On Saturday, Nia House’s staff joined forces with Angelica Sanchez Garcia, RDN, City of Berkeley nutritionist for WIC to present on healthy eating and mealtime success.

Angelica’s presentation offered inspiration and insight into the downfalls of sugar, where it sneaks into children’s diet, the harm, and what we can do about it. Check out her slideshow here. Thank you, Angelica!

Nia House staff presented on the expectations and keys to a successful and meaningful mealtime at Nia House. Mealtime is an opportunity to connect to food, culture, values and to people in friendship and as family. At Nia House, mealtime is beautiful time. See for yourself in the videos below.

Tenets of Mealtime:

Practice- Every time a child sets a table or eats, it is them practicing SO MANY skills- recall, motor skills- fork, spoon, holding a cup, sipping without spilling, getting the food to the mouth, naming foods, learning likes and dislikes, opening and closing containers, and more.
Participation- Children are engaged members at meal-time. Ask questions, talk about the food, ask for their help, discuss likes and dislikes, etc. This is a time for relationship building, language development, grace and courtesy, and more.
Responsibility- Lunch time, especially in the Primary years, would not be possible without the responsibility of the children. How can your children help at home? They want to!
Repetition - Children learn through repetition, meal time will arrive at a place of ritual, specialness, and even a sacred time only with repeated experience.
Ritual- Thoughtfulness around eating presents an opportunity to create meaning around your family mealtime.