Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2864
Nutrition educators encourage healthy meals “Why do you need fruits to be healthy?” Anne Thille asks sixth-graders at Cabrillo Middle School. Students, standing at tables in the cafeteria while slicing fresh apples, oranges, pears and grapes for a healthy snack, offer up some guesses. “Protein?” ask a few voices. “No, there’s not much protein,” says Thille, a member of the Ventura Classified Employ- ees Association (VCEA). “Vitamin C?” asks Michael Lugo. “Very good,” says Thille. “Fruit has vita- min C that will help keep you healthy dur- ing cold and flu season. It helps your im- mune system. It helps you fight germs. It keeps you healthy. Fruit gives you energy, so your brain will be more fired up to do math. And it tastes good, too.” Students definitely agree about the taste part. “Pears are my favorite food; they make ev- erything good,” relates Will Hammer. “I like apples because they make every- thing sweeter,” says Michael Thompson be- tween mouthfuls. Thille is one of three “nutrition educa- tors” who visit classrooms to encourage healthy eating habits among children as part of the Ventura Unified School District’s Healthy School Project. In an ongoing effort to improve student health, the district now has salad bars and an after-school Junior Chef Program that teaches healthy cooking. Baked, not fried, potato chips are offered in all school cafeterias. Fresh produce is har- vested and sampled from school gardens during nutrition lessons. “I get really excited about working with kids and seeing how much they understand about healthy eating. And I am seeing positive outcomes during lunchtime at the salad bar,” says Thille. Nutrition Program manager Tammie Nel- son, also a member of VCEA, was instrumen- tal in bringing salad bars into the cafeterias. She organizes the district’s Harvest of the Month program and urges students to try fruits and vegetables that are showcased. It’s not always easy to get students to try new things, such as persimmons, her choice for the fruit of the month for November. “I ask them to just try it and tell them that if they don’t like it, they don’t have to eat it,” says Nelson. “I tell them they might just like it and surprise themselves. Sometimes I have to coax them into it.” As a reward for trying new food, students receive a sticker saying “I Tried It” and lots of praise. Often it takes just one brave student to take a bite of something, and other students follow suit. The next thing you know, says Nelson, they are scooping the formerly unfa- miliar fruit or vegetable onto their plates while at the salad bar. Some healthy changes California’s schools have come a long way when it comes to promoting healthier foods. Guidelines passed by the Legislature in 2005 are being gradually implemented in districts statewide to improve the nutritional offerings sold for snacks and lunch. The hope is that food lower in fat and sugar will help stem the obesity epidemic (see “Healthy changes at California schools” sidebar). But that doesn’t mean only nutritious food is eaten at school. Teachers in many districts say it’s common for students to bring un- healthy lunches or snacks from home — or for parents to deliver high-calorie, sugar-lad- Top: Marcellin Ma enjoys a fruit salad that he helped prepare. Right: Anne Thille of the Ventura Classified Employees Association teaches students at Cabrillo Middle School the importance of fruit in a balanced diet. february 2009 | www.cta.org 17 en fast food at lunchtime or on birthdays. Although the state allows each school four exceptions during the school year to serve treats high in sugar and fat during the school day, Ventura sought a healthy alternative for Halloween candy. Thille and other nutrition educators organized a Healthy Classroom Party where students created “spiders” out of crackers, pretzels, peanut butter and raisins, as well as jack-o-lanterns out of apples. Stu- dents, she says, had a “blast” and didn’t miss the sugar one bit. Under the new guidelines, bake sales and other fundraisers with fattening food can only be offered at least 30 minutes after the school day ends, so many schools are turn- ing to healthier options such as walk-a-