Trenton, NJ - March 11 marked the 4th anniversay for the school field trip "Shopping for a Healthy HeartTM" and 100 students enjoyed this educational and fun
event at ACME of Lawrenceville, followed up by a catered heart-healthy lunch to enjoy.
The Women's Heart Foundation program is administered as a collaborative with the UMDNJ
School of Health Related Professions, Dietetic Internship Program and the Trenton Central High School
to provide a unique shopping experience with test-testing and locating healthier food choices right
at the grocery store shelf.
"It's always an exciting event" says Bonnie Arkus, WHF executive director and event manager.
"We had 100 high school students and 15 dietetic interns, all at one time traveling through
the grocery store, so
it takes a bit of planning to make sure that things run smoothly
The Women's
Heart Foundation wants every student to become a savvy heart-healthy food shopper and to understand
how to read and interpret food labels," she said. "Even interpreting the ingredients section
is important."
With such a large group in one store, program organizers decided to create parallel food stations
so that no more than ten students would be assigned to a group. The UMDNJ Dietetic Interns set up five stations
stations based on a food topic. The students changed stations every 12 minutes. Each intern received
a printed schedule and an egg timer to remain on time. The grocery store permitted an overhead
announcement to cue the girls to change stations.
Denise Langevin, MS, RD, Director of the UMDNJ Dietetic Internship
program, and Geri McKay, Coordinator of the program, both feel this is an excellent
real-life teaching experience for the interns and are pleased to be a part of this
collaboration.
Bonnie said the Teen Esteem students all complete a pre-test prior to boarding the bus. After the
field trip, the students return to the school, take the post-test and enjoy a catered lunch. Finally,
students get to watch a the National Institutes of Health new BODYWORKS video, showing a teen
girl grocery shopping and preparing a heart-healthy meal with her mom and with the guidance of a dietitian.
For more information on the Shopping for a Healthy HeartTM program, contact the Women's Heart
Foundation at info@womensheart.org.
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