As visitors poured in from around the world, Cook Children’s Health Care System provided top-notch medical care not just for residents, but for traveling fans with children who may have needed unexpected care. Cook Children’s treated more than 200 visiting families in its Urgent Care centers over the course of the event.

Between the heat and the fandom, the summer games would bring the health system launched the "World Cup Wednesday" public health series. For nine weeks leading up to the tournament, this series provided families with essential resources on injury prevention, heat and water safety tips, and more.

While soccer matches in North Texas have come to an end, the impact of keeping global and local visitors safe will live long after the fans have gone home.

Families can access fresh fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods for free at Fort Worth’s

The renovated Eastside YMCA opened January 27 with new amenities including a Good For You Healthy Hub to help fight food insecurity in the surrounding neighborhood.

The Center for Community Health, led by Cook Children’s, is funding the hub’s startup costs and the first two years of operation. The center will offer classes on nutrition, gardening and preparing meals in the YMCA’s demonstration kitchen as part of the collaboration. Education will also cover healthy lifestyle topics such as exercise, sleep and limits on screen time. 

The new hub at Eastside YMCA functions within the network of Good For You locations operated by Texas Health. Teaming up allows the YMCA to tap the library of materials, engagement opportunities and partner connections at both Texas Health and Cook Children’s. 

The Eastside YMCA, located at 1500 Sandy Lane, serves an area of east Fort Worth where the Cook Children’s footprint is growing. Just a few miles to the north on Manhattan Boulevard, a new Cook Children’s neighborhood health center is scheduled to open in May 2025. 

Cook Children’s investment at Eastside YMCA aligns with our Promise: Knowing every child’s life is sacred, we promise to improve the well-being of every child in our care and communities. It’s the latest example of the center taking action to address hunger in an eight-county region of North Texas.

Courtney Barnard, the center’s Director of Child Wellness, said area residents already know the reputation for outstanding pediatric care at Cook Children’s medical centers and clinics. By sponsoring a hub, the center takes that commitment beyond the Blue Peaks to put nutritious food within convenient reach of those in need.  

“What Cook Children’s does really well is understanding that health is not just the absence of being sick, or going to a doctor to get treated when you are sick,” Barnard said. “The joy we have at the Center for Community Health is getting to work in spaces outside of the traditional medical setting to impact the well-being of kids and families.”

The Big Picture

Food insecurity occurs whenever all people in a household don’t consistently have enough food to live an active, healthy life. They might lack the money or the transportation to buy groceries. Some people in the household might eat smaller portions or skip meals altogether so that others have enough.

According to the Cook Children’s 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment, in our eight-county service area approximately 34% of children ages birth to 17 (about 390,100 children and teens) live in households that cannot always afford to eat good, nutritious meals. This compares to 40% of children statewide and 33% nationally.

Food insecurity among children can impact:

• Physical health, including higher risk for anemia and asthma
• Mental health
• Ability to focus and learn

“The limited or uncertain access to enough food is a critical child health issue that impacts millions of infants, children, youth and families in all communities across the U.S.,” according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Children of all ages who live in households with food insecurity, even at the least severe levels of food insecurity, are likely to be sick more often, recover from illness more slowly, and be hospitalized more frequently.” 

Making Connections

Texas Health supports 20 Good For You Healthy Hubs in schools and community centers across Tarrant County. The hubs focus on nutrition security, emphasizing seasonal produce and nutrient-dense staples such as beans, legumes and whole grains that are necessary for living a healthy, active lifestyle. Fresh fruits and vegetables make up at least half of the food selection.

“When it comes to improving health outcomes in our community, overcoming barriers to accessing healthy food is critically important,” said Matt Dufrene, Vice President, Texas Health. “We’re proud to collaborate with Cook Children’s and the YMCA to offer innovative programs like Good For You that support the health and well-being of residents in east Fort Worth.” 

On average, each hub serves about 70-100 families per month.  As in a grocery store, clients choose the foods they want. Recipes, resources and nutrition information are also provided. Toiletries and diapers are available in some hubs.

“Nutritious food is a fundamental human right, not a luxury,” said Beverly Brown, Director of Operations, YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth. She thanked Texas Health and Cook Children’s for making the Good For You Healthy Hub a reality.

After the Eastside YMCA closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, it needed extensive repairs and renovations before reopening in January 2025. The $16 million, three-phase construction project was designed to create a Community Impact Center. In addition to usual YMCA attractions -- fitness center and swimming pool, for instance -- the transformed Eastside facility includes the hub and spaces for early learning, leadership and workforce development.

Targeting the problem of food insecurity isn’t a new goal for Cook Children’s. For years, the center has collaborated with Texas Health and many other organizations to plant community gardens and provide education around healthy lifestyle behaviors. In 2023, the center and Cook Children’s Health Plan partnered with Tarrant Area Food Bank and H-E-B Hunger Relief to roll out the R.E.D. Mobile Market, providing food staples and application assistance to receive SNAP benefits (food stamps). And, as part of a pilot, select departments across Cook Children’s are screening patient and program families for food insecurity and providing food either onsite or delivered to the family’s home.

