Free Fruit Fridays

Posted on August 14, 2007 by Gerald Pugliese
Here’s an idea. Want school children to eat more fruit? Give it away for free! The Diabetes Blog explains:
Australia has its own problems with rising obesity and diabetes, and this fiber-loaded funding is more than just good stuff on Fridays. Premier John Brumby stated the Victorian plan is more comprehensive than a UK free fruit program that resulted in limited impact, per a published study last month in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.


Brumby explained Free Fruit Friday is part of a broader strategy, pairing with other programs such as Go For Your Life, another government program touting healthy eating and physical activity. He believes the effort will create behavioral change. Bold statement. I'll be curious to read the program evaluation results down the line. You can't help but like the idea of kids scooping up free fruits and vegetables in schools. The initiative suggests schools purchase locally -- fresher produce and support of the small farmer.
Well, if Aussie kids are anything like American kids, this should work. People love free stuff. Either way, it sure beats a pen.
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School Kids Win Better Veggies

Posted on August 1, 2007 by Gerald Pugliese
When I was in school, I remember wondering if that slop ice-cream scooped onto my plate still had a pulse—yeah, scary. Let’s face it, for many of us, school food is still a painful memory, but what if we didn’t something about? That’s exactly what a group of students at William V. Wright Elementary School in Las Vegas did. They took on the lunch ladies—and won! CNN reports:
"A little boy said, `Anything, anything, I'll even eat broccoli,"' said Connie Duits, the lunch lady. "So that one touched my heart."

The children were careful to offer praise as they expressed their concerns.

"Dear Mrs. Duits, The food is so yummy and yummy. But there are one problem. It is the green beans," wrote Zhong Lei.

"We love the rest but we hate the green beans," wrote Viviann Palacios.

The Las Vegas students undertook the exercise in mini-democracy after the class read a book called "Frindle," in which a boy contemplates organizing a boycott of the cafeteria.

"I asked the kids, 'Is that a respectful way of doing it?"' Christopulos said. "And they said, 'Oh, not at all."'

As a result of the students' campaign, the food service department of the Clark County School District sent staff to the school to see what alternatives they preferred.

With a handful of reporters watching, two dozen students sat down Monday to a veritable salad bar of cooked, frozen and canned vegetables, from baby corn to cherry tomatoes, and filled out a survey.

Because of cost restrictions, the children's only real choices were between canned and frozen green beans, corn, cooked or raw carrots and cooked or cold peas.

Corn and carrots were popular; cooked peas, not so much.
Very encouraging if you ask me! Hey, I just realized, this is basically the opposite of those zany Meat Pie Pushing Mamas.
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