Chocolate banana ice cream may not sound like a healthy treat, but when made with non-fat vanilla yogurt, unsweetened cocoa powder, bananas and just a little bit of honey it can be a great alternative to full-fat, high sugar choices. Clients at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) got to enjoy this cool snack at the main AFAC food distribution site today and also received information on how to make healthy dairy choices. Master Food Volunteer Catrina Moran joined an AFAC volunteer to make the recipe, distribute samples, and give out fact sheets on how to incorporate low-fat and non-fat dairy products into a healthy diet.

June marks the sixth month that Master Food Volunteers have been providing quick nutrition education at AFAC sites while clients wait to pick up their food. In addition to AFAC headquarters they also go to other food distribution sites including Gunston Community Center, Claridge House, and Clarendon United Methodist Church. The nutrition theme changes each month and so far we have covered topics such as portion control, heart health, limiting sugar consumption, and smart shopping for fruits and vegetables. Earlier this month Master Food Volunteers Nancy Broff and Cristina Zabala made and distributed samples of yogurt-onion-dill dip at Claridge House and Clarendon UMC, respectively. On Saturday Aleks Damsz will be back at AFAC HQ to share the tasty chocolate banana ice cream.

If you have ideas for other nutrition topics that you think we should cover at AFAC in the coming months, please let us know by leaving a comment on this post.

Kendra Ambrose and Catrina Moran pass out healthy sweet treats at AFAC in Arlington