City of Phoenix Grants $20,000 to Valleywise Health Foundation to Expand Nutrition Education Program Through Community Health Centers

New "Meal Magic" curriculum to be facilitated at Valleywise Health Family Resource Centers to teach families how to plan meals and shop smart on a budget

PHOENIX, Ariz. (September 2026) - Valleywise Health Foundation has received a $20,000 grant from the City of Phoenix to expand its NutriMiniKids program, an early childhood nutrition education series offered through Valleywise Health's Family Resource Centers. The grant will fund the launch of a new curriculum, Meal Magic: Planning and Shopping Smart, designed to help families stretch their food budgets and build healthy eating habits at home.

The investment comes as food insecurity continues to challenge Valley families. According to a Feeding America report, one in five Arizona children do not have consistent access to enough food. NutriMiniKids was created to give parents and caregivers of young children practical, hands-on tools to make every food dollar go further, while helping kids build a positive relationship with food from an early age.

"While addressing food insecurity is the first priority of this program, diabetes remains one of the top health challenges our patient population faces and NutriMiniKids helps families start healthier habits earlier," said Michelle Barker, Sr. VP of Ambulatory Services and CEO of FQHCs at Valleywise Health. "This program gives children the tools to understand how to eat well and care for their health. Investing in nutrition education for our youngest patients today is one of the most effective ways we can reduce diabetes risk in our community tomorrow."

Launched in July of 2026, Meal Magic is a five-week series, plus an optional sixth-week grocery store field trip, for parents and caregivers of children ages 0 to 5 who participate in parent-child programs at Family Resource Centers housed in Valleywise Health's Community Health Centers. Each 60-minute session pairs with a read-aloud story, a hands-on STEM or craft activity and a tasting activity with three evidence-based takeaways families can bring home. Children take part as "Junior Detectives," helping build shopping lists and learning about food in a fun, age-appropriate way.

Over the five weeks, families will learn to:

• Plan simple weekly meals using what they already have at home and what's on sale
• Compare prices to find the best value at the store, including how to read price per unit
• Build healthy meals around affordable staples like beans, grains and frozen produce
• Involve children in meal planning and shopping in a fun, developmentally appropriate way
• Put those skills into practice during an optional guided grocery store visit

The Valleywise Health Foundation received the City of Phoenix's Food Systems Grant which provides awards of up to $20,000 to nonprofits, small businesses, schools and other organizations working within the City's food system. Funded projects help residents grow, access, cook, share and eat healthy, affordable, culturally relevant food, supporting the City's 2030 Food Action Plan to build a more just, equitable and resilient local food system

Meal Magic classes have already launched at Valleywise Health Family Resource Centers. Families interested in participating for future cohorts can find more information at https://valleywisehealth.org/services/family-resource-centers/