Eat Smart

Engaging youth and their families to learn how to grow, prepare, recycle and study foods’ nutrition and health benefits

Full Project Name:Eat SmartPrimary Community Organization:Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Mardak Center for Administration & TrainingPrimary Academic Partner:Praveen S Goday, MBBS, PediatricsAward Amount:$392,697

Award Date

September2007

Project Duration:36 months

Project Description Narrative:

In central Milwaukee, low-income youth and their families face three primary barriers to nutritious food intake: knowledge of healthy food choices, access to nutritious food, and skill in making good-tasting food.

Through the Eat Smart project, 360 low-income youth and their families will participate monthly events and a weekly market basket program where healthy and culturally relevant foods will be brought from farm to the families on a weekly basis. Participants will learn about the relationship between their food consumption and their health, the benefits of whole healthy foods, and food preparation skills. It is expected that this prevention and intervention project will transform the eating habits of the youth participants and their families.

Community partners: Medical College of Wisconsin, Growing Power, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee School of Engineering