Member Spotlight: HealthMPowers' Dasia McKinnon Shares Her Trick to Getting Kids to Try New Veggies
Meet Dasia McKinnon, Out of School Time Project Director at HealthMPowers.
HealthMPowers is a non-profit organization that promotes healthy habits to build a better future for all children. Based in Atlanta, they are national leader in creating and executing evidence-based nutrition and physical education programming for children. They serve over 500,000 children in school and childcare settings across Georgia.
Small Bites Adventure Club and HealthMPowers partnered in 2018 to provide Taste Test Boxes to youth across Georgia participating in Out of School Time. Many of these settings were Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.
We’re proud to announce Small Bites and HealthMPowers have served over 55,718 tastes of fruits and veggies to children. This year alone, we reached 9,030 students!
Curious how we did it?
Interested how Dasia empowers youth to try new fruits and veggies? (Hint - let the kids lead.)
Read our interview with Dasia to find out more!
SB: Tell us about yourself! Who are you? What do you do?
DM: I’m Dasia McKinnon, HealthMPowers Project Director, Out of School (OST) Time. Out of School Time partners with 28 afterschool sites in Newton, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Dekalb Counties. Afterschool sites reach youth and families through a year-round comprehensive program that includes opportunities for increased physical activity and nutrition education, family events and consistent social marketing of health messages. Sites are supported to make healthy changes to their environments by completing a needs assessment and corresponding action plan. Through direct services, we reach youth and families year-round in an effort to increase healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.
SB: What impact has Small Bites Adventure Club had on the kids in your life?
DM: Small Bites Adventure Club and HealthMPowers began their partnership in 2019. Since then, Small Bites has had a major impact on the youth which the Out of school time sites have partnered with. This year 5,391 kids tasted something new with the Taste Test Box kits!
SB: What is your favorite thing a kid has said about a Taste Test Box recipe?
DM: “I never thought that I'd ever eat this many vegetables in my life. You can literally taste EVERYTHING!”
SB: Tell us about a time when Small Bites changed the way you or someone you know looks at food.
DM: Hands down, the most memorable taste test with youth was when we created the Goodness Greenness dip recipe! From the name alone, youth formed an opinion on if they were going to enjoy this particular taste test. Each group of youth who participated in preparing this dish was almost always apprehensive about trying the finished product. Seeing basil, parsley, and spinach go into one bowl created apprehension and doubt that this could taste even slightly flavorful. Rejecting food, especially green foods is typical for youth of all ages. It was always a great experience watching youth on the total opposite end of the spectrum when they took their first bite, and experience that boost of flavor.
HealthMPowers Youth Leaders practice knife skills with a Small Bites Adventure Club “Rowdy Ranch and Zucchini” recipe. Photo credit: Jenna Shea Photography
I can remember one student exclaiming after tasting his first bite "This was better than I thought it was going to be!" Another one of his peers said, "It tastes like leaves, but I like it." I can remember many youth being persistent about getting the recipe so that they can make it at home with their families. Making this recipe sparked many questions about growing herbs, aromas, and much more. Goodness Greenness Dip certainly held up to its name
SB: What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
DM: My childhood consisted of a lot of oatmeal! Oatmeal was always stocked in our house. Mixing it with fruit, a slice of meat, or a piece of bread – any way you like it! This was always a filling meal for anytime of the day breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack.
SB: What's your secret to getting kids to try and love new foods?
DM: Making sure youth are at the forefront of the entire process from start to finish is key. Since youth have more of an impact on encouraging their peers to try a new dish, we make sure that youth set the tone in every taste test experience. As a group, these 8-10 youth leaders decide how to conduct the taste test, figure out who will be the spokesperson to share fun facts like the farmers name, the proximity of the farm to their site, and why it’s important that their food traveled so little distance. They decide where they want to set up, or perhaps they walk around to other individual classrooms and program areas to deliver the good news and flavorful dishes. They also decide amongst themselves who will collect the “I like it, I love it, I tried it” results. Our youth health advocates totally drive the taste test experience. These leadership opportunities provide students the chance to enhance their knowledge and interest while giving them a chance to develop skill sets that they may need later in life.
Learn more about HealthMPowers at their website here or visit their Instagram profile @healthmpowers.