Jane Fortman, right, Mansfield City Schools’ food service manager, explains the fresh fruits and vegetables program at Malabar Intermediate School to Richland Public Health Commissioner Martin Tremmel and Karyl Price, the health department’s Creating Healthy Communities project coordinator.
Richland Public Health Commissioner Martin Tremmel heard it first-hand Wednesday: Kids who profess not to like fresh fruits and vegetables often change their minds when they taste them for the first time.
Tremmel joined Jane Fortman, Mansfield City Schools’ food service manager, as large bowls of clementines, Asian pears and sugar snap peas were delivered to fourth-grade classrooms at Malabar Intermediate School.
Students in Sandy Overholt’s room described their tasting of three items each week – 30 so far this school year. Offerings have ranged from prune plums and acorn squash to Loring peaches and sugar cube cantaloupe. They liked most of them, the kids agreed.
“Do you ever shop with your parents and see the fruits and vegetables you’ve tasted,” Tremmel asked.
Several hands shot up.
“I go with my mom to Kroger and show her the different ones I’ve tried,” one boy said. “We buy some of them to take home.”
Fifth- and sixth-grade classes also receive the fruits and vegetables one day each week. The large bowls are accompanied by colorful information sheets which describe the origins of the items and their nutritional value.
“This is the fourth year we have offered the fresh fruits and vegetables program at Malabar through funding provided by the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Child Nutrition,” Fortman said. “This is not part of the district’s lunch program. It is a separate classroom activity designed to introduce children to healthy eating options.”
Teachers have incorporated the program into classroom projects or discussions. In some rooms, students have created graphs or charts to determine which fruits and vegetables are the favorites.
“This is impressive,” Tremmel said. “It seems to me this would be a healthy model for many other schools, especially urban schools. It’s obvious the students enjoy it.”
Fortman explained that Malabar students will sample approximately 100 different items over the course of the school year.
The state funding covers the cost of a contract with Sandy Hill Fruit Farm which purchases the fruits and vegetables then washes and prepares them for delivery to Malabar. Sandy Hill buys items locally, when possible. Delivery to Malabar is in bulk or in individual plastic bags, depending on the item.
“Many of our students get to taste some fruits and vegetables for the first time,” Fortman told Tremmel. “Everything is fresh. Nothing is canned or packaged and no dip or flavoring is provided. We want kids to experience the true taste of the fruit or vegetable.”