Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD Food 4 Thought, 11 May 2018

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From YouTube: Food 4 Thought - Daphene Altema-Johnson, MSDE

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Jodi Speaks with Daphene Altema-Johnson, Dietetic Intern, MSDE.

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How are dietetic interns working with aacps in the maryland state department of education??

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Next on food, 4, thought., (smooth, jazz, music).

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Hi,, I'm jodi risse, the host for food 4 thought, and thanks for watching. today,, I'm honored to host a dietetic, intern,, daphene, altema-johnson, and she's working with the maryland department of education, along with anne arundel county public schools., welcome, daphene, to food 4 thought.

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thank you,. Thank you for having me. so,. Can you tell the viewers a little bit about yourself, personally, and just about the role.

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Of you being a dietetic intern at msde?,.

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Good, cool. me personally,. The first thing I would like to say sometimes is like,. I'm a mom of two,.

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Because that comes first., it seems like that consumes most of my time because they're young kids. they're, seven and three, to be exact., but I am a dietetic intern with the maryland state department of education., I work with jill goldberg, which,. They do.

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The food nutrition program, community program.

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and it's been really a fantastic experience.

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And to answer your question about my background,, I started when I was a kid.. I've always wanted to be a doctor.. I've always wanted to help people..

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That was the key., so I wanted to,. I actually went to florida state university..

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I received a bachelor's degree in nutrition and fitness.

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So I didn't know that about you.

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Yeah. okay., with emphasis in exercise physiology,, because when you wanna become a doctor,, you wanna become an md,. You need that physiology, aspect. so,. When I started studying for mcat,, I started actually talking, networking with some of the admission directors, and I actually talked to the admission director at dw., and I told her what I wanted to do,, how I wanted to help people, and always talking about feeding,.

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We have so many kids who needs food, talking about access to food and all the things.

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she said, well, before you apply to medical school,.

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Have you looked into our public health programs?

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and I said, no,? I have not. and she said,, I really, do this.. She said, apply to the maph program, masters of public health, and do that.

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and if you still wanna become a doctor,, you know, come back to me. We can work through that., so that's actually how I learned about public health and how I got into public health..

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So I went to gw to earn my mph in public health,.

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And I, when I finished actually I was like okay,.

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Where do I go from there?? Again, would always have that kind of nagging thing,.

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Like, nutrition, nutrition,, because I've always believed, from my background, being a haitian immigrant, right,.

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I've always believed that food is medicine., that's how we were taught., it's very strong in our family. and so,. It's always there.

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but, as you know,. Sometimes when you get outta school,, you don't get the job that you wanted., so it's almost like. I accidentally fell into epidemiology.

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So I started working for the maryland department of health.

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At that point, in 2003.

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I worked with immunization. so still with children, you know, infectious diseases, et cetera.. I met a lot of people who worked with cdc outbreak.

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We did so many things. and so, that was fun. and then again, still going back,.

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I wanna manage,, I wanna do stuff in nutrition,.

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Global health, work with kids.

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I kinda stepped out of that, and I started doing.

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How do I get experience, management experience, to do things like that, to go back to that., didn't end up in nutrition per se,, but I end up with the university of maryland, overseeing the fogedi grant,, which is basically our grant.

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From nih that works at building capacity.

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In countries that need it, such as africa.

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So I was traveling with nigeria, working with the university, trying to build capacity,.

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Meaning that I'll go to do needs assessment and to see, okay,. This is what they need.

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if it's quality control,. If it's looking at the lab to see when they'll,, they need some training in that., so I'll go, do my assessment, and come back.

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and we'll usually select one or two people, and bring them to the stateside, and train them., and then they go back in turn to train the people.

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Oh, so train the trainer when they go back., [daphene], exactly,, exactly. okay,. So how many, so I didn't know that.

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I'm learning as much as the viewers today.

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'cause I mean,. I knew we connected right. Away. yeah, for sure.

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I knew there was, there was, you know, truly,.

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I think when you believe that health and the wellbeing and cultivating a community of wellness is so important in everything you do,.

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You instantly connect with somebody and I think that's what we have.

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I agree, yeah., but you're so good at what you do.