Center program coordinator Dora Garcia described the hub as a beautiful and welcoming space, where people are respected and seen as neighbors.

“We’re providing food to meet their immediate need,” Garcia said. “Their long-term needs are going to be met through the education and resources on making good food choices, physical activity and other kinds of education to live the healthiest life they can.”

Barnard said the hub illustrates one way Cook Children’s strives to enhance the well-being of all children in the region, regardless of whether they’re patients at one of our sites.   

“It’s not just for those coming through our hospital doors, but how can we help and be present for the community as a whole,” Barnard said. “They know Cook Children’s not only as their friendly neighborhood pediatrician, but also as an organization that gives back to the community.”

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'A Hand Up, Not A Handout': Cook Children's Center for Community Health and Health Plan Collaborate with Community Partners to Combat Food Insecurity

By Ashley Antle

If there is one thing kids know, it’s how to get dirty. So why not let them play in the dirt with purpose and create a home garden where they can experiment with growing their own food or flowers.

Experts say gardening positively impacts everything from food choices to physical fitness and even mood, and kids can reap these benefits, too.

“Gardening saved my brain,” said Dora Garcia, community health program coordinator at The Center for Children’s Health, led by Cook Children’s. “I had always been curious about growing my own food, but really got into it when I was doing a really stressful job. Being outside and digging in the dirt helped alleviate my stress and helped me relax.”

Garcia believes in the benefits of gardening so much so that she turned her stress-release activity into her day job and heads the gardening program for The Center for Children’s Health.

In partnership with the Johnson County Alliance for Healthy Kids and the Healthy Children Coalition for Parker County, Garcia advises schools in Johnson and Parker Counties on how to incorporate gardening into daily school and learning activities. The oldest coalition school garden is now seven years old, surpassing the average school garden life span of two years. 

Reap What You Sow

“Gardening is a hands-on way for kids to experience growing their own food,” Garcia said. “Research has shown that children who grow their own food are more apt to try different fruits and vegetables. They learn where food comes from and learn responsibility as they water and tend to the garden and watch their food grow.” 

Gardening also teaches patience and perseverance, as not everything planted will produce. Garcia says learning what works and what doesn’t is a part of the process and, like in life, working hard to overcome a challenge reaps reward.

Other benefits of gardening with your child include:

●     Decreased screen time and increased physical activity and exposure to mood-boosting sunshine.

●     Family bonding and team building as you work together to dig, plant, grow and harvest.

●     Interactive opportunities to explore and learn science and math concepts related to gardening.

●     Expands creativity and curiosity as kids design and build a green space where they can relax, read a book and explore. 

Bloom Where You're Planted

Growing your own garden doesn’t have to be hard, expensive, or take up too much space. It doesn’t even have to be in the ground. Gardens can be grown in pots, small outdoor beds or even bags. Garcia says to keep it simple and start small. Grow herbs or microgreens in a pot, or turn a galvanized tub into a small vegetable garden.

If you prefer sowing flowers over food, use the thriller/filler/spiller rule for planting an eye-catching flower pot. Choose one focal plant as your “thriller” to add height and drama. Pair with it “filler” flowers that are round or mounding to fill in the space around the thriller. To finish off the look, add a “spiller,” or trailing plant to soften the edges of the container.

When combining plants in containers, whether food or flowers, be sure to pair them according to their light and watering needs. In other words, don’t put shade-loving flowers like impatiens with full-sun plants like hibiscus, or moisture-loving herbs like basil with drought-tolerant plants like rosemary. To learn more, turn to resources such as Texas A&M Agrilife Extension and local plant nurseries that can point you in the right direction on what to plant and how to care for your garden.

Porch ponds can add tranquility to a small outdoor space. Use a galvanized tub or water-tight container to house water plants and a small filter/fountain combination to circulate water. Adding mosquito fish to your pond is an effective and environmentally friendly way to control mosquitos, and your kids will love the aquatic life.

Above all, let your kids get their hands dirty and have fun with your garden, be it big or small. Together, you’ll harvest far more benefits than just healthy food and beautiful blooms.

The rising prices of eggs, meat and other foods can make the cost of groceries hard to swallow these days.

But knowing some tricks for savvy shopping could help cut your grocery bill without sacrificing the nutritional value of the food you buy.

There’s no better time than National Nutrition Month -- in March -- to talk about the importance of fueling children and adolescents with the optimal foods for the growth and development of their bodies and brains. What we eat impacts energy, the risk for obesity, certain diseases, blood sugar levels, learning and more. 

Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture lay out the core elements that make up a healthy diet: Vegetables and fruits of all types and colors; whole grains, dairy including milk, yogurt and cheese; proteins including lean meats, seafood and nuts; and oils including vegetable oils. Children and teens need a variety of nutrients, such as calcium for strong bones, protein to build muscles, iron for oxygen-rich blood and fiber for easier bowel movements.

