This past weekend was my daughter’s school’s Spring Carnival, so I headed up an exciting new booth called the Healthy Kids Challenge. In it the children go through three fun stations: Play, Eat and Think.

1) Play (for 2 minutes)We set up an area with hop scotch, hula hoop, jump rope and we timed the children as they played for 2 minutes straight

2) Eat (the rainbow)

We set out fruits and vegetables in every hue of the rainbow, which we had cut and prepped the day before. The challenge was for the children to at least taste one food of each color. Our local Whole Foods generously donated all the produce (Thanks Whole Foods!). So not only did the children learn about health and have fun with it, we were able to raise important funds for the PTA.

3) Think (about health)

We wrote up a series of question to test the children’s knowledge about healthy living. As the final leg of the challenge each child picked, and had to answer, a question out of a fishbowl.

After completing the challenge the children were awarded tickets redeemable for prizes. The feedback we got was incredible—-both the children and the parents loved it and said they wish there were more things like it at other school fairs.

Wouldn’t it be great if this Healthy Kids Challenge were as common as cotton candy machines at school carnivals? We can make it happen! If you are interested in running one at your local school I would be happy to pass the supply list and other materials on to you. Just email me at info@elliekrieger.com. All I ask in return is that you let me know how it went and send a photo or two!

Starting June 1^st you can watch my show, Healthy Appetite, Monday through Friday at 9:30 am (8:30 central) on the new Cooking Channel!

Cooking Channel, which launches on May 31^st, is the newest network from Scripps Networks Interactive, which also manages Food Network, HGTV, DIY Network, Travel Channel, and GAC. Cooking Channel caters to passionate food lovers like us by focusing on a richer variety of food information and cooking styles, a broad diversity of cultures, lifestyles and cuisines, and a deeper dive into cooking instruction and food information. It’s an exciting, fresh and intelligent new food channel that I am excited to be a part of.  For more information go to www.cookingchanneltv.com.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for geeky science types. It’s most likely rooted in my close relationship with my grandpa Burt, who was an engineer with an analytical mind and the highest standards of excellence, standards that really rubbed off on me. I could feel my grandpa’s pride in me last week as I accepted the 2010 Nutrition Science Media Award from the American Society of Nutrition “for consistent, accurate nutrition science reporting…”

I have to say, all that accuracy can be challenging in this media environment. You see, science is evolutionary- knowledge unfolds gradually and a body of work is necessary to get a genuine understanding of an issue. But the media demands revolutionary- it wants the latest, hottest, newest, most profound, life-altering idea daily. I work hard find the place where the two meet, presenting sound information in interesting and fresh media-friendly ways. What an honor to be recognized for my work by the premier nutritional scientists (a.k.a. geeky science types) whom I regard so highly.