Meachem Students Learn Healthy Habits and Life Skills through SNAP-Ed Program

“What are some of your favorite fruits?” Cornell Cooperative Extension Nutrition Educator Mallory Burnham asked.
 
Morgan Wicks’ third graders raised their hands enthusiastically as they were chosen to share.
 
Kiwis! Grapes! Dragonfruit! Bananas!
 
Students at Meachem and Syracuse Latin have been learning about nutrition – and taste testing fruits and vegetables – this year, thanks to a special program led by Cornell Cooperative Extension staff. Over the course of 6 weeks, students are guided through a curriculum that touched on Fiber at Breakfast (where they made a Breakfast Banana Split), Rethink Your Drink (where they tried an Un-beet-able Berry Smoothie), GSW Fast Food (where they sampled Fried Rice), Snacking on Fruit (where they created a Fruit Salad), and Snacking on Vegetables (where they enjoyed Kale Dip and Spicy White Bean Dip).
 
“It’s all about learning how to eat healthy,” Kathleen Bump, Southern Tier SNAP-Ed Regional Program Manager, explained. “We’re teaching healthy habits while they’re young with the hope that they’ll carry over into adulthood.”
 
Every lesson, students are introduced to life skills like measuring, cutting, food safety, hygiene, and more. After helping make the day’s menu item, each student gets to sample the item – and then is given a recipe card to bring home so they can recreate the recipe with their family.
 
“I eat fruits everyday,” third grader Ny’Layzia Sutton shared proudly. “I just love it. I even grow some fruits with my mom… we’ve grown strawberries, grapes, even apples! One day in class, we made fruit smoothies. I made it at home, and when my mom found out it was healthy, she asked me to make it for her, too. Now, it’s become my morning routine! I mix bananas, cinnamon, yogurt, and pineapple – I even add some spinach!”
 
In the hour-long lessons, students also enjoy participating in a curriculum related body break – where they complete different physical movements based on the nutrition lesson they’re learning. For example, seeing the name of a red or pink fruit would prompt jumping jacks; seeing the name of a blue or purple fruit would prompt push-ups; seeing the name of a yellow fruit would prompt knee raises.
 
The students giggled throughout, proud to share their knowledge about healthy eating. Before and after the six-week program, students complete a survey to share feedback about the lessons and foods, as well as their eating habits – allowing staff to measure the program’s impact. Thank you to our friends at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County for leading this wonderful program for our students!