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You're doing so many things.

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Yeah but there was...

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There was something, yeah., there was something there. I said,, I don't know. (daphene laughs). We need daphene on food for thought.

B

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Because it's an inspiration.

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Aw, I appreciate it.

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I think someone watching, you know, should be able to see, that here you were., you know,, you go to a college, and you say: I'm gonna become a doctor,. I wanna become a doctor.

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well,, but public health is a whole different, path; however,. It still ties into, you know, eating healthy,.

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Being physical active., how do you look at the policies, right? I mean, for public health,, it's so much policy-driven.

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It's so much,, it's policy-driven.

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Public health is policy-driven. correct. because, interestingly enough, that's my emphasis in mph is actually in health policy. so,. It was really good,, because you'll learn that.

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If it's the financing programs, like medicare and medicaid,, whatever it is, that you, policy direct the work off public health,, right.

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There's always, money's always needed, and we rely on grants., but with grants come policy. you have regulations and everything that you have to follow. and what I've learned actually with this internship.

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Is that I've always wanted to work with kids with nutrition.

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When you don't know, right,, it's like,, I'm gonna work with them,. I'm gonna help them change their behaviors,, bring about a habitual change, et cetera., but working with jill and carol, and some of the wonderful.

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Staff there, I've learned of so many policies, you know,.

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With comar,, with federal policies that are in place,.

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You know, that directs our program. that directs the way we act., and so it's been really neat.

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and actually going back to doing hiv/aids work,.

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I've got to meet a lot of people.. I've met a lot of people.

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and looking to see how that culture operates, how they eat,, how they work. With, you know, the virus, itself, and,, you know, some of the stigma that associated with that..

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It was really an amazing experience., but while I was doing all of this, working with the state,.

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Again, nutrition was never really too far., so I started, I was in an adjunct faculty at ccbc,, catonsville community college,, baltimore county.

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And I was working., I taught nutrition and exercise physiology lab there.

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[Jodi] oh,, you did?, I did there. oh, okay.

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I did that for a year. and then one thing that never left me, though, when I was working on my mph at gw,.

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I worked with an organization that sent me.

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To schools in washington,, d.c.,, seventh graders,.

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To basically talk to them about the benefits of eating healthy.

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And it was really alarming. and that's when I learned that those seventh graders, I said, well,, what do you eat for breakfast?? I always asked them that. well,. How did your breakfast look like?? How did your plate look? Like?, well,? I stopped at the corner, store.

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some,. They get some dessert-like breakfast.

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I'm like, that didn't. so that was, I really connected with those kids.

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and they loved hearing what I did. and again, I said, okay,. I need to find out how to,.

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I can get that management piece.. I went back to school again, to get my mba.

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That's a lifelong learner., that's what I am., which is great, right, 'cause. I think we learn everyday.. I love it,. I love it.. I agree. and I learn every day, and I continue to learn. and the best learning that I've gotten is actually with, from those kids,. You know what I mean?.

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The textbook tells you something., but it's not until you really interact, you're out there in the field. and that's what I was missing..

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That's actually how I went back, because I started getting higher up in the career,, you know,, being a senior epidemiology,, doing outcomes research, doing that., I loved it., but the thing is, when you in the state level, sometimes, in that realm, where I was, you get removed.

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you get removed. and I used to kind of bicker with some management.. I said,. I don't understand why we're giving them this money, and what are they doing??

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I wanna see the data.

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Well, it has to be evidence-based.. I was about to say,, I wanna see the data., it's gotta be evidence-based.

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I have to see the data. and,, but my boss, at the time,, my director,, who was amazing, dr. goodman, and he said daph,, I'm telling you,. You have to see these people are working hard.

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and I was like, okay. and I started doing site visits.

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And that's when I said, oh, my god.

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and I became an advocate,, you know.

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And that was working with teeth, right?, but people don't understand how nutrition is related to your oral health..

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And the awesome thing about him is that for development,.

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Professional development, I'll ask him,: can I go to this nutrition conference?, so I started going to conferences, taking classes here and there.

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[Jodi], so it's always been in your heart.

