WHOA Foods, SLOW Foods, GO! Foods

March 15th, 2012

Adults 50 Plus Teach Youngsters to Eat Healthier

It’s an age-old problem. You know your children should be eating more fruits, vegetables and lower-fat foods, but how do you convince them to push away the French fries and doughnuts in favor of an apple or carrot sticks?

The answer? At two schools here in the Hartford a number of adults 50 and older are volunteering their time and knowledge to teach kids the difference between WHOA foods, SLOW foods and GO! Foods. They are part of CATCH Healthy Habits, a unique intergenerational health program which pairs adults 50-plus with children to encourage healthier eating and physical activity.

Current program sites include the Global Communications Academy on Greenfield Street and at the Batchelder Elementary School on New Britain Ave. There are plans to expand to more sites in the summer and fall.

The volunteers work with children in kindergarten through the fifth grade in weekly one-hour sessions to play active games, make healthy snacks and learn about food choices like WHOA, SLOW and GO foods.

WHOA foods are those that contain a lot of salt, unhealthy fats or added sugars—sometimes all three. Examples include whole milk, ice cream, butter, French fries, candy bars, fried meats and potato chips.

GO foods contain very little salt, unhealthy fats or added sugars—sometimes none at all. Examples include fruits and vegetables, fat-free or 1 percent plain milk, foods made with whole grains, broiled fish, baked chicken and lean meats.

SLOW foods are in between GO foods and WHOA foods and may include 2 percent plain milk, fat-free or 1 percent flavored milk, white bread and rice, pancakes, baked chicken nuggets and fruits canned in light syrup.

“The goal for anyone providing snacks or meals to children should be to help them eat fewer WHOA foods and to get them excited about more SLOW and GO foods,” said Renee Hamel, who serves as CATCH Healthy Habits coordinator with Community Renewal Team, Inc. (CRT). CRT and it’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) partners with OASIS, an education organization that introduced CATCH Healthy Habits to area children starting in 2011 through a grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation.

CATCH Healthy Habits uses simple but innovative recipes with catchy names to convince children to try healthier foods. Celery sticks topped with low-fat cream cheese and raisins becomes Ants on a Log. Cubes of cheese and cut-up fruit are speared on toothpicks to become Dynamite Sticks. Graham crackers, low-fat cottage cheese, raisins and a touch of cinnamon are combined to create Cracker Delight.

“Most kids are reluctant to try a new food, especially if it’s presented as something healthy,” said Hamel. “The key is to make it fun by combining different tastes and giving snacks fun and unusual names. What child wouldn’t be intrigued to try Ants on a Log?”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly one-in-three children in the United States are overweight or obese, increasing their risk of becoming overweight adults with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Additionally, obesity rates for older adults have doubled in the last 30 years, increasing rates of chronic disease and reducing quality of life for millions of Americans. Approximately 60 percent of adults age 50-plus do not meet the CDC's recommended physical activity standards.

“The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation supports programs to get people healthy and provide them with the tools to stay healthy,” said Eina G. Fishman, MD, MS, CPE, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Chief Medical Director. “We know that unhealthy lifestyles and poor eating habits are the main reasons for America’s obesity epidemic and the associated health problems. Through programs like CATCH Healthy Habits, we hope to teach children and their parents new, healthy lifestyles. The program also benefits the adults who volunteer, as studies have shown that those who spend their retired years in volunteer activities live longer, healthier lives.”

Support for CATCH Healthy Habits is part of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation’s ongoing commitment to help Connecticut residents become and stay healthy. Promoting healthy lifestyles and addressing increasing rates of obesity are focus areas of the Foundation.

The grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation for CATCH Healthy Habits in Hartford is part of a $2.7 million grant from Anthem’s parent company’s Foundation to OASIS that is expanding the program across the country.

Hamel is still looking for volunteers to start in the spring, and those interested are encouraged to contact her at 860.760.3087, or hamelr@crtct.org.


