Today was all about fruits and veggies!
Amy and I led a morning nutrition lesson to about 100 fourth graders on S U P E R F O O D S!! We had bell peppers, zucchini and squash, and baked sweet potato fries for them to taste test along with some homemade ranch dressing. Seven of the schools in the district applied for and received a grant for a Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program so that each day they serve a fruit or veggie as a snack to each classroom. Very cool, and the kids love it. Is there anything prettier than a rainbow of freshly cut veggies?!
Our lesson was fun and went really well. I don’t think we give kids enough credit! Many of the ate ALL of the veggies (with a little encouragement at times) I’d say about 60% willinly cleaned their plates! We gave them a little nutrition quiz too 🙂
After the lesson I put together a Superfoods bulletin board for the cafeteria.
And a while later it was lunchtime. I usually go 5 hours between breakfast and lunch and I am quite hungry when 11:30 rolls around. But I like it that way because food tastes so good.
Today’s menu featured the famous Cherry Sparkle I’ve been hearing about a lot. Simply frozen cherries sprinkled with a little granulated sugar for sweetness and crunch!
Also on the line today: the famous Frito Pie. Not everything is fruit or veggie nutritious!
I loaded up on a rainbow of beautiful rainbow foods. Salad topped with corn and green beans, leftover raw veggies (topped with hot sauce), cherries, milk, and one of those ww rolls that I can get enough of!
Couldn’t resist more cherries. I’m hooked!!
Adios!
(ps. BlogPress ate my post AGAIN! But this time copy and paste worked so I was able to quickly switch to WordPress app. Whew.)
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
lol– for some reason, the image of 4th graders learning about superfoods kind of cracks me up 🙂
[email protected] Two Lives, One Lifestyle says
Cherry sparkle is a cute name– They would be fab with some yogurt on top, too! What exactly does Frito pie contain?
Jessica says
Back when i was in school…it was chilli put in a single serving bag of Fritos…
I dont know if that is what it is anymore.
Jessica @ How Sweet says
Cherry sparkle sounds amazing!!!
[email protected] says
So wonderful to see the effort being made in schools to provide healthier food options for kids! Remembering back to my grade school days ( well over 20 yrs ago ) I would say things have changed a bit hahaa!
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
Those cherries sound great! How creative. They almost look like they could be made into ornaments
Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers says
what a fun day!! i bet the kids loved it! i agree about not giving kids enough credit when it comes to eating fruits & veggies… many are just never even given the chance to try a wide variety to find veggies they like!
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
wow, cherry sparkle sounds SO GOOD! i think i know what i’m doing for dessert later 🙂
Erin says
What great lessons these kids are getting from you guys!
megan says
i have to admit the frito pie actually looks pretty good. I LOVE fritos. It’s an addiction actually. I try not to buy them too often. the cherries sound great too!
Ameena says
Frito pie sounds so good…I used to love Fritos!!
Freya @ foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com says
What a great job you did with the 4th graders, that must’ve been so fun! I wiiiish my school had done stuff like that, or even been just a little bit healthier – it was chips (every day), chicken nuggets…it was so gross! Colour on a plate looks SO much more appealing!
Oooh and thanks to your breakfast post I just made up my own breakfast smoothie, but with spinach instead of fruit pulp – I tasted it while making it and it was lovely, so I can’t wait for breakfast tomo!!
Tammy @ Defining Wellness says
That presentation must have been so much fun! I dream about teaching kids and adolescents about eating disorders prevention and nutrition.
Anne [email protected] Weigh of Life says
This kind of lesson would’ve been awesome to have in school!
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) says
Superfoods! Man, I wish they had taught this when I was in school. Might have saved me from years of unhealthy eating habits and a skewed perception of food for years.
Adventures of Alice says
Hey Koops! Any chance of getting a copy of that good homemade ranch recipe? They don’t sell Ranch dressing in Scotland and I miss it! I’d love to make one that I know will actually taste good! Sounds like a fun day—glad the kids (and you) enjoyed it! = )
Kath says
Hey Alice! I can check on the recipe. Jim is pretty busy though!
