Talking TABLE: A Winning Recipe For Improved Children’s Health

By Ashton Tippins

Food Access + Nutrition Education + Family Engagement = Improved Health for Children

TABLE has been delivering healthy food and nutrition education to local children for 16 years and this formula – or “recipe” – has become the foundation of what we do each day and is reflected in how our programming is structured.

Food Access: The Foundation to Health

TABLE was founded to provide local kids access to healthy, fresh food and has grown from feeding 12 kids in one elementary school to now delivering food directly to the homes of 1,000 children every week.

We have established strong local farm partnerships ensuring our kids are receiving the freshest food possible – in many cases harvested in the morning and delivered to them that afternoon! And we have nutritionist-approved guidelines for all of our shelf-stable food. We have even implemented a special diet procedure where bags are customized based on dietary needs.

We know our food access programs and partnerships are having a direct impact on the health of the kids we serve – in fact, we once had a school nurse tell us she had a line outside her office every Monday morning of kids with stomach aches or headaches, but when she signed her students up for TABLE, that line disappeared!

And, we’ve heard from our families that nearly 97% of participating kids consume more fruits and vegetables than before our program.

Nutrition Education: Empowering Smart Choices

Giving children the food they need without the knowledge to make healthy choices is similar to giving a kid a car without teaching them how to drive it. Lessons are essential to understanding how a car operates, how to drive it, and how to make safe choices on the road. Nutrition education is vital for helping kids learn about the different foods that fuel their bodies to ultimately make healthy choices.

Our food access program is a key component of our nutrition education program – Chefs@Home – where we provide family-based nutrition education every month. These meal kits include recipes, ingredients, activities, and a link to a cooking video so kids and parents can get excited together in the kitchen. We strive to provide fresh food in each of our meal kits which comes from our farm partnerships and are intentional with the shelf-stable food we deliver to ensure our families have what they need to prepare a fun meal at home together.

One family told us how our Chefs@Home meal kit didn’t just fill their table, it filled their home with joy! They shared how the meal kit provided enough food for them to invite friends over for dinner, creating a special memory filled with good food and great company.

Family Engagement: Building Healthier Families & Stronger Communities

The ingredients of our recipe come together with the help of our families in their homes with their children and between TABLE staff and our families. We aim to engage with our families to guide our programming decisions to build relationships, maintain dignity, and make the most impact.

We have monthly Family Fun Days inviting families to come to TABLE for a family-friendly activity, nutritious snack, and building relationships with our staff to continue to strengthen and improve our program.

And why do we do this? Nearly 67% of families say that, because of food from TABLE, they enjoy more family meals!

The Result: Improved Health for Children

When food access, nutrition education, and family engagement come together, the results are real and can have a lasting impact on a child’s life. According to our most recent family survey:

After just the first 6 months of receiving food at home through TABLE’s delivery program, 60% of kids experience improved health.
Over 71% of parents say their child’s physical health improved with having adequate, nutritious food from TABLE.

And, when asked how this food from TABLE benefits their children’s physical health, we got responses like:

“Adjusted to their correct projected weight curve per child per age. No longer needs supplemental nutrition by way of Pediasure!”
“They have more energy, think clearer, and want to play more outside with physical activities.”
“Their energy is high, they sleep better at night because of complete meals, and want to go outside and play.”

Everything TABLE does is intended to bring these four priorities together – food access, nutrition education, family engagement, and improved health. We do this to support our kids’ bodies and brains as much as possible – so they have the same opportunity for success, joy, personal growth, and love as every child in our community!