CHILI Plus

The CHILE Plus curriculum, The Child Health Initiative for Lifelong Eating and Exercise (CHILE) nutrition and physical activity curriculum, was developed by a
team from the University of New Mexico along with parents and teachers from Head Start. It was designed to improve the nutrition and physical activity
behaviors through meals, lessons, and activities.

The teachers at Youth Development, Inc. (YDI), utilize the CHILE Plus curriculum in our Head Start classrooms to provide the Head Start children with opportunities
to taste new fruits and vegetables in the Head Start classrooms. The curriculum is made up of 8 modules that are to be carried out over the course of two years,
then repeated. Each module consists of eight lessons: four fruit lessons and four vegetable lessons. There are three different types of lessons: Food Detectives,
Taste Testers, and Let’s Get Cooking. The children participate in the lessons by taking on the role of a food detective, taste tester, or chef. They get to taste fruit
or a vegetable in each lesson. Now that we are out of school and social distancing, we have adapted the lessons
so that parents can present the lessons to their children at home. We are hopeful that parents can incorporate the fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks at
home.

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Nutrition Newsletter

Recently, your child has been tasting asparagus, kiwi, lean ground beef, and foods made with 100% whole wheat flour in classroom activities, meals and snacks at the Head Start…… Read in Spanish or English.

Nutrition Kits

It is easier than you might think to limit some of the fat found in your favorite foods like ground beef and fried potatoes. You can buy lean ground beef (like 90/10, 96/4) OR buy higher fat ground….. Read in English or Spanish.

Exercise Newsletter

Active play every day is one of the most important gifts you can give your child. Regular physical activity helps your child be healthy and do better in school. Playgrounds provide fun, fresh…… Read in English or Spanish.

Nutrition Activity

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce a new food to your child. The more times children are exposed to new foods, the more likely they are to eat and enjoy these foods in the future. Read in Spanish or English.

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

We want families to be included in CHILE Plus activities since they are the gatekeepers to their children’s nutrition, health, and wellbeing. Through this
program, they will be involved as their children taste fruits and vegetables, participate in physical activities, receive recipes, newsletters, as well as
purchasing, cooking, and safety tips. We hope this allows you to continue allowing your child to participate in hands-on
educational activities on various nutrition and physical activity subjects and helps your family learn how to choose healthy foods and be more active together.

Questions?