Kaitlin Smith, M.S. R.D. L.D. meets with patients in the Cook Children’s Endocrinology Clinic for issues such as diabetes and obesity. Smith and her dietitian colleagues at Cook Children’s provide education on weight management, counting carbohydrates and other nutrition-related topics.

In recent months, she said, more families in her consultations have voiced concern about inflation driving up the price of healthful foods. When the subject comes up, Smith coaches those families on affordable ways to eat nutritiously.

“It doesn't have to look like you're buying grass-fed beef or free-range chicken. That's what a lot of people picture, is we have to buy these expensive health foods or have top-of-the-line everything, and that's not true,” she said.

Smith outlined a few strategies for nutritional value at lower cost:

• Buy frozen or canned vegetables and fruits. “You're still getting good nutrients. They’re going to last longer, and it’s usually cheaper.” Look for fruit cups with fruit juice, not syrup.
• Seek out the more nutritious versions of food – for instance, brown rice instead of white rice, whole-grain pasta instead of pasta containing refined flours. “You're getting more nutrition for your dollar.”
• Eat more beans. “Beans are so affordable and nutrient dense. Beans of any kind are a great source of protein, fiber and iron.”
• Stock up and freeze meat when it goes on sale.
• Buy generic. Name-brand labels tend to cost more for foods with the same nutrient components as the generics.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics points to additional key steps for preparing nutritious meals on a tight budget. How? Stick with a shopping list. Incorporate meatless meals a few days each week. Buy nonperishable staples, such as dried beans and lentils, in bulk. Use produce and other perishables first. Eat leftovers the next day for lunch. Freeze what you won’t eat right away.

“The key to smart, budget-friendly grocery shopping is planning ahead,” according to the Academy. “Plan meals around fresh produce, lean protein foods and low-fat dairy items that are on sale and in season to save money while eating healthy.”

Take breakfast, for example. Smith recommends oatmeal with a little milk and fruit as a low-cost option. Lunch could be turkey and cheese on whole-wheat bread, with a side of carrots or fruit.

“We have protein, we have fiber, we have fruits and vegetables available, and that's way cheaper than if you picked up a sandwich at a drive-through place,” Smith said.

For dinner, Smith suggests stir fry using a bag of mixed vegetables and a little chicken or beef over noodles or rice. Frequent dinners in her home consist of burrito bowls made with brown rice, black beans, avocado and cheese – affordable, and yummy to her young son.

Families can stretch their food dollars by turning to recipes such as Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Mac - Kristine's Kitchen (kristineskitchenblog.com), which yields six servings at a cost of $1.66 per serving. Smith pointed out that a fast food meal for one person costs $6 or $7 on average. 

“For the amount of money that you're spending on fast food or convenience foods, a much more nutritious option can be made at home. You’re getting less calories, less fat, less salt from not eating as many of those highly processed foods,” she said. “And if you're cooking at home, there are usually leftovers that you can eat throughout the week, which saves you money. It’s an all-around better option.”

Smith encourages families to take small steps to improve their nutrition routine. Changing too much all at once probably won’t establish a lasting habit, she said.

“Healthy eating does not have to be perfect,” she said. “Even if we swap out one to two fast food meals per week, that is still progress. Incorporate a vegetable into one meal every day, and then just build off of that. Just try to make realistic goals that are attainable for your family.”

National Nutrition Month highlights the importance of wholesome foods – and the dietitians who help children and teens make informed choices about what they eat. 

“I love simplifying healthy eating for my patients and reminding them that it doesn't have to be about a fad diet or expensive supplements or expensive health foods. I just love when I can empower people to take ownership of their health and make those small consistent changes to reach their overall health goals.”

My family and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the state fair. We go every year and get our corn dog and our roasted corn. We see the dog show, and we watch the acrobats. The sights and sounds are the same as they were 20 plus years ago, and I hope to make the same happy memories for my own kids.

How do we enjoy the fair without compromising the healthy lifestyle that we enjoy? Here are some tips from our staff members and from the nutrition department at Cook Children’s.

1. Start your day off with a healthy well balanced meal at home. Do not show up hungry!
2. Bring waters and healthy snacks with you (nuts and dried fruit travel well). This will also help your ticketbook!
3. Allow your child to pick one treat.
4. If he or she (or you) can’t decide – pick a few treats to share – 1 or 2 bites of a fried Oreo^® is probably enough to satisfy even the worst sweet tooth.
5. Pick healthy alternatives to the fried foods: the roasted corn (a must), smoked turkey leg, fruit kabobs, and chicken kabobs.
6. The fairgrounds are huge! Walk a lot. Walk off those calories that you consume!

Special occasions like The State Fair of Texas include traditional foods to be enjoyed together. Remember that there are always healthy alternatives, and that the quality family time is the most important part of these magical moments.