Fighting the good food fight isn’t always easy, but that doesn’t stop the Santa Maria-Bonita School District from trying.
This year, eight of the district’s schools qualified for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program, enabled through federal grant money for schools where 88 percent or more of their students qualify for free-and-reduced-price lunches. Each year, Jeanie Stellar, the district’s food service supervisor, applies for the grant for each school in the district.
“Some missed it by 1 percent,” she said.
Schools that qualify receive funds that enable them to offer a different fruit or vegetable to their students as a recess snack during the school day. At least two vegetables are offered each week.
On Oct. 13, Jose, a sixth grader at Miller Elementary School who had never tried a pear before, was coaxed into it.
“Ugh, gross,” he said spitting out the fruity flesh after taking a bite. Jose said he would rather snack on jicama with Tajin chili powder.
The program is very popular with younger students, many of whom hung out around the food cart all recess long, poaching seconds and even thirds.
Third-grader Zoe tarried around the cart all recess and was munching on her third pear as the bell rang. She said she likes pears better than the graham crackers she brought to school.
Dale Clayborn, one of Miller School’s food service staff, said he noticed that even at lunch, salad and fresh produce is more popular with the younger kids.
“The little kids run over and pile it on. We have to say, ‘Hey, go easy,’ but the older kids, they just walk by like … ,” he said, sticking his nose in the air.
During the third- and fourth-grade recess, students bragged about how many fruits and veggies they liked.
Most of the produce comes from such local growers as the Avila Valley Barn and See Canyon. Steller also tries to introduce less familiar seasonal fruits like persimmons.
“Instead of being the Cheeto police, complaining about ‘can’t you bring something healthier?’ we just quit complaining and offer them a healthier alternative,” said Miller Principal Jim Bissin.
According to Steller, it takes 14 introductions to a vegetable before a child will try it.
In one attempt to match the students’ interest in spicy snacks, Steller tried adding spice to radishes. She found, however, that students were simply licking off the spices and tossing the veggies in the trash.
In the end, it turns out parents have a huge influence. Jose’s parents introduced him to jicama when he was young, and he loves it. Joseph, another sixth grader, doesn’t remember when his parents first gave him broccoli, but he likes it cooked and raw, as well as onions.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2014.