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It's always been in my heart., but you always have an excuse, right?. So as an adult, you know, it's like,. I have a mortgage to pay., I'm married now;. I can't do that..

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I have children now.. I have to do this,. I have to do that., it's always an excuse, and I got to the point after I had dillon I said, no,, I'm not gonna, be laying on the bed..

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It's my last day,, my last hour, and that's gonna, be your regret.. I said, we're gonna. Do this.

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That is so awesome. so,, you just touched like, a hundred things that touch our life. like,. Everything that you say, I think, is what,.

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You know,, we so strongly believe in anne arundel county public schools. [daphene] amen., so we have, like the most awesome superintendent in the whole wide world, dr. george arlotto.

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and,, you know,, we with our wellness policy., so I'm gonna touch a lot about policies, and I think you're gonna be able to say, oh,. I know what they are, and we've been part of them.

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so,, the united states department of agriculture is who we run our program, right, under their direction and their leadership.

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and in 2006, they said all local education, agencies,.

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Such as aacps,, that is under the national school, breakfast and school lunch program,, they have to have a wellness policy.. So what did we do? Do in anne arundel county??

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You know,, we said, well,. Let's look at our students.

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they're, the center. they're, the nucleus of everything that we do.

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and let's go to cdc and take that school health model and mimic it.

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so from day one,. Our policies and procedures and our regulations in aacps for wellness is all driven around that.

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and we use the msde model,.

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Looking at,, you know,, what is the goal?? Does it have steps to achieve the goal?

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and how measurable are they?

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and it's something in public, health, right, in being the epidemiologist.

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you know,, somebody watching might be saying: like, anne arundel county has policies,. I wonder what they say..

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Ours are evidence-based., so we look at there to be a result. At the end.

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That we measured, and that it was a favorable result,.

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Be it for our children,, our staff.

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We love, with what we do in the school house, and I'll just use it on the food side. Since you know you're the foodie too..

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I love when the kid gets excited about brussel sprouts., I know.

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or if they had asparagus with us,, and they thought it was the best ever and they're gonna go home and talk about it, 'cause, then mom's gonna get a little pressure, like hmm.

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And that's it. sid came home and she keeps telling me she wants me to now buy asparagus.. What's this asparagus all about?, so it's really,. I think the connection.

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Of what we do as a school system,, looking at the public health side or you as the epidemiologist saying,, what is this evidence-based research saying,?

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Or what is the outcomes that we're trying to reach,.

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Fits right in a school wheel, house. I mean, it fits in ours, perfectly.

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It does, it does.

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and you know., I have to say, when I first met you, when I started looking at what you do, and one thing that attracted me to what you did was the fact that you go to those farms.

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you go to those greenhouses.. I was like, oh,. My god! she's, like my dream.

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[Jodi] yeah, and it's the best thing: ever. [daphene]. It is the best thing. [jodi], it's the best day.

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I love to go. it's because you've gotta connect., we wanna do all this thing.. You have the student, and you know,. At school,.

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We built this environment for them, right,.

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To nourish them,, to make sure they'll learn correctly and that they're able to absorb the information.

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But at home, socially, that environment is different, right.

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And the parent doesn't have the time to do it.

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or they may not have the resources.. We don't know what their story is.

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so they're with for about seven or eight hours, a day,, and it's our job to do that, to really just the wellness aspect of them, the food aspect or thing,. You know, to really take of that..

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One thing that I think you do so well, what msde do so well, and what I've learned is with the usda programs,.

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I did not know how precise structure they were.

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You know, looking at the meal patterns, looking at the different components, and I honestly was flabbergasted.

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I said, wow,. This is amazing.

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[Jodi] and portion sizes. portion sizes, and they don't know.. We always talk about portion sizes, because you probably,, I mean, growing up,.

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And I remember growing up, people say school lunch,, ugh.

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[Daphene], that was me. right?.

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There's this whole, like, stigma.

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Yeah,, it was nasty.

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It was honestly nasty.

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And I say all the time, and I think anybody watching now, come to anne arundel county.. You know, go to any other counties,, but please come.. If you're watching and you're here, come and see our meals, because they're just awesome.

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I think that's understatement., they are beyond awesome.. We just did not have that when I was growing up.

