"Carrots are crunch," the kids at St. Patrick's are told. "So are potato chips. Go for the carrots."
"These are lessons that the students are learning," says program coordinator Margaret Sindleri, "and internalizing."
The healthier eating is a result of a Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grant. In 2008, St. Patrick's in Johnstown received funding help for Kids in the Kitchen, a nutritional education program.
"The objective," Sindleri says, "is to teach students about good nutrient-balanced diets and preparing low-fat meals."
Using School Challenge grant funding for equipment, food and cookbook creation, eighth graders learned, then in turn taught younger students, about the food pyramid — and about such nutritious snacks as trail mix, granola and yogurt. Now at St. Patrick's, it's cut-up apples and oranges, yogurt for birthdays and low-fat yogurt and low-fat muffins on the breakfast cart.
"They are making healthier choices," Sindleri says. "They'll choose milk over punch drink and cut-up cukes and granola bars for snacks."
"When students develop healthy eating habits," she adds, "when they read labels for nutritional information, when they watch their food portions, they lessen the risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure."
That's in the future. For now, kids come home with ideas, wanting to cook dinner — low-fat chicken with broccoli, say. "This increases their self-esteem," Sindleri says. "Their success in the kitchen, being able to create a meal, gives them confidence and independence."
Learn about helping kids make healthy food choices by reading our Nutrition pages.
Learn more about Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grants.
This story was originally published in an April 5, 2009, advertising supplement for Highmark Healthy High 5.