EXAMPLES OF WHOA, SLOW AND GO FOODS

Food Groups	Examples of WHOA Foods	Examples of SLOW Foods	Examples of GO Foods
Vegetables	Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables made with solid fats Fried battered vegetables Fried potatoes, fried French fries, fried hash browns	Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables made with vegetable oils Vegetables with salt and/or sugar added Baked French fries and hash browns 100% vegetable juice	Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables with no salt, sugar, or fat added, or with a small amount of salt* added 100 percent low-sodium vegetable juice
Fruits & Fruit Juices	Fruits canned in heavy syrup Fruit roll-ups	Fruits canned in light syrup Fruits with sugar and/or salt added Sherbet, sorbet Frozen fruit juice bars and smoothies with added sugar Dried fruit with added sugar	Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits with no sugar or salt added, or with a small amount of salt* added 100 percent fruit juice Frozen 100 percent fruit juice bars and smoothies Dried fruit (such as raisins, figs, dates, apricots, plums)
Grains	Croissants Biscuits Sweet rolls Doughnuts Muffins, waffles, pancakes, and French toast made with solid fats Fried rice High-sugar cereals made with refined grains Granola made with solid fats Potato chips, cheese puffs, corn chips Cookies Cakes Popcorn made with solid fats and flavored popcorn	White bread, buns, rolls, bagels, tortillas, pita bread Cornbread Muffins, waffles, pancakes, and French toast made with vegetable oils Pasta made with refined flour White rice Low-sugar cereals made with refined grains Granola made with vegetable oils Instant oatmeal Low-fat crackers made with refined grains Tortilla chips Baked potato chips Pretzels Animal crackers made with refined flour Vanilla wafers Cereal/fruit bars Popcorn made with vegetable oils and/or salt	Whole-grain bread, buns, rolls, bagels, tortillas, and pita bread Pasta made with whole-grain Brown rice Wild rice Whole-grain, low-sugar cereals (such as toasted oats, shredded wheat, oatmeal, muesli) Low-fat whole-grain crackers Baked tortilla chips Whole-grain animal crackers Graham crackers Air-popped popcorn with no salt added
Dairy	Whole milk Flavored 2 percent (reduced-fat) milk Milkshakes Whole-milk yogurt Processed cheese Cream cheese Cheese sauce Cottage cheese (whole-milk) Sour cream Ice cream Pudding made with 2 percent or whole milk Cheesecake Frozen yogurt Gelato	Flavored fat-free or 1 percent milk Fat-free/low-fat yogurt Natural cheeses (Colby, cheddar, Swiss) Cottage cheese (2 percent or reduced-fat) Low-fat cheese sauce Low-fat cream cheese String cheese Low-fat sour cream Non-fat or low-fat frozen yogurt Low-fat ice cream Pudding made with skim or 1% milk	Fat-free (skim/nonfat) milk 1 percent (low-fat) milk Non-fat dry milk Fat-free or low-fat plain or 100 percent fruit juice-sweetened yogurt Part-skim natural cheese Low-fat (1 percent) cottage cheese
Meat, Beans & Eggs	Beans, peas, and lentils made with solid fats Baked beans, canned Pork and beans, canned Peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios with added salt, sugar, and/or fat Peanut butter and other nut butters with added salt, sugar, and/or fat Eggs fried in solid fats Fried fish, shellfish, and fish sticks Fried chicken Fried chicken nuggets Regular ground beef Regular hamburgers Ribs Bacon Ham hock Pork skins Hot dogs Pepperoni Sausage Beef jerky Bologna Salami Chorizo Pastrami	Beans, peas, and lentils with vegetable oils Refried beans Hummus Falafel Peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, pistachios with no added salt, sugar, or fat Natural peanut butter Eggs fried in vegetable oil Baked breaded fish, shellfish, fish sticks Tuna canned in oil Chicken and turkey with skin (baked, grilled, or broiled) Breaded baked chicken and turkey Baked chicken nuggets Ground chicken and turkey Lean ground beef Regular cuts of beef (brisket, T-bone, chuck roast) Lean ham Canadian bacon Regular cuts of pork (pork roast, ham) “Veggie” burger Luncheon meats (chicken, turkey, ham) Low-fat hot dogs	Beans (such as pinto, black, red, garbanzo), peas (such as black-eyed, split, purple hull), and lentils – with no salt or fat added, or with a small amount of salt* added Pumpkin and sunflower seeds with no added salt, sugar, or fat Whole eggs Egg whites Egg Substitute Fish and shellfish – baked, grilled or broiled Tuna canned in water Chicken and turkey without skin Lean cuts of beef Extra-lean ground beef Ground beef that has been drained and rinsed Lean cuts of pork (pork chops or tenderloin – without fat)

WHOA Foods, SLOW Foods, GO! Foods

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