Serious Eats
California Launches Federal Program So Kids Will Eat More Fruit and Veggies
Photograph from whirledkid on Flickr
Twenty-five California schools will participate in a federal program called the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, the goal of which is to get kids to try spinach, cabbage, and other scary good-for-you stuff from the ground.
For a school to be eligible, at least half the students must qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, according to the Los Angeles Times. The program first launched in 2002 with 25 schools in Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, as well as a Zuni reservation in New Mexico. Said one 10-year old from a participating Santa Monica school: "Not to brag or anything, but I've always been pretty good about my fruits."
Alice Waters's vision for the state is spreading, since this can only mean more schoolyard gardens, more salad bars, and less fruit snacks.