Pick a better snack has been a big hit in several of our schools this year. Once a month, Maine General offers students at Atwood, WES, and CPS a free lesson about healthy eating and better snack choices for growing bodies.
Students get to try a new fruit or vegetable each month thanks to this program. This year they have enjoyed trying things like Little Cuties, sweet potatoes, and garbanzo beans! The presenters teach students about how the fruit or vegetable they are trying grows and which part of the plant they are actually eating. Students listen to a related story and then explore the food with all their senses.
“Their famous saying is “Don’t yuck my yum,'” said Atwood Kindergarten Teacher Denice Hatch. “This encourages kids to try something new and not say “Ewwwwww,” which might discourage their peers from experimenting with new food.”