The fun factor in child nutrition

  • By Barbara Quinn The Monterey County Herald
  • Monday, March 24, 2014 6:14pm
  • Life

One hand-made envelope was filled with dried flower petals. In another was a hand-written poem: “Roses are red. Violets are blue. Sugar is bad and I’ll miss you.”

Thank you letters from students at Lagunitas Elementary School, one of several elementary schools in Monterey County, Calif., that has hosted a program called Kids Eat Right.

How do you teach kids to eat right? Expose them to fun activities that focus on healthful habits, says Uriel Mendoza, coordinator of the Kids Eat Right Program at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

Within five fast-paced sessions, students experience and practice simple yet profound health messages:

Eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day.

Drink beverages that contain no added sugar.

Get at least one hour of physical activity each day.

These messages are part of a national initiative from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to help curb childhood obesity in our country. “Kids Eat Right helps reinforce the healthful messages children get from home,” Mendoza said.

There’s even a website (www.kidseatright.org) that offers resources to help children and their families to “Shop Smart, Cook Healthy and Eat Right.”

And forgive the pun, but kids seem to be gobbling up what they learn. I mean, really. Who would guess a fourth-grader would call a colorful broccoli salad “delicious”? Or a yogurt parfait “yummy”? Or say, “Thank you for telling us to do 60 minutes of exercise a day”?

“I am soooooo going to be healthy now!” one student gushed on a card embellished with colorful fruits and vegetables. “Thank you soooo much!”

Key to the success of this program? Basic health messages rolled into lively outdoor games and hands-on recipe preparation.and tasting.

“There is no reason kids cannot have fun while Kids Eat Right,” Mendoza says with a smile. And he backs up his claim with one of his props — a giant parachute of many colors (to represent colorful fruits and vegetables) — that he uses in activities.

Registered dietitians teach the nutrition portion of Kids Eat Right.

“My favorite food was the Batman Tortilla,” (black beans on a corn tortilla topped with chopped tomatoes and low fat yogurt), writes one student.

“I loved that broccoli pasta (whole grain) stuff,” said another.

And then there’s the crayoned fourth-grade drawing of a colorful unicorn with a bright red apple perched on his horn. Absolutely epic.

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey, Calif. Email her at bquinnchomp.org.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Provided by Bridges Pets, Gifts, & Water Gardens.
Discover where to find the best pet supplies in town

Need the perfect store to spoil your furry friends? Herald readers have you covered.

VW Jetta SEL is a sedan that passes for a coupe. Photo provided by Volkswagen U.S. Media.
2025 VW Jetta Offers Greater Refinement, Technology And Value

A Perfect Choice For Small Families And Commuters

2025 Land Rover Range Rover Velar (Photo provided by Land Rover).
2025 Range Rover Velar SUV tends toward luxury

Elegant styling and a smaller size distinguish this member of the Land Rover lineup.

Honda Ridgeline TrailSport photo provided by Honda Newsroom
2025 Honda Ridgeline AWDt: A Gentlemen’s Pickup

TrailSport Delivers City Driving Luxury With Off-Road Chops

Photo provided by Subaru.
Subaru Forester is all-new for 2025, a sixth generation

The enduring compact SUV is sleeker but doesn’t ditch its original rugged looks.

(Getty Images)
Stacked and packed: Best sub sandwich spots in town

Craving a delicious sub sandwich? Where will you go first? Let’s find out.

Pippin the Biewer Terrier sits in the lap of her owner Kathy West on Monday, May 20, 2024, at West’s home in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald).
Top 3 pet grooming places in Snohomish County you’ll love

Looking for the perfect place to treat your furry friend? We have the answer for you.

Children fish in the water and climb near the renovated boat launch at Kayak Point Regional County Park on Friday, June 14, 2024, near Stanwood, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Reconnect with nature: Best campgrounds and RV parks to explore

Herald readers voted the top three spots for your next outdoor adventure

A couple stands on a large piece of driftwood in the wind at Mukilteo Lighthouse Park on Friday, Jan. 4, 2018 in Mukilteo, WA. There is a small craft advisory in effect until 10 pm Friday. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Chasing sunsets: The best spots to watch the day’s end

Looking for the perfect place to catch a stunning sunset? Herald readers have you covered.

2025 Subaru WRX (Photo provided by Subaru).
2025 Subaru WRX replaces former TR trim with new tS model

The rally-inspired sport compact sedan is an ongoing favorite among enthusiasts

CX-90 With Three-Rows photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 CX-90 Is A Stylish, Fun-To-Drive Package

Inline 4-Cylinder Hybrid Includes Plug-In Electric Option

Edmonds
Almost forgotten Tacoma artist exhibiting in Edmonds

Beulah Loomis Hyde died in 1983. A first-of-its-kind retrospective is open at Cascadia Art Museum until February.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.