Photo credit: EllenPrather95 on Flickr.com
When I returned to the teaching profession about three years ago, I decided that I wanted to influence young kids with healthier choices and I would do so during snack time and parties, or with healthy treats. I would bring personal snacks like fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, carrots or pretzels dipped in hummus, apple slices with fat free caramel dip to share with them; they loved it! For organized class parties, I requested similar type treats from our parents. I’ve been doing this for three years now with great success. I believe that healthy food choices and active lifestyles affect my students’ behavior and academic performance in class. It also helps contribute to a positive self-concept, while contributing to positive peer interactions.
I’ve noticed that the more excited I am about introducing them to a new healthy snack, the more inclined they are to try it. If they have never tried something before, I ask them to try a small corner of it. If it doesn’t agree with their taste buds, I am not offended or upset with them; they can throw it away. If they have tried it and know that they don’t like it, their option is to simply say, “No thank you, Ms. Wells”.
The most recent introduction was to a new fruit that none of them had heard of: Japanese Plums or Loquat, a cross in taste to a pear and an apple. This slightly sour-sweet combination was a hit! I gave them background information on the fruit and gave them each a seed, at their request. They were fascinated with the look, smell and feel of the seed. A few of them even planted them in their yard, with their parent’s permission. I loved seeing their faces when they bit into the fruit. I prefaced the experience with a ‘sour-alert.’ The fun part about the experience was to have each kid turn to face the class when they bit into the loquat for the first time so we could enjoy their expression. The kids thought this was so cool. What made it even more special to them was that I picked these from my aunt’s Japanese Plum tree in my hometown. The kids like when I relate a personal experience from my childhood to where they are in life now. I told them how I used to pick these off my grandparents’ tree when I was a kid. It brought back good childhood memories which I wanted to share with them. After being away from them for a week, this was how I returned. It was a good bonding experience for them and me! We finished up the remainder of the Japanese Plums the next day for snack time!