Adventures of Alice says
Thanks! that would be great—but no big deal
K says
Kath –
Are you deiting? Your school lunches have seemed really small lately (in comparison to what you were eating at home). I might be wrong, its just what it *looks* like in photos
Kath says
Dieting is not on my radar!! So no, I am not on a diet. My plate was overflowing with food today!
How can I say politely that I eat vegetarian while in the school system. At least mostly vegetarian, since I don’t really support institutionalized meats.
But my meals usually have a protein, a grain, fruits + veggies, so I try to keep them balanced. It’s no Hugh Jass salad, but it’s wonderful to have lunch as a perk of the job.
Faye says
I soooooo know what you mean about food tasting so good when your hungry! After a day of classes, tasting one sunflower seed was heavenly!
Faye says
Wow my grammar is horrible today
brandi says
aw, the superfood lesson sounds like so much fun! And the cherries DO look like they’re sparkling. I can’t wait until cherries are back in season + in stores here.
weekly bite says
I use to eat Frito pie all the time growing up…. some good memories 🙂
Kelly says
I love that children now have the opportunity to eat more healthy foods while at school! And especially with the lessons you are giving, they are also being taught how to make the right choices. So awesome!! 🙂
Ashley says
Awesome iphone photos!! Teaching kids about food would be SO much fun!!! Make sure you tune in to Oprah today!!!! It’s all about knowing where your food comes from…Michael Pollan + Alicia Silverstone are going to be on! Yippeeee
LindsayRuns says
Kath–you can move pictures within the text in the wordpress app if blogpress keeps eating it. It still might take too much of your time, but if you save it as a draft (versus local draft) after you type it up and add the pictures, the pictures will come in as http at the bottom of the post. Each picture is surrounded by <a (mumbo jumbo) and I just cut it out and paste it where I want it. Again, might be too much of a hassle for you, but stuff getting eaten by technology sucks.
Kath says
Thanks for the info! Really good to know, but you’re right that I’m too busy for all that copying and pasting 🙁
LindsayRuns says
would help if i did the code right: <a randomness 😉 Have a good day!
rustique says
Coersion was never necessary for me; I loved fruits and veggies growing up. I think the trick is getting them in regular rotation and playing up their “magical” abilities–I’ve never met a kid who didn’t want to grow up strong.
A sprinkle or two of sea salt never hurt anyone, either.
Lauren @ Eater not a runner says
That is so awesome! Love the superfoods poster 😉
JENNA says
this internship of yours is making me want to go back to school so badly….i might have to go back and read your posts on labs to change my mind!!!!
[email protected] says
How fun! I bet the kids loved your presentation…..
Deborah says
I love that you are teaching kids about nutrition and that schools are applying for the Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Program grant. I wish all schools had that mentality. Thanks for the post.
Salah says
These are the kinds of things that we need to do for our schools. We need to start educating the children about healthier food options starting at a young age and keep progressing and providing them with more information each year. This will at least give them the knowledge to make good lifestyle choices.
Jen says
I think “Superfood” is the secret word of the day!
Christina says
Aww it sounds like a fun day! I’m glad kids are learning about healthy eating in school now. I don’t remember ever learning anything like that.
Stephanie says
What a great idea! I love cherries and never thought to have them frozen. I do that to grapes in the summer time and it’s awesome!
I was you were at my school when I was little! It sounds like you have a good time with such yummy food!
Anne P says
Aw reading this makes me miss teaching 🙂 How fun!!
Cole says
I need some cherry sparkle in my life
Allison K says
Cherry Sparkle is such a fantasic name. how do you NOT love something named Cherry Sparkle?!?
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
I love that the kids are learning about things that I never learned about in school. Hopefully it will help them to grow up healthier.
Heather (The Single Dish) says
Cherry sparkle sounds good right about now-I need an afternoon pick me up!
Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) says
That’s so awesome Kath!
Lauren says
I wish I could have sat in on your superfoods lesson. Honestly, I still don’t really understand what the whole thing means.
