February 2023                         Volume 19 Issue 2

Choose Heart-Healthy Foods

Foods to Eat

These foods are the foundation of a heart-healthy eating plan.

• Vegetables such as leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, cabbage), broccoli, and carrots
• Fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes, and prunes
• Whole grains such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread or tortillas
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt
• Protein-rich foods:
• Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna, and trout)
• Lean meats such as 95% lean ground beef or pork tenderloin or skinless chicken or turkey
• Eggs
• Nuts, seeds, and soy products (tofu)
• Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans
• Oils and foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:
• Canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and soybean oils (not coconut or palm oil)
• Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts
• Nut and seed butters
• Salmon and trout
• Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax)
• Avocados
• Tofu

  For more information, visit American Heart

Mariaan de Swardt - "Success and Failure"

Guest Speaker February 5, 2023 Teen Advisory Board Meeting.

Mariann is a former professional tennis player from South Africa, who played from 1988-2001.

Some of her accomplishments are participating at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. She won two Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles in both the Australian Open and the French Open. Since retiring from tennis, Mariaan has coached professionally and has been a commentator for Eurosport, USA Network and South African television.

Oliver Foundation Healthy Choices Grant

Next Deadline April 15, 2023

Apply Now

Oliver Foundation 18th Annual Rodeo Contest

2023 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo 

      February 28 – March 19, 2023

      Deadline to enter February 10, 2023, 4:00m PM. 

It's Rodeo time again in Houston, so get out your hats and put on your boots! We want to 

know what types of Healthy Activities are occurring on your campus. Send us your healthy activity and win a chance for 4 tickets, Club Level and parking pass.

Apply Now!

Upcoming Texas Action for Healthy Kids Webinars

School Meals Struggles and Triumphs 

February 21 11:30am  

It is difficult to understand the full impact the COVID pandemic has had on school meals. Supply chain disruptions, staff shortages, feeding kids remotely AND on campus.

Register Here

Statewide SHAC Convening Workshop ITT/TAHK on Parent Engagement

March 8 - 2 - 3:30 PM 

Join It's Time Texas and Texas Action for Healthy Kids 

During this session, we will be discussing best practices for parent engagement and cover new engagement techniques that can help increase parent involvement in your SHAC. 

Register Here

What Exactly Does a School Nurse Do?

March 29 11:30am 

School nurses are a critical part of our campus staff. They take care of our children’s health in so many different ways. When COVID struck, nurses became even more essential to child health. But many schools do not have a school nurse, or may only have one on certain days of the week. Find out what the role of a school nurse really looks like, and how you can make sure children in Texas have access to the care of a school nurse.

Register Here



Mani Maram, Teen Board Member

Westchester Academy for International Studies - Houston, Texas 

Teen Board Member 2022 - Present

Mani is a Junior at Westchester Academy for International Studies. He is currently the President of WAIS Interact, his school’s biggest community service club. Mani is also an officer of WAIS National Honor Society and the treasurer of WAIS Quizbowl. Currently he is restarting the WAIS Student Tutoring Club and working on starting a school newspaper. He is also a member of the advanced choir, Mu Alpha Theta, National English Honor Society, Odyssey of the Mind, and future and wants to and his school district’s Student Advisory Committee. In his free time Mani likes to volunteer across Houston with his favorite spot being the Asia Society. He aspires to become a journalist in the future to help others have a voice in areas they currently don’t.

Dreams and Lemons: The Creation of Achieve

I, for one, have had many dreams over the years, but in recent years my biggest dream has been to help the underprivileged in terms of education. This dream all began in 2018 when my middle school’s tutorial club disbanded. I was upset and was determined to still help the underprivileged. Fast forward to 2021, I was ready to start the club after a long period of research. Unfortunately, the pandemic stopped me from starting the club at that time. Despite this, I completed the application steps and was ready to start the club at the beginning of Sophomore year.

Unexpectedly, I moved schools and was in a school where nobody knew me. I was sure nobody would help me start my club and nearly gave up. But after I held a supply drive with a peer named Alexia, I decided what I needed was a partner to help me start. In between the beginning of the year and the school supply drive, another person unfortunately started a similar club at our school. Alexia and I then talked to the sponsor and decided to take over for the 2022-2023 school year. During the preparation period we partnered up with a fellow peer named Ashanti. Together we decided that we wanted to make the club a city-wide thing and do more than just tutoring. By May of last year we were ready to start the club, now called Achieve, in August. Unfortunately, when we came back after summer break, we discovered our planned sponsor had left. Despite having to start back at square one we did not give up.

After a long search we found a sponsor. We also made alterations to our plans and decided to start one club at a time rather than planning to start three or four together. We still hoped to make Achieve city-wide. This all changed though after I met a girl at Brown University with her own club in Los Angeles. We decided to collaborate. Now we are aiming to start clubs in schools nationwide. Our own Achieve had its first meeting last month and I realized that if I had given up during all those obstacles it would have been a huge regret and a missed opportunity. Instead, I rolled with the punches and despite my reluctance made the changes that now I realize were vital to the success of Achieve What was once a dream of one, became a dream of many. Life gave me lemons and after two years I finally finished making lemonade.

A key takeaway from my story is: Don’t be me, take the challenges that life gives and embrace them. Go out and achieve!

Mani Maran

February 2023 Newsletter

Teen Board Recipe

Natalie Lopez

Co-Event Coordinator

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients: 

-       1/3 cup honey or maple syrup can use 1/2 cup for sweeter cookies

-       1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter(melted)

-       1 large egg

-       1 tsp vanilla extract

-       1 cup instant oats

-       1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)

-       1 tsp baking powder

-       1 tsp cinnamon

-       1/4 tsp salt

-       1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

-       1/4 cup raisins

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, foil or silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the honey, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. In a medium bowl whisk, all the dry ingredients then stir them into the wet mixture. 
3. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a medium-large cookie scoop and flatten to about ¾’’ thickness. Bake for 10 minutes then allow in the pan for at least 5-10 minutes and enjoy!