Food Demonstration/Recipe Tasting

Create opportunities for pantry clients to see how items they are receiving can be used to create a healthy meal.

• Create a simple cold or hot dish for clients to sample. Note that the Health Department requires running water if the meal is prepared onsite. Another option is to have volunteers prepare a recipe in advance to be sampled.
• Suggested Recipes from the Capital Area Food Bank Website. Provide printed recipe cards (English/Spanish) for participants to take home.
  • Tangy Chicken Salad
  • Black Bean and Corn Salad

Table Displays

• Display MyPlate graphic showing food groups and portion sizes. Many MyPlate printable resources are available at https://choosemyplate-prod.azureedge.net/printable-materials.
• Display healthy food items from each MyPlate food group.
• Display portion sizes using items to visualize (e.g., baseball = 1 cup of dry cereal).
  • Visualizing Portion Sizes

Children Activities

• Using a MyPlate poster, or drawing a large MyPlate graphic on poster board, provide foods from each food group. Children select food from samples and place in proper spot on poster. This activity can also be offered as a game. Participants race each other or the clock to select food items and place them in their proper place on MyPlate.
• Activity Sheets: MyPlate Coloring Sheet; MyPlate Printable Materials; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Activity Sheets.
• Quiz Wheel - Participants spin wheel to answer nutrition questions and win prizes. Wheel sections can contain pictures of MyPlate characters. Children can name a food that belongs in that food group.
• MyPlate Bean Bag Toss Game - Participants name a food item and toss a bean bag into the appropriate food group. Buckets or hula hoops can be used for food group categories.

Handouts

• MyPlate Build a Healthy Meal
• MyPlate, My Wins

Giveaways/Prizes

Note: Look for organizations that may be willing to donate items to reduce cost. Suggested items for purchase may include:

• MyPlate wristbands.
• MyPlate magnets.

Event Set-Up/Suggestions

• Print out resources needed for event.
• Table(s) needed for table displays and food demos.
• Food items need for each food group display. Use as many pantry items as possible.
• Props for displaying portion sizes.
• Food Samples and/or prepared recipes.
• Napkins, toothpicks for sampling foods, hand sanitizer, gloves for sampling food.
• If creating a meal — food items, assembly tools, serving plates and utensils