DAY WITHOUT SUGAR CHALLENGE

A Message from Arte Público Press

Join Arte Público as we nurture the youngest in our communities by encouraging literacy and healthy lifestyles. Our ¡Salud, familia! project publishes bilingual children's books that emphasize exercising and eating well.  

Now we are challenging children and their families to limit sugar intake by participating in the DAY WITHOUT SUGAR CHALLENGE.

 

The challenge calls on organizations, schools and families to lead children in completing one full day without any sugary drinks, candies, cookies and foods with added sugars. We hope this challenge will serve as a dynamic educational tool to introduce children to the importance of limiting sugar consumption and developing a healthy diet.

The Day Without Sugar Challenge also provides suggested activities for educators and organizations to teach children about limiting sugar consumption, low-sugar recipes for families to use at home and a coloring book copy of the bilingual children's book A Day Without Sugar/Un día sin azúcar by Diane de Anda.

All of these materials are free and available online at A DAY WITHOUT SUGAR CAMPAIGN. 

About the book

By Diane de Anda

Illustrated by Janet Montecalvo

Translated by Gabriela Ventura

Tia Sofia's nieces and nephews love to spend the weekend at her house. She lets them camp out on mattresses and in sleeping bags in the living room, where they play games and watch TV in their pajamas. But best of all, they love eating at their aunt's house, because she s the best cook in the family.

So the kids are sad to hear that this weekend is going to be sugar free. It turns out that cousin Tito is at risk of developing diabetes like his abuela and Tio Pedro. Tia Sofia tells them that on Saturday "we're going on a sugar hunt." The kids are confused, but she explains that they are going to find all of the sugar especially hidden sugar in their food.

The next morning, their oatmeal doesn't have any added sugar, but each bowl has plump raisins and a naturally sweet surprise: strawberries, banana, peaches, peanut butter or cinnamon and vanilla. One taste and they scoop their bowls clean. At lunch, the sugar hunt continues. The kids learn that much of the food they eat without thinking contains sugar, like the catsup, mayonnaise and relish they usually put on their burgers. So, instead, they paint their hamburger buns yellow with mustard, pile on slices of fresh tomatoes from their aunt's garden, and bite into crunchy dill pickles.

When their parents pick them up at the end of the day, they're all thrilled to see Tia Sofia holding a plate with a delicious surprise to take home: apple empanadas ... cooked without sugar, of course! In this bilingual picture book for children ages 7-10, cousins share time with family and learn fun and delicious ways to eat less sugar.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Visit the website.
2. Download the campaign materials to host your own DAY WITHOUT SUGAR.
3. Share the website with partner organizations, friends and relatives and encourage them to participate.
4. Spread the word about the campaign via social media:

Facebook: Think your kids have what it takes to complete the DAY WITHOUT SUGAR CHALLENGE? Try it out! For more details about the challenge go here:http://bit.ly/100cVCD  

  

Twitter: New campaign by @artepublico challenges parents and kids to take a #DayWithoutSugar. Are you in? Learn more. http://bit.ly/100cVCD