School Nutrition programs!

Yet another example of how we can influence our kids to eat right and feel great! Salt lake has a new program and from the looks of it there are some really great ideas here. Anyone want to go to their school board and make a proposal the previous article and this one can give you some ammunition. Most of these boards don’t like to be ‘first’ in doing anything, there are way too many followers and not near enough leaders like these folks.

Midvale » They’re known for being the “grocer in your neighborhood,” and now Harmons is the grocer in your neighborhood school. For the past year, Harmons’ associates have been teaching first grade students in local schools about food and nutrition. For the kids, it’s been a treat — literally.

Last week, Harmons’ monthly “Teach to Taste” program continued at Midvalley Elementary where first grade classes learned about berries.

Angela Haun, a Harmons associate at the 700 E. 7700 South store, discussed where certain berries grow in America, when they’re available in grocery stores, and the kind of plants that produce berries.

Students learned, for example, that blueberries grow wild and are available eight months out of the year, that strawberries have the most vitamin C, and that blackberries grow on prickly bushes.

Students also drew pictures of berries and described how they smell and taste. Adjectives like bumpy, crunchy, sweet, soft, juicy and awesome floated around the classroom as kids examined the produce.

When asked what their favorite part of the 45-minute lecture was, students exclaimed it was tasting the berries.

“My favorite is strawberries, because you can eat them with sugar,” said 6-year-old Sienna Jeffries. “Also, because red is my favorite color.”

Jacob Lewis, 7, agreed the strawberries were his favorite, too. “I have strawberries in my backyard,” he said.

The berry lesson is the seventh of nine to be taught at Midvalley Elementary. Past lessons included tomatoes, bread, citrus fruits, red fruits and the importance of washing hands and foods.

The educational series is co-produced by Slow Food, an international movement to promote education about food and where it comes from. Currently, Harmons visits first graders in 14 schools from St. George to Ogden.

Twelve lessons have been developed for “Teach to Taste,” but each school can dictate the length and schedule of each presentation. Midvalley Elementary, for example, chose to use only nine of the lessons, with associates visiting the second Friday of every month.

Dean Peterson, president and CEO of Harmons, said he was ecstatic when Slow Food approached him with the program. “I felt I needed to do something different about food education. We had all the resources but not the curriculum to enter schools,” said Peterson, who added that Slow Food designed the lesson plans.

“I feel really strongly about this program because I think it’s disappointing that kids don’t know where food comes from. They think it comes from the back storeroom. I think people are losing touch with the farming industry.”

When asked why “Teach to Taste” is directed at first graders, Peterson said it’s because children at that age are more open to try new things and form opinions without influence from others.

Bob Harmon, whose family founded the grocery chain, said he visited many of the presentations at different schools and is excited about the education students are receiving.

“Historically, we came from a small produce stand and I’ve spent a lot of time growing up in the produce department, so these lessons on fruit are particularly close to my heart,” Harmon said. “Nature is an amazing thing. If you think about fruit, it’s already in its own wrapper, it’s portable and you can eat it immediately. At this young age, it’s a really important to learn about good nutrition as a lifestyle.”

agreenleigh@sltrib.com

Again, do some research. Find like minded parents and go for it!

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