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I don't remember it being so: colorful.

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I don't remember having so many options., they have options. the kids,. I went to montgomery schools, the other day.

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they had roasted chickpeas.. I was like, oh,, my god! [jodi] ooh!. We didn't have that.

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[Jodi], how good is that!? It was yummy!, you know,. We do that for tasting of the rainbow,, but we've never, and they have it on their menu. so,, for whoever is watching.

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coming soon to a school near you..

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(Both laugh), that's great., but yeah,, just those things. and we didn't have that.

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and I am just,. I applaud you guys..

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I really do, because you are feeding our children,.

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And that's huge.

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And I think for somebody watching,, that's so important.

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You know, you're really,, you're kind of from the outside still, right?.

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[Daphene] yeah,, I am.

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You haven't come to the local education arena, yet.

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I mean, you've definitely been in the health and wellbeing and in the public policy.

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but,. I think that is the coolest thing.

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About when we first met and when I first talked to you.

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Is that,? I think it was the vision.

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That you knew you wanted to see or have implemented.

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Or you thought schools in your mind would look like that, and that's what you saw. [daphene]. That's what I saw. and I think that's what's so powerful about you and having your voice. Here.

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[daphene] thank you., because somebody watching will be like,. Well, gosh,, you know, here she is. she's, really just living it, 'cause. It's relatively,, you know,, the in the school house. Experience for you is new..

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I mean,. I hope you continue to be in the schools, and I hope you stay in the state of maryland and in anne arundel county public schools. One day., I think it's a perfect match.

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Thank you, thank you., I hope so., I love the kids.. I will say one thing that I learned about this experience..

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One thing jill did really well was that I was with them for five weeks.

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and she literally had my schedule.

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Where I get to experience everything, from being in the schools,, from being when to compliance side, from going to hearings, from going to agency meetings,.

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You know, seeing you at the meeting yesterday.

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[Jodi] right, seeing you, right.

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You know,, I get to see how it all works,.

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And I am very fortunate for that. but, being a lifelong learner,, which is what I feel like I'm going to be, (daphene laughs) is that,, I love being in the schools, right?, the kids,. You don't know..

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I think one thing, someone told me one day,, the child.

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Was arguing with them because they didn't understand., they said, well,, here's a peach..

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They gave them a fresh peach., the child said,. That's not a peach.

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and the peach that she's aware of,, the one that's in a can,, right?

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so,. Look at the opportunity that you have here to educate.

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You know what I mean?.

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And I really, really, really enjoyed that,, because I think for that child,, if you're able to teach them, just behavioral change, what about when that child grows up.

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And have their own kid? they're gonna, remember: that. [jodi] right.

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It'll just continue: for... it'll, just continue,, you know, generational change,. You know what I mean?.

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And that's what I hope to do. just leave that, and that's why I went back.. I wanna have a more purpose-driven kind of life,.

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To have an impact. and where,, I always ask myself that when I get asked now, well,, what are you gonna do with this,? What are you gonna do?? I say,. I can't give you an answer, a,, because I'm not done with the internship yet, right?, but b,, it's very important to me with the sacrifice, you know, made, leaving the epi side of things.

A

[Jodi] yeah,, you left your career.

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I left a career,, you know, was doing it for 14, 15 years.. I left that. big sacrifice for the family,, but because I really felt like I could be of use to people.

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I could have this life where I could actually have an impact.

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and that's what I wanna do. so, my answer to them. Is, I wanna be wherever that,.

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Where I can be used to have the most impact.

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[jodi] impact. and that is very important to me..

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If I can touch one kid life, and I know that child is going to go home and say, mom, mom,. I met this lady.

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guess what she told me? she fixed this thing,, this asparagus for me..

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I want us to try it. bingo., I'm successful, there. because guess what?. The mom now is going to be like, okay, good. okay,. So I have to go. children, nag, you,, mommy,, mommy!, [jodi], yeah,, mine, nag.,.

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You know that!.

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And so they're going to nag you. and that's how, when I wrote my essay for my internship,, I talk about,, you know,, giving them projects,, because at that age, children have different way of learning,, but they'll learn.. I know my daughter specifically.. She loves when they have stem project because she's doing it..

