Fruit, Vegetable &
Physical Activity
Toolbox for
Community
Educators
Presented by:
Network for a Healthy California—Los Angeles Region
Questions for today:
• What is the Network for a Healthy
California?
• Why should your program incorporate
nutrition and physical activity lessons?
• What is the Fruit, Vegetable, and Physical
Activity Toolbox for Community
Educators?
• How do you become a Toolbox Partner?
• How will my staff get trained to use the
Toolbox?
About Us
The Network for a Healthy California is
administered in part by the Public Health
Institute, funded principally by the United
States Department of Agriculture Food
Stamp Program, and is one of nearly 200
projects within the Network for a Healthy
California (Network).
California’s Transition
California Nutrition Network
for Healthy, Active Families
Network for a Healthy California
California 5 a Day Campaign
The Network’s Mission
Network Audience
Mothers and children
eligible for food
stamps
The Social-Ecological Model
Reaching the Audience
• Food Stamp Offices
• Public Housing
• Food Banks & Food Pantries
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Community Activities and Events
Schools & After School Programs
Worksites
Retail & Grocery Stores
Qualifying Census Tracts
Local Incentive Awardees
• School Districts & County
Offices of Education
• County Health Departments
• City Governments &
Agencies
• Colleges & Indian Tribal
Org.
• Food Banks
• Prevention Services at
Community Clinics
Network for a Healthy
California-- Campaigns and
Programs
Targeted campaigns and programs
extend healthy eating and physical
activity messages
– Children’s Power Play! Campaign
– Worksite Program
– Retail Program
– Latino Campaign
– African-American Campaign
Don’t Litter
Eat 5 a Day
Social Marketing?
Use of marketing principles to influence
human behavior in order to improve health
or benefit society.
Get a Mammogram
Stop Smoking
Why should your organization
implement the Network
Toolbox?
Obesity and Health
• Obesity increases risk for chronic diseases,
including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some
cancers.
• Physical, mental and financial toll from these
diseases can be devastating for families.
• Poor health also effects
Health care & workers compensation costs
Worker absenteeism & productivity rates
Ability to grow, learn, and earn
Quality of life
Our Audience is At-Risk
• Low-income individuals are at higher risk for
nutrition and physical activity related chronic
diseases.
• Food Stamps can help, but California has one of the
lowest food stamp participation rates in the country.
• Environmental factors in low-income communities
make it challenging to eat healthy and be active.
Toolbox to the rescue!
• Healthy eating habits and regular physical activity
have been found to prevent obesity.
• Therefore, educating low-income individuals and
families to make healthier choices is ESSENTIAL
• Budgets are tight - staff and/or resources are being
cut.
• FREE Toolbox and Technical Assistance will allow
you to add Nutrition and Physical Activity to your
existing programs.
What is the Fruit, Vegetable and
Physical Activity Toolbox for
Community Educators?
The Toolbox
• Provides a curriculum to teach low-income
adults about eating the recommended
amount of fruits and vegetables and
enjoying physical activity every day.
 Tested with the target community to make
sure it is culturally appropriate.
 Available in English or Spanish.
The Toolbox
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Lessons
Supporting handouts
Evaluation tools
Educational videos
Fruit, vegetable, and physical activity
playing cards
• Music CD
• Poster
• Produce guide.
• The Toolbox Web site contains lessons with
supporting handouts, resources, and evaluation
tools.
Toolbox Components
Lessons : 16 in ALL!
2 adult recommendations,
7 easy-to-implement nutrition lessons,
6 fun physical activity lessons, and
1 community empowerment lesson.
Handouts: Support the lessons and remind participants
what they have learned during their educational
experience. They provide practical information, recipes,
and physical activity suggestions that will encourage
behavior change.
Evaluation: Measures your participants' knowledge of fruit
and vegetable and physical activity recommendations
and their related health benefits.
Adult Recommendation Lessons:
How Many Cups Do I Need?
How Many Minutes Should I Get?
Nutrition Lessons
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Fruit and Veggie Ice Breaker
Healthy Options Away From Home /
Power Up At Work
Healthy Recipe Demonstration and
Sampling
Grow Your Own Salsa
Green Grocer
Sharing the Gift of Fruits and Vegetables
Try Your Hand at Fund Fruit and
Vegetable Games
Physical Activity Lessons
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Be Active Your Way
Walking on the Path to Better Health
Dance for Fun and Fitness
All aboard the Physical Activity Train
Physical Activity Relay
Jump for More Physical Activity
Community Empowerment:
Advocating for Community Change
Posters
Dr. Richter’s
Produce Guide
- Nutrition Facts
- Health benefits of produce
- Portion Sizes
- Categorized by fruits, vegetables, herbs and
ethnic/specialties
- Twenty healthy recipes
- Description and history on 300 produce items,
selection, storage, preparation, handling tips and
availability.
Educational Videos
Additional Resources
Fruit, Vegetable, and Physical
Activity Playing Cards
Technical Assistance
• Staff Training
• Implementation Advice
• Nutrition Education Reinforcement Items
(NERI)
• Community Connections
Putting the Toolbox into
Practice
• The Toolbox can be used with small or
large classes.
• You can choose to use the lessons and
handouts to teach a series of classes on
nutrition and physical activity or
• Select one or two of the lessons and
handouts for a one-time class, such as a
parenting meeting.
Putting the Toolbox into
Practice
• Start your class by playing the
appropriate educational video. If you are
working with English-speaking adults,
choose A Day in the Life. If you are
working with Spanish-speaking adults,
choose Love is Conquered by Food.
• Following the video, conduct a nutrition
or physical activity lesson from the
Toolbox. Try to conduct at least one
lesson per week with the same group of
participants during a two-month period.
Putting the Toolbox into
Practice
• Be sure to conduct the Advocate for Fruits,
Vegetables, and Physical Activity in Your
Community lesson to empower your participants
to make changes in their communities that
support fruit and vegetable consumption and
physical activity.
• Use the Quick Nutrition and Physical Activity
Quiz or an evaluation tool of your choice to
measure how your participants progress
through their learning experience.
Becoming a Toolbox Partner
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Qualification
Agreement
Evaluation
Tracking Forms
Share experiences with other Partners
Next Steps
• Upcoming Toolbox Trainings
• Questions?
Contact
• Latino Campaign Coordinator:
Alejandrina Orozco (323) 260-3829
orozco@ucdavis.edu
• African American Campaign Coordinator:
Meka Webb (213) 351-7331
mwebb@ph.lacounty.gov