Keeping it fresh
<p>Bryan Elementary School fifth graders line up to scoop their favorite fruits and vegetables during the lunch period Monday in Coeur d'Alene. The school is one of two in Coeur d'Alene that received Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants from the United States Department of Agriculture to offer nutritious snacks in their lunch programs. From left, Tori Taylor, Sierra Magee, Rikki Hickman, and Shelly Lingwell.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Fresh fruits and vegetables will be offered at snack time at several area schools next year.
The Idaho Department of Education announced Monday that 78 schools, including several serving Kootenai County students, have received Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program grants.
It's the second year they've received funding for the program at Bryan Elementary School in Coeur d'Alene.
"The kids love, love, love it," said Robin Mitzelfelt, Bryan's kitchen manager. "They would be sad if we didn't get it."
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is part of a USDA initiative to offer schools a wider variety of fresh produce than is available through regular school lunch programs, and to introduce healthy snack options in creative ways.
The snacks must be made available outside regular meal times.
The competitive grant program targets schools that serve lower income populations, said Ed Ducar, the district's director of nutrition services.
Grant eligibility requires that more than 50 percent of a school's student population must qualify for free or reduced cost school meals. Families of four with an annual income of $40,793 or less are eligible for the discounted or no-cost breakfasts and lunches offered in all of the district's schools for the 2009-10 school year.
"Some of these kids maybe don't get a whole lot of fresh fruits and vegetables," Mitzelfelt said.
Borah, with 372 students, was awarded $19,000, and at Bryan, where enrollment is 412, the grant amount is $21,000.
The nutrition lessons extend beyond snack time.
Bryan students visited a farm earlier this year, where they picked pumpkins. Mitzelfelt then prepared fresh pumpkin soup for them.
The kitchen staff arranges a basket of fresh produce goodies for each classroom during the week with sliced apples, carrots or maybe something a little more unusual, like jicama.
Ducar said some of the snacks they see children bring with them from home are often unhealthy, like candy or pop.
By offering new choices the students like, Ducar said they can develop healthy eating patterns they carry with them, even when they're not in school.
Offering nutritious food options isn't a new concept in area schools, Ducar said.
He pointed to British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" reality show and accompanying campaign to get American school children eating healthy.
"We're way ahead of that here and all over the Pacific Northwest," Ducar said.
School meals became even healthier in Idaho last year with the advent of new nutrition standards put in place by the Idaho Department of Education.
The new requirements called for limiting foods high in fat, sodium and sugar, and discontinuing salt shakers, sugar packets, deep-fried foods and trans fats.
Most of the new guidelines were already in place in many districts.
The Coeur d'Alene district takes a team approach to nutrition education, he said, with teachers, nutrition services staff, nurses and administrators working together.
Ducar said they would like to be able to offer the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program at more schools
"We'll keep applying for grants," he said.
Other local schools receiving funding for the fresh produce snack program for next year include John Brown Elementary in Rathdrum, Lakeside Elementary in Plummer-Worley, Seltice Elementary and Mullan Trail Elementary in Post Falls.