Helping Little Ones Eat Healthy

Gerber Memorial to host free special nutrition program for toddlers, infants, pregnant moms in September

FREMONT – Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is holding a special series of free nutrition classes this September designed to help parents and caregivers provide good nutrition to infants and toddlers from newborn to 2 years old. The three sessions are scheduled Sept. 5, 12, and 19 at Tamarac, and will feature a Gerber Memorial registered dietitian sharing tips, meal preparation strategies and other information based on a specialized curriculum specifically designed for early childhood nutrition. All classes are from 10 a.m. to noon.

The first class on Sept. 5 is geared toward pregnant moms and newborns through 6-month-olds. The second class on Sept. 12 is geared toward infants 6 to 12 months old. The final class Sept. 19 is for 1- to 2-year-olds. Registration is required because of limited space, and child watch is available on site. People with transportation questions or who want to register can call 231.924.3073.

The nearly three dozen parents and caregivers who took part in the first two series held in February and May gave overwhelmingly positive reviews of the programs.
One participant wrote: “The staff was extremely nice and very good at explaining the things we needed to know.” Another enjoyed “learning about the nutrition for my infant. Also the goodies and the take home meal.”

During the classes, participants will learn about nutrition during pregnancy, nutrition for nursing moms, important nutrients for babies, breastfeeding and bottle feeding, transitioning to solid food, food safety and other tips and strategies for early childhood nutrition.

Lunch will be provided and participants will receive a prepared meal to bring home to share with their families.

“The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are probably the most important for healthy development and our early childhood nutrition classes are designed to help give children a strong start, with the right food at the right time,” said Jena Zeerip, Gerber Memorial’s community health program lead. “Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is excited we can bring these classes to our community so new moms, moms-to-be, caregivers and parents have information about the best nutrition for moms and babies. At the end of the day, we hope we can empower parents and caregivers to play an active role in helping Newaygo County kids be as healthy as possible from Day One.”