Three Richland One Schools Receive Grant to Promote Fresh Fruits, Vegetables

How’s this for new school snack menu items: kumquats, ugli fruits, grapples, purple broccoli and red carrots? In an effort to get students to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, this fall Richland One will be offering these exotic delights and others on the school snack menus at Burton-Pack, John P. Thomas and Carver-Lyon elementary schools. A $75,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be used to purchase the fresh produce.

These schools are among 51 statewide selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. They will share a $1.1 million grant to purchase and serve a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables, provide fruit baskets inside classrooms, kiosks in hallways and other innovative approaches to give youngsters a chance to grab a healthy snack throughout the school day.

In addition to making nutrition education a priority, school officials hope students will learn another valuable life lesson: to develop healthier eating habits that will last a lifetime.

For more information please contact the Richland One Office of Communications at 231-7504 or 231-7510.

 

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