Kraft Foods Brings ‘Healthy Lifestyles Resource’ For Hispanic Communities.

U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona joined with Kraft Foods Inc. and the National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI) to announce Salsa, Sabor y Salud – a first-of-its-kind healthy lifestyles educational program designed by Latinos for Latinos. The program was created by NLCI in partnership with Kraft to support Hispanic families, a population particularly at risk for obesity and accompanying health problems.

“My abuelita ruled the kitchen, and every dish she made started with a big scoop of lard from the can at the back of the refrigerator. Her meals were muy sabroso, but now we know that we can have the delicious tastes without adding the fat,” Carmona said. “This is part of increasing Americans’ health literacy, which is critical in our Hispanic communities where overweight and obesity are contributing to the rise in health problems like heart disease and diabetes that are robbing Latinos of their health and even their lives. Salsa, Sabor y Salud is an excellent example of a creative, community-based approach designed to give families tools they can put to use immediately to lead healthier lives.”

Over the last 10 months, pilot sessions at community organizations in six cities have demonstrated that Salsa, Sabor y Salud is practical, actionable and provides real-world solutions that parents and children can put to work right away. Through the eight-week curriculum, which now is being made available to community organizations nationwide, families learn small steps to change their daily routines and eating habits that add up to major lifestyle improvements. Salsa, Sabor y Salud was piloted in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Chicago, New York, Newark and Miami, which together comprise nearly 40% of the Hispanic population in the U.S.

“Kraft Foods has always recognized the important role that a balanced diet and plenty of physical activity play in leading a healthy life,” said Lance Friedmann, Kraft’s Senior Vice President of Global Health and Wellness. “As a result of the hard work that NLCI and our community partners have put into this program, Salsa, Sabor y Salud is a new kind of approach to address the problem of obesity that really makes sense to people. Through interactive lessons, family food preparation and fun, physical activities, parents and children learn new ways to keep themselves, and each other, healthy. ”

Creative, comprehensive and culturally relevant, Salsa, Sabor y Salud was developed honoring Latino traditions — such as gathering the family for meals, el paseo (families strolling together) and involving the extended family in daily life.

During the pilot phase in 2003, community organizations found Salsa, Sabor y Salud to be “the perfect conduit to help families recognize that they have the power to change their lives,” and have incorporated the curriculum throughout their offerings. And parents have embraced the principles of the program – through sharing recipes with each other, recruiting other parents and family members and by reaping the psychological benefits of setting healthy goals as a family.

“We are thrilled about the opportunity to bring this program to life, thanks to Kraft’s vision and the trust they placed in our organization,” said Rebeca Barrera, President and CEO of NLCI. “Salsa, Sabor y Salud focuses on prevention and making lifestyle changes that promote health.”

By the end of 2004, the full curriculum in the pilot and first stage will have reached more than 2,500 families at 50 community organization locations in six states. Additionally, through an extension of the program, more than 5,000 children will experience songs, games and other elements of Salsa, Sabor y Salud as they are incorporated into existing offerings at child-care facilities and other community centers.

“Because of Salsa, Sabor y Salud, our agency has become an advocate for healthy eating habits in preschool years,” said Nilsa Velazquez-Martinez, President of KIDCO Child Care, Inc., in Miami, one of the six pilot organizations. “We feel pride in helping the Hispanic community, especially families, become better educated on how to live healthier, interact more with each other, and become more involved with the school and their children’s interests.”

Salsa, Sabor y Salud represents a commitment of $2 million since 2002 from Kraft to the Latino community, especially to underserved children. Kraft chose NLCI to develop the educational curriculum because of the organization’s successful track record in creating children’s educational programs specifically for Latinos. The National Recreation and Park Association and Latino Health Communications also lent their expertise to the project.

Future Kraft funding for the Salsa, Sabor y Salud program is available to eligible organizations serving families in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Miami, New York City and certain counties in New Jersey. The Kraft Foods request for proposal is available on-line at http://www.kraft.com/salsa. Organizations in other cities, who develop their own funding sources for Salsa, Sabor y Salud, can participate in a two-day training session, after which they will receive the curriculum kit.