The key to getting teens to eat healthier isn’t what you think.

Mom may have told you not to talk with your mouth full, but that doesn’t mean conversation has no place at mealtime. Nutrition Educator Anadeli Bautista shares how communicating with your loved ones can be the key to healthier eating.

Why are communication skills important to nutrition?

Good communication skills are helpful in any situation. Any parent with a teenager at home knows it’s not always easy to bridge the generation gap. But when it comes to healthy meal planning, especially on a budget, things go much more smoothly if everyone can talk openly. The Food Bank’s FRIDGE class is all about helping families work as partners to achieve healthier eating goals.

What is FRIDGE?

FRIDGE stands for Food-Related Intergenerational Discussion Group Experiences. The curriculum was developed as part of the Penn State Intergenerational Program. Basically, it’s a nutrition class that helps families communicate better about eating habits. The series includes basic nutrition with the USDA’s MyPlate recommendations. But we also talk about healthy communication habits, identifying food preferences, peer pressure and collaborative decision making, just to name a few.

What are some of the barriers you see between parents and kids, and how do they affect families’ eating habits?

Any family can struggle with communication. As kids grow into teenagers, they want more independence and to make their own choices.

I recently taught this class at a Central Texas Children’s Home group home. There you have extra tension because the kids are also overcoming troubled situations. Foster families just have to work harder at keeping those lines of communication open to help prepare the young adults in their transition to independence.

Then you factor in what we call “noise.” That’s TV, cell phones, video games—all the things that distract us from the here and now. It’s easy to see how parents and kids can get frustrated trying to communicate through all that noise.

How does the FRIDGE series help families break down these barriers?

You know, we’re not big on lectures here at the Food Bank. FRIDGE is very interactive. We play a game called “You Think You Know Me?” based on the Newlywed Game. You should see parents’ reactions when they realize they don’t actually know what their kids’ favorite fruits and vegetables are.

We also role play. Parents and kids will act out a scenario and practice resolving conflict through communication strategies. For example, a parent might try to discuss weekly meal planning with a teenager who is too busy with a cell phone to really pay attention. That scenario really resonated with the house parents at Central Texas Children’s Home.

So, is FRIDGE really a communication class, or do participants actually learn about food?

They absolutely learn about food! Of course we cover basic nutrition principles and how to read food labels, but they also practice making healthy recipes as a family. The foster family at Central Texas Children’s Home made this delicious chicken spinach penne pasta. I was impressed with how eager the kids were to pitch in, especially the boys.

The chicken spinach penne is great because it really is a balanced meal in one dish. The pasta and chicken are a great source of whole grains, fiber and protein. And the spinach, yellow summer squash and tomatoes are packed with vitamins. Since it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare, I always recommend it to working families that are looking for easy ways to eat and prepare dinner together.

To learn more about our CHOICES Nutrition Program or to schedule a class, contact Bilingual Nutritionist Vivian Noriega at 512-684-2538 or vnorieaga@austinfoodbank.org.

 

Chicken Spinach Penne Pasta

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 4 cloves garlic, diced


• ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth


• 1 10-ounce bag fresh spinach


• 2 large tomatoes, diced


• 1 yellow summer squash, chopped


• 15 ounces canned chicken in water


• ½ cup parmesan cheese


• ½ teaspoon dry oregano


• ½ teaspoon dry basil


• Lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste


 

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta following the instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.


2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic and stir to prevent burning. After about 30 seconds, add the broth to the saucepan while stirring. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the squash. Cook for 2-3 minutes.


3. Add the tomatoes, chicken, spinach, oregano and basil and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.


4. Pour the chicken and vegetable mix into a large bowl with the pasta and mix well. Add the cheese, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.


 

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 cup

Servings: 8

Calories per serving 316

Total Fat 9g

Carbohydrates 36g

Fiber 5g

Protein 21g

Sodium 599mg

Cholesterol 38mg

 

Source: Healthy Lunch Time Challenge Cookbook, LetsMove.gov

Recipe modified by CHOICES Nutrition Education Program, Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.