In Russell County, 6.5% of adults consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day between 2013-2015. (Building Strong Families in Russell County 2018). Reading books that focus on eating healthy foods and being physically active may motivate children to adopt positive behaviors that last a lifetime. The Russell County Cooperative Extension Service Nutrition Education Program collaborated with Russell Springs Elementary kindergarten to offer the Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Primary Youth Health (LEAP) curriculum to teach children how to make healthier choices at home. The Nutrition Education Program assistant taught monthly lessons, for six months, with five kindergarten groups focusing on the five food groups and the importance of eating healthy. During the lessons, the students would engage in physical activities and food tasting that focused on fruits and vegetables. 

One hundred and one kindergarten participants completed all six lessons. Students completed pre and post test evaluations, and as a result of these lessons, more than three fourths (76%) gained knowledge on the correct way to wash hands and over half (56%) increased their awareness in what belonged in the Dairy food group. One teacher shared, “My students looked forward to trying new fruits and vegetables and one even kept the seeds from his apple to take home so he could grow his own apple tree.”