1. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
The missing piece
Parents are a strong influence on children.
A nutrition education plan without considering parents is incomplete.

2. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
Other important pieces
Mental health
Housing
Safety
Food insecurity
Social Justice
Health Equity and more….

3. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
What foods are available.
Where foods are available/transportation
Price of the foods
Advertising and Promotion of foods
All these factors influence the choices we make.

4. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
Parental modeling: A Key factor that affects child’s food intake and physical activity.
Best approach: positive role model
High degree of parental control=low self control in children

5. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
The realities of low income parents
Lack of usable information about nutrition.
Many parents are busy, stressed and overworked, making healthy cooking challenging.
Cultural/legacy foods sometimes are unhealthy; need alternatives or substitution strategies.
Many Parents are not “doing the right things” themselves when it comes to PA and nutrition.

6. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
The realities of low income food environments
Underserved communities lack the healthy food options and safe places to play and exercise compared to more affluent communities.
Food marketing and easy availability create strong desires for unhealthy foods
The cost of healthy foods can be a barrier to consumption.

7. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment nutrition/cooking classes
Cooking and gardening classes: an effective way to engage parents and children together.

8. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment nutrition/cooking classes

9. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment Gardening classes

10. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
Media: Radio and TV
Radio and TV are excellent tools to be used to change the food environment. Partnerships with local community Radio Programs or Public Access TV is a good way to start.

11. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment puppets and media

12. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
NEXT STEPS:
Continue with nutrition/consumer education for the families.
Identify areas of improvement in the food environment.
Work together with families, community agencies and retail stores to make these improvements happen.

13. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
Conclusion
Creating food environments that motivate and support individuals to follow nutrition recommendations should make it easier to achieve long-term, broad-based improvements in eating trends.
Community participation is IMPORTANT, but the challenge is to take the first step by bringing the right people to the table.

14. Parent Outreach Changing the food environment
Oscar Guardado
Bilingual Health Educator
Nutrition Wellness Program
Health and Human Services
County of Marin