Nutrition Education Print E-mail

New Diabetes Education Classes available
at the San Antonio Food Bank.
Call 210.431.8351 or 210.337.3663 to register.
(Click the link above for more details.)


The focus of the Food Bank nutrition education program is:

  • Health promotion (helping people to establish healthy eating habits and active lifestyle)
  • Primary prevention of diseases (helping people who have or may develop risk factors for chronic disease prevent or postpone the onset of disease by establishing more active lifestyles and healthier eating habits).

The Nutrition Education Program has 4 Core Elements that are adapted to the target audience:

  • Dietary Quality
  • Food Resources Management/Shopping Behaviors
  • Food Security
  • Food Safety

We emphasize the core Dietary Quality and address it in a comprehensive and fun manner to appeal to groups of all ages. We promote “hands on” nutrition activities. We are interested in effort directed to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables in different population specially the young. In the same manner we do interventions and activities that promote healthy weight through a balance of healthy eating and active living.

Coordination and Collaboration

The likelihood of nutrition education messages successfully changing behaviors is increased when multiple channels (your agency and us) deliver consistent and repeated messages.

Description of Core Elements (Table I)
Nutrition Education Core Element Description

Core Element Definition
Dietary Quality Applies to the nutritional value of food acquired and how well they compare to the Food Guide Pyramid and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Physical activity falls within this element.
Shopping Behavior Applies to practices related to thrifty shopping for and management of food dollars. This includes such skills as reading labels for nutritional value.
Food Security Cater to population of low-income origin if applicable.
Food Safety Applies to how the food is handled. For example, it deals with issues such as hand washing, the length of time food may be left without refrigeration, the temperature at which food should be stored and whether food is properly and fully cooked.

Classes are short and are always presented with a cooking demonstration in which students are encouraged to participate actively.