B

So how about I give you an assignment where you actually have to keep this basil tree or something.? You know what I mean. guess what,. If your parent wants you to do well on the assignment, they're going to participate with you.

A

B

Yeah, no,, we definitely see that.

A

And I know you and I are gonna- still talk about it as parents, right?, we'll both take ourselves out of our current roles and look at parents,. But I love exactly what you said, 'cause. I think anne arundel county public schools is a special place.

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I really think it truly is..

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We have the slogan, and it's #aacpsawesome.

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It truly is., but it's the relationships., it's the trust and the care that every department.

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Throughout our agency provides the students.

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I always say I have the best support in leadership here at the county. [daphene], so imperative. and I have the best staff. You could ever ask for.

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When I go to a school,, you can tell.

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They know the students by name. they encourage those fruits and vegetables..

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They keep saying, try it, just try a little bit.

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and that's what we try to say: everyday,, you don't have to have a half a cup of kiwi.

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[daphene] no,, but try it.

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Have a wedge of kiwi.

A

Yeah., try the kiwi. try some strawberries.. Maybe you could try cantaloupe for the first time. exactly, exactly., seeing the, just their eyes. Bright.

A

They're so bright, they're, so beautiful, everybody who comes through., and I love the fact that everybody who we touch, it turns into how they can learn, stay focused longer,.

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And be super successful in school, so they can keep going to school. and they can become the doctor.. They can become the dietician.

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That they want. and see that's where food, food is medicine., they say that.. I don't think we really understand what that means.. It truly is medicine. I'll give you an example., my grandmother,. She ended up getting bronchitis, one day,.

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And they gave her medication.

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She's never had antibiotics before., the doctor was dumbfounded. and she looked at her,. You know., my grandmother. Looked and said, well,. I eat well.

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I eat my food,, I eat my vegetables,, I always.

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and she always do.. So in my heart, it may not be the case, she may just,.

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It may be genetic,, it may be immunity,, it may be so many things, right,, but in my mind, I said, yeah,. She always have.

B

It's always a big plate of vegetables.

A

B

Yeah,, you know what I mean? so it's,. I think you're right.

A

And she touched you, right? oh, in so many ways.. Let's talk about that., we always say, one of our,. It's in our wellness council,. We talk about it.

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It's in some of our policy structure right, now,, that all aacps employees will be role models.

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For the students,, the staff, and the communities, we serve.

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being a role model,, I think in my house,.

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Everything that we do, we want to have the action that our children are gonna, see and wanna replicate, right?.

B

I get asked all the time,.

A

How do your kids eat salads everyday?? Why would your, you know,? Your girls are always eating. Fruit. they'll eat fruit until there's no fruit left. and it's always cut., I think, a tip for anybody. Watching,, there's always fruit and vegetables in our refrigerator, cut and ready to go.

A

yup. they're, not gonna, go and peel a carrot.

B

No, they're not going to do that.

A

If you peel some carrots and you have them in there,.

B

They'll eat them.

A

They'll eat it,, they'll, eat, it., so,, that role modeling piece, and I say it to people all the time. just do it.. You do it. and then bring your children in with you. so, eat, together as a family.

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cook. Together as a family.

A

grow a garden together as a family., it doesn't have to be a big plot in the backyard..

A

It could be in a planter on your desk.

B

Exactly. exactly. and actually that's one of our project for this weekend.. I have a garden box.

B

And I told her, you know,: what are we planting?? We're gonna, do a lettuce, box, and we're doing it. Together.

B

[jodi] are you? yes, indeed., because if she grows it, she'll eat, it., [jodi] she'll, eat it.

A

And she'll nurture it. she'll nurture it, and that's the whole thing.

B

You'll nurture it, kind of grow with the child.

B

you grow, it. and so,. That's what I try to do as a role model.

B

And she'll tell you,, especially my daughter, she'll, tell my husband, oh, mommy's, not gonna, eat that,, it's too sweet, or it's too this, or it's too that.

B

you know, mommy's, not gonna, be happy for this, daddy,, don't tell her, no. because she know,, because I won't eat it,.

