Author: Angie York
Planning Unit: Lyon County CES
Major Program: LEAP
Plan of Work: Increasing Knowledge about and Access to Fruits and Vegetables
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Preschoolers in low income families are not often afforded the opportunity to taste and try new and different healthy foods. The Center for Disease Control says that 60% of children ages 2-18 do not meet daily recommendations for the amount of fruits and vegetables they should be eating. In homes where budgets are tight and food dollars are limited, preschoolers often are more familiar with potato chips, candy, snack cakes, and other unhealthy foods. In order to introduce preschoolers to a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as help them learn a lifetime of healthy eating through myPlate, The Lyon County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in partnership with the Lyon County Preschool and Head Start programs, offers monthly nutrition education to preschoolers in their classrooms. Through storytelling, role-playing, taste testing and other methods, the preschoolers are given an opportunity to expand their palette. Students were evaluated by asking them to place stickers under the smiley face or the frowny face on the tasting chart each month as they tried a new fruit or vegetable. Students overwhelmingly liked the roasted pumpkin seeds, dried apricots, broccoli, star fruit, and eggplant while turnips and beets were not well received by the students. Because of the success of this partnership, preschool nutrition classes will continue monthly throughout the school year.
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