Larry Meiller and his guest talk about school nutrition and what’s being done in the state to encourage healthy eating habits.
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School Gardens Teach Students Healthy Eating, Says Nutritionist
A growing number of programs in Wisconsin are giving schoolchildren the opportunity to learn about food and nutrition through hands-on experience, thanks in part to federal law changes in recent years.
The 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act introduced new meal requirements for national school breakfast and lunch programs. It also encouraged the use of more local and farm-fresh produce, along with school gardens.
According to Cindy Loechler, a public health nutritionist for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, schools across the state have had success starting gardens that help teach students where their food comes from.
“In order for students to accept these changes in the meal pattern, again to get them eating healthier, they have to learn some nutrition that goes along with it and many school across Wisconsin have been involved in school gardens,” Loechler said.
And though the gardens certainly aren’t big enough to replace school lunches, Loechler said they have enhanced meals with new tastes and variety. It increases the chance that they will try something new, knowing where it came from.
“It’s just showing kids where the food comes from. When they get involved with it, they’re more likely to eat it,” she said.
For more information on school nutrition initiatives happening in state, visit Wisconsin Child Nutrition Programs.
Episode Credits
- Larry Meiller Host
- Cheyenne Lentz Producer
- Cindy Loechler Guest
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