08/22/2026 Santa Fe County Extension Office Edition

August 22, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

When Renée Zeisman brings a pitcher of peach-and-mint-infused water to a Santa Fe farmers' market, the kids are the ones who get excited — one girl said she wanted to pack it in her school water bottle. That moment captures the core of Zeisman's work as a nutrition educator with New Mexico State Cooperative Extension: making healthy choices feel appealing, not obligatory, and meeting people where they actually are.

The Two-Bite Rule and the Long Game of Food Exposure

Zeisman works with youth at Boys and Girls Clubs, Head Start classrooms, and after-school programs. Her signature intervention is the "Two-Bite Club" — a simple behavioral rule: children try a new fruit or vegetable twice before deciding whether they like it. The second bite matters because taste preferences are rarely settled on the first encounter. Zeisman emphasizes that it can take 10 to 15 exposures for a child to accept a new food. The real barrier is often not the child's palate but the caregiver's language. If a parent says "Johnny doesn't like vegetables," the child absorbs that identity. Zeisman's advice is to keep the commentary neutral and positive, and to keep offering without pressure.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:09) **Opening & Guest Introduction** - Host Dr. Michelle Stitza introduces Renee Zeisman, a nutrition educator from the NMSU Cooperative Extension Program, who works with youth and adults in Santa Fe County.
2 (01:19) **Youth Programs: Two-Bite Club & Food Origins** - Renee describes her work with the Boys and Girls Clubs and Head Start classrooms, focusing on encouraging children to try new fruits and vegetables.
3 (04:04) **Back-to-School Tips: Involving Kids in Food Prep** - Renee shares practical strategies for parents to create healthy lunches and snacks for the new school year.
4 (05:38) **Positive Language Around Food** - Renee emphasizes the importance of using encouraging language to help children develop a healthy relationship with eating.
5 (06:42) **Age-Appropriate Kitchen Tasks for Kids** - Practical ways to get children involved in cooking and food preparation at home.
6 (07:55) **Adult Programs: Senior Centers & Community Cooking** - Renee discusses her work with adults at senior centers and civic housing sites, where she brings recipes and samples.
7 (08:50) **Easy Homemade Granola Recipe** - A no-cook (or low-cook) recipe for making your own granola trail mix at home.

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Show Notes

Join Host Dr. Michelle Stizza in a conversation with Renee Zisman, Nutrition Educator from New Mexico State University Santa Fe Cooperative Extension Service program, Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition to learn more about evidence-based healthy food and lifestyle choices, easy and nutritious ideas for school lunches and simple nutritious meals to beat the heat.