthy topics.
Educators, you are an irreplaceable part of our program!
YEAR 8
CATCH ACTION PLAN
All the tools you need for success!
ACTIVITIES
Physical Education information, teacher wellness tips, recorded orientation, tracking links, news, and more!
semester NUTRITION EDUCATION LESSONS + PRODUCE ACTIVITIES IT’S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 8! 1 CLASSROOM, 2 COMPONENTS, 8 EACH!PRODUCE
All the you need
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE?
8 lessons
CATCH P.E. ACTIVITIES & MORE TOOLS FOR YOU!
tools
EDUCATOR’S ROLE
for success!
Your role in nutrition education and physical education is a huge part in true behavior change in our Brighter Bites students. Now more than ever you are our heroes for everything you do not only for the academic advancement of your students, but also because of how much you care for their overall wellbeing. That makes you one of our biggest allies to create excitement about immune-supporting foods and teaching your students the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Thank you for helping us foster an environment of health and wellness in your schools! for the WHOLE produce activities each
Due dates and links to your lessons for the year.
What is CATCH?
Brighter Bites produce helps families apply the nutrition ideas at home that students learn during CATCH lessons. Our nutrition education handbooks and nutrition education materials for parents also incorporate CATCH concepts, enabling families to support what students are learning in the classroom.
For over 30 years, the CATCH platform has been proven to launch kids and communities toward healthier lifestyles. CATCH Global Foundation is committed to making the many evidence-based CATCH health programs available to kids everywhere.
https://letsgo.catch.org/
WHOLE CHILD WELLNESS FOR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES
CATCH
CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) is an evidence-based coordinated health program that has been shown to prevent childhood obesity and launch kids and communities toward healthier lifestyles. CATCH impacts a child’s nutrition knowledge, level of physical activity, classrom environment, and community, by making healthy decisions easy and fun. This coordinated curriculum engages all stakeholders of a child’s life including, parents, teachers, administrative staff, PE coaches, cafeteria staff, and the larger school community.
Track your CATCH lessons here: CATCHtrack.brighterbites.orgActionPlanExample
What are Produce Activities?
PRODUCE ACTIVITIES
A Produce Activity is a short nutrition activity that is meant to get students engaged with healthy topics. These 5 minute “brain break” activities are enacted by grade level classroom teachers during every week of Brighter Bites programming throughout the school year.
The Brighter Bites produce is used as a hands-on tool to get the students excited about what fruits and vegetables they will be able to take home later that day!
WANT MORE RESOURCE IDEAS?
Please visit the PRoduce Activity section of the Teacher Tools page to access more resources like fun handouts, additional Produce Activity suggestions, and our library of short pre-recorded videos. brighterbites.org/teacher-tools/produce-activities/
https://letsgo.catch.org/
CATCH P.E. ACTIVITIES
CATCH P.E. ACTIVITIES & MORE TOOLS
TEACHER TOOLS PAGE
Join the converation on social media!
Contact us at education@brighterbites.org
Stay tuned for more information all year long!
TEACHER NEWSLETTER
MORE QUESTIONS?
FIND YOUR PROGRAM COORDINATOR brighterbites.org/family-resources/connectwithus/
Visit our Teacher Tools page for all of the information you need and FAQs to help get you started! brighterbites.org/teacher-tools/
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
Track your CATCH P.E. Activites here: track.brighterbites.org
CATCH PE is designed to promote children’s enjoyment and participation of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during PE classes, recess and extracurricular activities. The primary focus of CATCH PE is for schools to provide quality physical education in which students engage in maximum amounts of enjoyable MVPA during class time.
Teacher wellness tips, recorded orientation, tracking links, news, and more!
STAY CONNECTED
WWW.BRIGHTERBITES.ORG
For more answers to your questions, visit our website: https://brighterbites.org/teacher-tools/
PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION
Brighter Bites shares recipes, kitchen how-tos, culinary tips, and healthy topic posts and videos on Facebook and Instagram. We encourage staff to share the Fun Food Experience posts and videos with their students as well as participate in the group pages on Facebook.
Teachers using the CATCH curriculum may access lessons via the online portal at CATCH.org. All teachers will log their CATCH lessons and CATCH.P.E. Activities at Eachtrack.brighterbites.orgparticipatingclassroom
will be eligible to receive Brighter Bites produce for educators to conduct Produce Activities with their students.
Brighter Bites staff, school staff, and volunteers will distribute produce to families in the safest way possible
Brighter Bites is continuing to adjust as needed to the COVID-19 policies.
• ••••••• TASTY TIDBITS & WHOLESOME HINTS
PROGRAMMING
•
This year, Brighter Bites enrollment is paperless. We will have digital enrollment available for families to sign up from home. Although enrollment is rolling, we encourage families to sign up at the beginning of the year in order to get the most out of our nutrition education tips and tools throughout the year. We also have our Brighter Bites Mobile App in the Android and Apple App Stores to help families access, save, and favorite our nutrition education tools in their own profile within the app.
Teachers, including Physical Education Coaches/Teachers, will be required to deliver eight CATCH lessons over the course of the year. Your Brighter Bites Program Coordinator will provide your school with an action plan to simplify leading and tracking the lessons. Teachers are oriented at the beginning of the school year on which lessons to teach and how to log them.
School staff are an integral part of the Brighter Bites program.
Nutrition education reports will be shared with your school’s administration along the way to assist you in successful implementation of all lessons and activities.
FAMILY ENROLLMENT AND ENGAGEMENT
NUTRITION EDUCATION
Here are some of the elements that are essential to making our partnership a success:
“Brighter Bites made me cook things I wouldn’t have bought for fear of wasting money if my children didn’t like it.”
HAPPY PARENT
BRIGHTER BITES IS CHANGING BEHAVIOR
“I am more impressed each and every week. Not only with the goal of the program, but also with the participation rate, how smoothly the distribution runs, and the dedication shown by our parent volunteers. Brighter Bites is really making a difference.”
Since 2012, Brighter Bites has delivered more than 50 million pounds of fresh produce at more than 412 sites to over 500,000 individuals (including teachers) across multiple states.
Research by UTHealth shows that Brighter Bites significantly reduces Fruit & Vegetable waste and related nutrient waste in school lunches.
“Thank you on behalf of the families, staff, and students. Brighter Bites is a uniting force in ensuring that our community becomes well versed on the topic of healthy eating”
HAPPY PRINCIPAL
Research by UTHealth shows that 69% of 704 teachers surveyed agree that Brighter Bites has increased parental engagement at their school.
“We loved this program! It was great to volunteer to load bags, and such a treat to enjoy delicious, healthy food at home. It helps us discuss good choices with our kids and makes us proud of our school!”
BRIGHTER BITES IS INCREASING FRUIT & VEGETABLE (F&V) INTAKE IN SCHOOL LUNCHES
BRIGHTER BITES IS GROWING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S.
Research by UTHealth shows that two years after participating in the program, an average Brighter Bites family consumes 19 additional servings of fresh fruits and vegetables over one week.
HAPPY TEACHER
HAPPY PARENT
BRIGHTER BITES IS INCREASING PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL
WWW.BRIGHTERBITES.ORG
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The better we nourish, the brighter we flourish.
RESOURCES
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The better we the brighter we NOURISH, FLOURISH.