B

I won't eat out a lot., you know,, we'll cook., so she knows that. and actually now sometimes she say, daddy,, you know,. If I'm not around,, I think we need to eat at home because mommy wouldn't like that.

A

[Jodi] oh! oh,, yes, indeed. and does she call him out? she does.? She calls him out,. She sure does,.

B

And she'll call me. she said, mommy, uh-uh. and you know: what? she'll tell me, mommy,, I'm not feeling good. and I say,. Why don't you feel good? she said,? I didn't eat too good today.

B

And I didn't have this., I didn't have that., and so she knows because she knows how I am.

B

so based on what I eat, I'll tell her, mm, this didn't agree, no, mommy needs to redirect.

B

And she knows., and so now she knows if she doesn't feel a certain way,, you know, she said, mommy,. I need more whole grain.

B

I introduced the whole whole grain aspect, the benefits of it to your body.. She said, mommy,. I need this type of bread.. I don't wanna. Do that. [jodi] good for her. so,, you know,. I try to do, with children,.

B

I try to be the example, so they can try it.

B

and now though,. What's interesting is what is going on in our household, is like she's an example to her little brother.

B

Because if she's eating the green beans, and she ate it, all, he's like, well, gabriella,, I wanna do it too.

A

I can do it better. I'll, do it faster. exactly, I'll, do it faster.? I won, you didn't,, you know? yeah.,.

B

And so, it's that whole,, you know, kinda, passing it on, you know. and so, yeah.

A

You have to be. it's simple, right?, it's simple. and I always say, like,. If somebody's, 'cause we're always getting asked,, I think, as dieticians. you know, like,. How do you do it?? It's simple. [daphene], it really is.

A

and you touched it earlier, and you said, you know, with usda,. We have components, right, or that that was something that was like an aha moment for you. [daphene]. It really was. 'cause. When you got to a school,, you were like,, everything is portion, sized., [daphene], everything.. Everything is a whole grain..

A

We do a lot of legumes.. We do protein,, but a two-ounce portion of protein,.

A

And the fruits and the vegetables. we do the same thing at home. so,. I think often, people say, in school, they're not doing that., it's always. [daphene], it's always, and you know what?. All of those components are there.

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all those food groups are there for students to choose.

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And actually, it motivated me., so where I make sure now,, it became more of a routine.

B

For practice, when I started, and that's the takeaway from this rotation for me,, is that when I'm fixing their lunch,, I said, okay,, I told my husband,, I said,, we need a vegetable., she has fruit,. She has this.

A

So,, you know,, you wanna mimic that for them,.

B

Because, you know,, when you know better,, you do better.

B

and so, and that's the whole thing, and going back to the components, and one thing.

B

I know that you do, what the other schools do, is the education piece.. When I was at the schools, I saw they had pictures, fun pictures toward the end of the cash register..

B

They had, did you get your fruit? and so they'll grab it, oh, they'll go grab it,, and so they just look, they say, oh,, I'm missing this,, I'm missing that., and that is so good. that is, you know,. So important.

A

And we, for anne arundel county,, we keep, it's a myplate,, so usda has myplate, right,.

A

And you get to see the section of the plate and what you should fill. so half of it should be fruits and vegetables. [daphene], very nice..

A

We constantly nudge and encourage that in our county,, but with the myplate sign, we say if it's, you know,.

A

Teriyaki chicken and we have our brown rice,, so everything is under its appropriate category., so they student can say, well, I'd like a protein,, which is the teriyaki chicken. they're gonna choose brown rice,, which is our whole-grain rice.

A

they'll, do a fruit or a vegetable, and there's always so many of those here.

B

Something else, yeah, exactly.

A

And then there's always the complement of milk., I'm always asked, well,. Why milk? well,? Because it's part of the usda meal pattern,?

A

But it's an awesome beverage to drink.

B

It's loaded with nutrients., it really is, it really is,, especially for children,, you know? protein and all of that stuff that they need to grow, right?.

B

They need it to grow., but I am impressed with what y'all do, I really am.

B

The meal component, just,, it's amazing., you just said teriyaki chicken., do you know we didn't have that?, it was pizza, or some sandwich that was, you know,.