Kath says
Just that some foods have a really stellar concentration of nutrients 🙂
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
What a great looking lunch. I love the addition of corn.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
What an awesome lesson plan for the kids. Sounds like they really enjoyed it! And all those fruits and veggies seriously look fabulous!
Jasmine @ Eat Move Write says
I love that you’re getting to do your internship in a school. Out here, the only dietetics internships are in hospitals. Schools aren’t an option. I’m so jealous.
Julie says
Hi Kath –
I’m a first-time commenter, LONG time reader:) To me, your blog is the original, the gold standard! Thanks for sharing your eats with us everyday.
I really wanted to share this blog I just found (you may have already seen it), but it relates so closely to your great work within the school system. An elementary school teacher in Illinois is eating her school’s lunch everyday of 2010 and sharing it with the world. She’s not even a month in, but the content is pretty interesting, very eye-opening:
http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/
Thanks again for doing what you do!
Julie
Kath says
I’ve seen it! Sadly I don’t have time to read too many blogs these days 🙁
Jil says
Those cherries look awesome — I can understand why you are hooked! I love your job…kids really are great eaters…i honestly think (and obviously this can’t be said for every single one but…) that they are often held back because of “prejudices” that their parents/people around them have about food…like “Oh, you won’t like that.” or only serving them 1 thing or whatever…I’ve always found the majority of the time kids will at least give food a chance.
Lynna says
Kath, I am a faithful reader and just had to tell you how inspiring and uplifting I have found your recent posts about kids and good food. I was raised in a lower-middle income family in the SoCal desert…feeding the four of us girls and my mom and dad on a limited income meant eating LOTS of the abundant fruits and vegetables that were grown all around us. I had never even had white bread in the house until I left for college. Even though since we had kids, we have lived on the East coast, Katy and Andy were raised on lots of fruits and veggies, too. Now, they (SillyTaterTot and MrAndrewIan.wordpress) blog about healthy and happy lives. Just think what you are inspiring in these kids. You go girl!
Kath says
🙂
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
ooooh frito pie!!!
skinnyrunner says
yum, i want some cherry sparkle!
Penny (Blonde Bibliophile) says
Yummy cherries!!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
Cute little bulletin board and that is fantastic about the grant!!! If only more schools could be like that!! And I think we assume kids aren’t going to eat veggies and fruits and healthy things and so we never give them a chance to try them. kids will surprise you!
Angie says
Love the food selections!!
And I totally agree – most kids will really gravitate towards trying most things if they’re approached in an upbeat, positive manner. Keep up the good work!
Kate (This American Wife) says
This job sounds so cool! Do you have a post somewhere that explains what exactly your internship is about? I’d love to read about it…the stuff you’re doing is so neat!
Kath says
I don’t. It’s the last piece of the puzzle to becoming an R.D. My internship is 6 months with 4 rotations – community, food service and clinical.
Jenna says
Lunch looks great! Good job on the lecture to the lil kiddies 🙂
Alyssa says
Those cherries look delicious! I wish you could come in and give that lesson to my class. Our school lunch today consisted of a choice of fried chicken nuggets or fried fish nuggets with our “vegetable” being sweet potatoes SOAKED in gross looking syrup. Our breakfast was honey buns and chocolate milk. I have been frustrated with it for years, the more I read your blog about all the nutrition programs in school the angrier I get at my system! Glad your day went well though 🙂
Hannah says
Those cherries look like jewels! Heavenly!
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
We never had school lunches like that! I remember spongy chicken nuggets and gross pizza lol! I <3 super foods, it makes you feel super when you eat them. 🙂
Jenn
Eileen says
The Cherry Sparkle is something else! Gotta try that soon!
I read your post about tonight’s run, too. Great job, and good advice. I’ve been in a good groove lately, using my iPod for inspiration and just running FAST when I feel like it. I haven’t done much official speedwork, but I do think I’m kicking my pace up a few notches and I hope my spring races prove it to be true!
molly b says
I work in an elementary school in NC that has the fruit and vegetable grant. I love it! Today my first graders got to try star fruit for the first time! It is such an amazing program for my high-poverty kiddos!