Nutrition Education

Welcome to our Whatcom County Nutrition Education Website.

Volunteer Opportunity

WSU Extension Food $ense Program is looking for volunteers to help maintain and expand our hands-on nutrition education programs throughout Bellingham and Whatcom County. People who are interested in and committed to healthy nutrition habits, improving personal health and desire to make a difference in the lives of low-income adults and children should consider applying.

- Food $ense Nutrition Education Helper – Adult Program (pdf)
- Food $ense Nutrition Education Helper – Youth Program (pdf)
- Food $ense Office/Program Assistant (pdf)

You will be partnering with a dedicated and fun-loving group of people working to improve the health of Whatcom County residents. This is an opportunity to learn new skills and increase your knowledge of nutrition basics.

Volunteers need to be comfortable working in groups and have transportation to the sites where the lessons are delivered (carpooling is a possibility). People who are calm with children, able to tolerate noise and some occasional chaos are needed for the work in the classroom.

Positions include assisting with youth and adult programs and in the Food $ense office. The time commitment varies from 2-5 hours per week. Training will be provided for all volunteers.

Training begins in September. Information sessions will be held: August 25th at 1 p.m. and August 26th at 5p.m. These are not mandatory and will last no more than one hour. Please call 676-6736 for more information on the program or to sign up to attend an information session.

Our Food $ense program is offering programs in schools and agencies this year. We will be featuring helpful websites that can add to your knowledge and appreciate of good nutrition.

Here are a few to get you started:

My Pyramid Website - This is the official website for My Pyramid. You can explore what you need for a healthy diet. There are also games and interactive things for children.

CDC - Fruits and Vegetables Website - Visit this colorful site maintained by the Center for Disease Control. This is the home of the Fruit and Vegetable of the month feature. Check out the fruit and vegetable for this month.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 - The government just updated the Dietary Guidelines. The new My Pyramid reflects those guidelines. This is good information for all to understand.

Fight BAC - We emphasize safe food handling in all of our classes. The Fight BAC site is very colorful and the information is easy to incorporate into your life.

Aim for a Healthy Weight - This obesity initiative of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute is a wonderful source of information on Body Mass Index and Portion Distortion. Check it out and take the Portion Distortion Quiz!

We Can! - A resource for parents who want to help prevent obesity in their children.

University of Connecticut’s Team Nutrition Page for Kids - This has so many fun resources. Play the Rate Your Plate Game!

Meal Matter: California Dairy Council - Meals Matter is a delightful website developed by the California Dairy Council. This link will take you to the Cooking for Your Family Page that contains activities for you and your children. Try the Food Pyramid Match Game, learn more about breakfast and the nutritional facts about your favorite pizza.

Go, Slow, Whoa!  A Kid’s Guide to Eating Right: The Kids Health site is full of resources for kids. This page can help kids learn about foods they can eat anytime, foods they should keep on their sometimes list and foods they should eat only once in awhile.

Kids Health for Parents: Nutrition and Fitness: Kids Health for Parents is a terrific resource for helping parents with a variety of health issues.  This particular section of the website is dedicated to helping parents encourage their child in eating well and exercising to stay fit.