September 15, 2008
Indiana third-graders are eating their way to better health
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service and the Indiana State Department of Health sponsor the program, which teaches students proper nutrition habits and how to plant and care for their own gardens.
"Eat Your Way to Better Health is designed to help kids increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables and teach them proper nutrition habits at a young age," said Laura Palmer, Purdue foods and nutrition specialist and registered dietitian.
Throughout the summer, Purdue Extension educators in 22 counties worked with local schools to create garden plots. Now that students have returned to school, they're hard at work planting and tending to their gardens.
"By letting the students plant and care for the gardens they're not only learning valuable skills, but they're also taking ownership of the project and getting excited about healthy eating," Palmer said.
For six weeks Purdue Extension educators are visiting participating classrooms weekly to teach the curriculum.
"The curriculum we're using is the Jr. Master Gardener curriculum, which not only meets state education standards, but also teaches kids about nutrition from the garden," Palmer said.
In addition to the curriculum and garden activities, students participate in taste tests of multiple varieties of various fruits and vegetables.
"One of the taste tests that's been done thus far was called 'Apple Surprise,'" Palmer said. "The kids were able to sample and evaluate all different apple varieties, some of which they may not have ever had the chance to try before."
Three of the participating schools were chosen to test a salad bar program as well.
"Eat Your Way to Better Health was provided funding for three schools to start salad bars where students will have healthier choices," Palmer said. "As the program grows, we hope more schools and classrooms will get involved."
Outside of the classroom, Eat Your Way to Better Health seasonal publications are being handed out at farmers' markets statewide to help consumers get a better idea of what to do with the fresh products they purchase.
"We're working with the Area Agencies on Ageing to hand out educational materials to farmers' market consumers teaching them how to prepare fruits and vegetables," Palmer said. "Each month the handouts have a different theme, and they include things like recipes and proper storage."
Writer: Jennifer Cummins, (765) 494-6682, cumminsjs@purdue.edu
Source: Laura Palmer, (765) 414-7493, lpalmer@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page
PHOTO CAPTION:
Third graders from Morocco Elementary in Newton County, work in the garden they planted as part of Purdue Extension's Eat Your Way to Better Health program.
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2008/palmer-garden.jpg
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