By Holly McPeak, MS, Nutrition Advisor
Health professionals, nutrition educators, local community leaders, and wellness instructors can now download the revised Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshops (EHBA), developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The six one-hour workshops feature updated nutrition recommendations based on the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Updated content includes:
- Recent DGA toolkit materials on added sugars, sodium, saturated fat, and healthy eating patterns; and
- Easy-to-understand handouts updated with health literacy principles in mind.
Each workshop retains popular activities, such as five-minute physical activity breaks and take-home materials, including MyPlate tip sheets that can promote healthful behavior change over time.
What Can Instructors Expect?
Workshops provide key objectives, supplies to have on hand, lesson plans, talking points, ice breaker activities, and instructional handouts. Helpful supporting materials include Q & As and a corresponding video and worksheets. The EHBA workshops can be used as a six-week series or individual workshops can be integrated into a local educational program as stand-alone lesson plans. All workshops offer an evaluation for class participants to provide feedback.
The first five workshops focus on nutrition topics, including:
- Workshop 1: advice on building a healthy, tasty meal;
- Workshop 2: healthy eating on a budget;
- Workshop 3: how to lose weight and keep it off;
- Workshop 4: quick and healthy meal and snack ideas; and
- Workshop 5: recommendations for making healthy eating part of one’s lifestyle.
Sample menus and recipes are featured along with food substitutions and calorie comparisons. Other popular topics include choosing healthier options at the grocery store, fast food and full-serve restaurants; food safety; and food labeling. Video vignettes accompany the nutrition workshops as a popular teaching tool.
The sixth workshop in the series focuses on the importance of engaging in regular physical activity. It describes the physical activity recommendations and offers examples of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises for all ages, including older adults. Resources from the National Institutes for Health’s Go4Life® program and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition are featured, including the updated Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA +) program and PALA+ paper log.
You don’t need a nutrition degree to lead the workshops. Additional resources are included to help educators implement the workshops, including:
- Best practices for implementation;
- An appendix of helpful resources, supporting information, and materials; and
- A certificate award for class participants.
How to Use the Workshops in your Community
Educators can now download the entire workshop series and single workshops, including separate resources and videos, in English. Spanish translations will be available soon. Printed copies will be available in English and Spanish in limited quantities as soon as possible.
Spread the word through your professional and educational networks that the new version of the Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshops is now available.