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Thursday, March 16, 2006
Editorial: Kids Embrace Healthy Snacks
It's not often that students get to choose mangoes over a Mars bar, olives over Oreos or kiwis over cookies, but those healthier choices are available at Moriarty Elementary School and Estancia High School.
The two schools qualified for the federally funded Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program this year, which provides fresh healthy snacks every day and introduces students to foods not normally seen in schools.
Nutritionists say that if kids have an alternative to the sugary, nutritionally suspect snacks found in most vending machines, many will choose the healthier fruits and vegetables.
The program, which targets schools with high proportions of students from lower-income homes, gives students a sample of a fruit or vegetable— some of which are probably seldom seen in their homes— during a daily snack time.
It also teaches students better eating habits, which could translate into less obesity and healthier lifestyles.
Two weeks into the program, Moriarty Elementary Principal Robert Adams said students seem to enjoy the new snacks. "We're going to try using some things that the kids may have never tried before," he said.
The hope is that some of these healthier alternatives will find their way into students' diets even outside school.
Introducing students to new experiences, even the edible kind, can only enrich their education. For those who find they actually like guavas, jicama or mangoes, the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program might prove to be the healthy icing on the cake.
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