A

You say: teriyaki chicken,,.

B

And that's one thing that I'm noticing.: they have asian bowls, like,, you know, those rice, bowls.

A

Mmhmm, we do those., I'm like, really? [jodi]. We just added salmon salad. wow., so we do fresh salmon.. So we do a salmon fillet.

A

It was gonna go on a kale, salad, 'cause. We were all about putting it on kale salad,, but our salad mix is a romaine and spinach blend,.

A

So now we do it on that.. We offer it on fridays, and kids love it..

A

So do they adults.? We all love it.,.

B

I mean, salmon,, who doesn't love salmon.

A

[Jodi] salmon, salmon at school, lunch. you're good to go,, yeah, wow., so it's really, it's,. I think it's a win-win.

A

[daphene], it's a win-win for everyone. for all of the students, and, you know,.

A

When I reflect back, just even hearing you, and now you've been,, you know, throughout the whole state.

A

You've worked for the state. you've been now a dietetic intern going around for the state, and, like I said,, hopefully, you're gonna stay in the state, 'cause. You will be one phenomenal registered dietician wherever you go.

B

Thank you,. I appreciate that.

A

But I think it's important for anybody. Watching, right, be a role model, first and foremost, and really, you know, encourage, include,.

A

Involve your children in everything that you do.

B

[Daphene], you have to. and just have them blossom and wanna. Do.

A

All those right things and be fueled, ready to learn,, ready to play,, ready to work.

B

Ready to work,, that's it,, that's it. and you know, one thing I'll tell you is that over the weekend,. What I do now is we went to the grocery store and I said, okay,. You pick your vegetable for the week, because I was meal planning..

B

I was grocery shopping. For, you know, to prep for the week.

B

I said,, you pick your vegetables. and she picked her green beans, and my son called it trees,, which are broccoli,.

B

And she picked her brussel sprouts., and so, if you pick it,, I looked at her., I said,. If you pick this,, you know you have to eat it, right? and so, yeah,. That was that.. How did you do the brussel sprouts?, the brussel sprouts, because of the taste of it sometimes,?

B

My son won't eat it,. So what I do, when I was in mexico,.

B

I got this agave,, you know.

B

So what I do is I just trim them, cut 'em up in half,.

B

Olive oil, sea salt, and I actually put a little bit.

B

Of agave in it to give it that sweetness to offset that,, you know, bitter taste.,.

A

That sounds phenomenal.. I'm coming to your house. you're welcome to come.

B

I love to cook,, so we'll fix something for you..

B

We will get caribbean slash,, you know,, whatever.

B

you'll enjoy it. there. You go.

A

All right, well, thank you, daphene, for coming.

B

Thank you for having me! our show is over. that was so much information. that was so fast.. I loved it.

A

Thank you., as you can see, dietetic interns are so important,, especially daphene.. I just can't wait to hear where she is next and the difference she's gonna make for the students,.

A

The staff, and the communities that she serves.

A

she's truly a phenomenal person..

A

If you have any questions about school meals, about any of the great items that we talked about, today, just give me a call at 410-222-5900,.

A

And keep watching food 4 thought, and keep eating.

A

School lunch at anne arundel, county public schools., (smooth, jazz, music).

A

(Electronic dance, music), hey,, great news. cigarette smoking among teens. is way down.

B

Way, down. that's awesome,, but we have way more work to do. some kids. Our age. think vapes are safer than cigarettes., but they're not. and others are still smoking. Flavored tobacco.

A

Like hookah and cigarillos.

B

Big tobacco companies give them flavors.

A

Like chocolate and strawberry., so we won't think that it's bad for us. but they're, just as bad. the vapor from e-cigarettes.

B

Is not a harmless water vapor.? The vapor can still contain nicotine. heavy metals.

A

And dangerous toxins.

B

Smoking hookah for 45 minutes.

B

has just as much tar and nicotine. as smoking. A whole pack of cigarettes.

A

And vapes are so new that we don't even know what the long-term health risks are. Yet., let's show them that we're not an easy sale.

B

We're not about to get owned. that we're not about to get owned for profit. join the movement. join the movement. join the movement.. Let's end smoking and vaping today.

A