That is one of the fun things that will be taking place at the July 12 Salisbury Farmers Market. From 8 a.m. to noon, this fun activity will be hosted by the Rowan County Public Health as part of the market’s Power of Produce (POP) Kid’s Club.
As noted in a previous article about the upcoming market season, Leigh Anne Powlas, the market manager, said the kid’s club is new to market this year and is something she found from the Farmers Market Coalition.
Called the Power of Produce or POP Club, it is, she said, “one of their things to encourage kids to eat healthy foods, fruits and vegetables.”
Powlas also shared that this club “looks to transform your kids into market participants with educational activities, demonstrations, interactions with their local food growers and challenges to try fresh market produce.”
And during the market on that particular day, Dylan Mott, public health education manager with the Rowan County Health Department, said they would be “running a special nutrition education activity called MyPlate Farmers Market Bingo, designed to help kids learn about healthy eating through interactive exploration of the market.
The goal of this event is twofold, Mott said, including highlighting the variety of fresh, healthy foods that are available from local vendors; and secondly teaching children how to make balanced, nutritious food choices in a fun and memorable way.
The event will be led by the health department’s nutrition intern, Lauren Hall, who is a nutrition and wellness student at Appalachian State University.
Mott said the activity is based on the USDA’s MyPlate tool, which teaches all ages healthy nutrition and “how to build a balanced plate using the five essential food groups — fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy.
When asked about the importance of teaching children in this fun way, Hall said that “teaching kids about MyPlate is a simple and effective way to show what a healthy meal looks like. It helps them understand the right balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy on their plate. When kids learn this through fun and interactive activities, they are more likely to remember the information, feel confident in their food choices and develop lifelong habits that support good health.”
As for how the activity will work, Mott provided the instructions as follows:
First, kids will receive a MyPlate Bingo card from the Market Manager’s table.
Next, the kids will search the market for items that fit into each food group and receive a sign off from the vendor who carries that specific item from the food group.
Once they complete their card by identifying at least one item from each group, they get bingo, and they can return to the Market Manager’s table.
There, they’ll redeem their card for a small prize from the “Fresh Finds” treasure chest and have the opportunity to ask any nutrition questions to Hall.
