Monday, June 12, 2017

So What is this FAN (Faith, Activity, and Nutrition) and How Will Our Church Benefit From Being Part of the Program? by Lacy Ngo, MS, RD


The church is here to most importantly spread God's word and God's love. Yet the church is also here to care for its members. The FAN program was formed to help with just that: caring for the health of our members. Some of our members have expressed a desire for this aspect of care.

The FAN program has three goals, which are:
1.     Increase physical activity
2.     Increase availability of fruits and vegetables at church, and
3.     Increase the availability of whole grain foods at church
The FAN program has a few requirements and many options on how our church can improve our ability to serve our church family in this way.
A few things you will see are:
·       A monthly FAN informational table in the church lobby. The table will have FAN newsletters, handouts, a place for you to ask a dietitian your nutrition and fitness questions, and even some healthy morning snacks will sometimes be provided for your enjoyment.
·       You can also checkout an updated monthly bulletin board, and
·       The monthly FAN bulletin inserts in your church bulletins. 
Do you want a little more? Sign up for the 8-week nutrition and fitness program starting August 27th. We will meet for a boot camp style fitness program, and we will spend some time learning nutrition tips from a dietitian. This program will be held every Sunday at 4:30. The workout will be tailored to you. Sign up in the lobby during the FAN kickoff Sunday or by emailing Lacy Ngo at lacyngo@yahoo.com.
Speaking of the FAN kickoff Sunday, please stop by our first FAN table on June 25th.
Lastly, keep checking this blog for even more nutrition information.
In fact, our first nutrition and fitness blog tips are listed below:



Easy Ways to Increase The Availability of Nutritious Foods at Church Activities
So your group is in charge of the church Wednesday night supper, and you want to make something delicious and nutritious for a large crowd; but what can you do? Don’t worry; you won’t need to change your whole menu to GREATLY improve your recipes for large crowds. Just follow three simple steps, and your same delicious recipes will become drastically healthier:
1.     Add more vegetables to your own recipes
2.     Use whole grain pasta, bread, and rice in your own recipes.
3.     Always have at least one fruit or vegetable as a side
That is it! Walla, you have a healthier meal to serve your church family.
Whew, that was simple. Now the meals are healthier, but what about snacks? So you are in charge of snacks for a church event, and you want to purchase snacks in bulk.  Perishables like fruit and vegetables are not going to work for you. Can you still provide healthier snacks?
Yes, you can! Simply buy cheerio’s, popcorn (which is a whole grain), or whole grain goldfish, and you have now increased the availability of whole grains in the church. One simple snack solution, and you are providing your church loved ones with healthier snack options.
Remember, it is not about taking foods away, but about having healthier options available.






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