2008: International Year of the Potato!

Did you know that 2008 is the International Year of the Potato? This may be a great opportunity to inform your students about the history and nutrient value of this very important food. Did you know that... The potato came from a high plateau in the Andean Mountains of South America (between Peru and Bolivia). The potato was the basis of the Aymara Indian and Incan diet. The Spanish Conquistadors found the potato (rather than silver or gold), served it on their ships, and soon found that the sailors did not suffer from scurvy. Scurvy is a disease associated with too little Vitamin C, and since potatoes have a lot of Vitamin C, scurvy was prevented. After the potato became popular in Europe, it was later taken to America by the European immigrants throughout the 1600’s, but it was not until 1719 when Irish immigrants brought the potato to Londonderry, New Hampshire, where the potato was grown on a large scale.
In the 1800’s Irish peasants were eating a daily average of 10 potatoes per person, or about 80% of their diet. It was in the 1840’s that a microscopic fungus and heavy rains rotted the potato crops in the ground, hence the historic potato famine. Today scientists are constantly developing and studying new ways of preventing a potato disaster from happening.
Check out the International Year of the Potato website because it is full of information!

Teaching students about calcium

If you are looking for materials and information that can help you teach your students about milk and the benefits of calcium check Milk Matters Resources for Teachers. There you will find several calcium fact sheets, a snack cookbook, materials for parents, and a calcium calculator. Educational materials written for children with lactose intolerance are also available at the website. It's an excellent website with lots of resources and well worth your time!

Another good resource

I have created a list of resources on my Atlantic County website. From there you can click on a number of excellent resources for FCS teachers, parents and students. The resource page can be found at FCHS Atlantic County. Once you are at the website click on the Resources link.

Free Resources for Teachers!

I have found an excellent resource for school administrators, FCS & Physical Education teachers, school nurses, and after-school program coordinators. The program is Media Smart Youth: Eat, Think and Be Active! and can be found at Media Smart Youth. The resource contains useful lessons and all of the materials you need to incorporate healthy eating & movement activities into your programs. The materials are user friendly and created for students ages 8-12....although I think they can easily be adapted for younger and older students too. Take a look at this interactive curriculum to see if it fits your needs.

Resource Links for FCS

Over the past several months I have come across numerous resource that can be useful for educators. MyPyramid is one of my favorites because it allows you to calculate the number of calories you should be consuming in a day with examples of serving size and number. The site now offers the capacity to plan a week's menu based upon your dietary needs.

Another great site is the CDC's Nutrition For Everyone. There are many links available for you to locate information about healthy eating. One of my all-time favorites is the Fruit & Veggies Matter. This site is very useful when looking for the history and nutrient content of fruits and vegetables!