Healthy Eating By Design (HEbD)

Access to wholesome, fresh, nutritious food and lack of physical activity impacts children's health and well-being.  Efforts to combat obesity and chronic illnesses among children are starting nationwide.  Buffalo is at the forefront of making a difference in children's health through Healthy Eating By Design, an innovative 18-month pilot project, which started in the fall of 2005 that promotes healthy eating and active living among children.

Based out of the Bennett Park Montessori School, located on Buffalo's East Side, Healthy Eating By Design (HEbD) includes a farm-to-cafeteria salad bar program, health and nutrition education, a food/health mural project, community dinners, youth-led video and health-walk projects and a weekly after-school program.

MAP staff participates directly in implementing the weekly salad bar and mural projects as well as the after-school program.  A team of Growing Green youth peer trainers, led by Erin Sharkey, MAP Outreach Coordinator, teach younger youth at Bennett Park a basic knowledge of nutrition, gardening, and local food systems.  The Spring 2006 program focuses on using arts and design projects as tools for education and community participation.