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Slow food in schools: garden-to-table nutrition education nurtures petite palates, introducing kids to the pleasures of healthy, farm-fresh eats.

Article Excerpt
What kind of a food education are children getting these days? In many families, both parents work and there is little time to prepare meals. With Americans' growing reliance on fast and processed foods, few kids get the chance to participate in the growing of food or the preparation of wholesome meals. Wouldn't it be great if schools could give our children practical instruction in growing and preparing food, as well as good nutrition?

Slow Food USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving North American food traditions and promoting a sustainable food supply. It recently began a nationwide Slow Food in Schools program to introduce children to "sound food production and an enjoyment of wholesome meals."

These garden-to-table projects are based on the Edible Schoolyard, which began at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California, about 10 years ago. The school hosts a one-acre organic garden whose study and operation are integrated into the school's academic curriculum and lunch program. The students plant and cultivate the garden, and in the kitchen-classroom they prepare, serve, and eat the food they have grown. These activities are incorporated into almost every subject and are part of the normal school day. More than 20 schools nationwide currently participate in Slow Food in Schools programs.

Why do we need such programs in our schools? Don't schools already offer nutritious lunches for our children? Sadly, school lunches are not nourishing our children. Entrees such as chicken nuggets, corn-dog bites, and pizza pockets are typical offerings at many schools. These highly processed foods are loaded with fat and sodium. In fact, the May 2003 General Accounting Office report on the school-lunch program found that 75 percent of schools exceeded the limit for saturated fat. The study also found that although nutrition was being taught in schools, it was "not enough to show an impact on children's behavior." (1)

The Produce for Better Health Foundation recommends at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day, but its study found that 96 percent of kids ages 2 to 12 do not eat that minimum. The study also found that obesity levels are lowest among those who have high intakes of fruits and vegetables. (2) As obesity and diabetes become more and more common in kids, the results of our children's eating habits are obvious.

If school administrators know that children need...

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