When I was in 4th grade, I didn’t even know what a pomegranate was!

Wednesday

So yesterday I spent part of my morning volunteering at a nearby school as part of the Fitness Forward – Drive 2 Fitness program.  Before I left I had a breakfast of champions – Green Monster and Coffee.

In my Green Monster I had:

• 3 large handfuls of spinach (too much for me, I should have stuck with 2)
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tbsp Teddie’s unsalted peanut butter
• 1 cup skim milk

Anyway, back to my volunteering. First I got lost – even with my GPS! It took me to a school down the street from the one I needed to be at. No problem though, I asked for directions and some lovely ladies got me on my way to the right school.

So the Fitness Forward Drive 2 Fitness program is (in their own words) “motivate and empower children and their families to lead healthier lifestyles through education, personalized tracking tools, social marketing, and rewards.” They have 5 daily health behaviors that they teach to children.  At the kickoff event yesterday, we had posters of each of the 5 behaviors to explain to the children and get them excited about the program.  These daily habits include:

• 1 hour or more moderate to vigorous physical activity
• 1 hour or less TV, computer, or videogame time
• 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables
• No sugar-added drinks
• 9-11 hours of sleep

So my station was the fruit and veggie poster and I was amazed at some of the things the kids were telling me. A lot of them said that their favorite fruit was pomegranate! They were smart and fun, and I had such a great time with them! Oh and in case you are wondering Fitness Forward is currently implementing this program in MA, NC, ND, PA, OH, and AL public schools.

After we finished the kickoff, the director, another volunteer and I all went to a cafe for a quick bite to eat. I got a slice of butternut squash bread and was so excited I almost forgot a picture! But I remembered and then devoured it :) If you are ever in Jamaica Plain, the Ula Cafe is really cute!

I also got my homework on yesterday and busted out a draft survey for our thesis (finally). Our methodology is due next week to our advisor for review so we really needed to get it done. I think it rocks but we’ll see.

And just for continuity – Dinner was a hefty piece of spinach lasagna.

I also ended up having a snack to fuel my ticking brain later on. I haven’t had a bagel with cream cheese in so long!

Thursday

Not so much exciting news for today. I did make an Egg in a Nest for the first time. I liked it!

I also went to a reception for a nutrition professor who was receiving an award and got my snack on. But I didn’t have a camera. Disappointing really since the hors d' oeuvres were really interesting! There was a little slice of cucumber with a bit of cream cheese and smoked salmon (i think?!), little pieces of bread topped with mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes, thai veggie wraps with peanut sauce, and of course cheese and crackers and cookies for dessert!

Then class.

Then dinner. An open-faced pear grilled cheese. Does that make any sense? Anyway I burnt the bottom and still ate it haha

I must have been feeling the bread today!

I’ve got so much work but I’m looking forward to a little relaxation tomorrow. That will be my only chance for it since I’m going to the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo – or as we in the field just call it – FNCE. I’ll be there basically all day Saturday through Tuesday! I’m glad it’s in Boston this year though. A bunch of us Simmons students will be going. Anyone else out there going?