December 5, 2006

A new taste adventure
Students learn nutritious can mean delicious
By Susan Troller
The Capitol Times

In what kind of parallel universe do seventh- graders happily munch raw kohlrabi, carrot and apple salad, commenting that it tastes "vibrant" and "zingy"?

Led by L'Etoile chefs Tory Miller and Eva Ringstrom two Mondays each month, approximately 175 students at Sherman Middle School are developing a hunger for fresh, healthy food while they learn eating habits that supporters of improved nutrition for school kids hope will last a lifetime.

Meanwhile, thanks to a federal agriculture department grant that is bringing a weekly delivery of fresh vegetables to their east side school, the Sherman kids have access to healthy foods for snacking on a regular basis.

To begin to change the high-calorie eating patterns that are creating an epidemic of childhood obesity, several things are necessary, said Doug Wubben, program coordinator for the Madison-based no-profit Research, Education, Action and Policy on Food group.

" First, we need healthy options to be available for kids. Then they need some experience with them," Wubben noted. "You can't teach kids good nutrition without putting it in front of them."

Sherman seventh-grader Airiell Browning says the class with Miller and Ringstrom is a favorite.
" We've learned about vegetables from all over the world. I liked them all," she said.

For Jessi Havens, also a Sherman seventh-grader, the class provides a chance to "Wake up your taste buds. And, it's fun," she said.

Adrian Abeyta appreciates what he's learning about diet and nutrition.

" I'm a football player," he explained. "I'm bigger, and I love that. But I've lost about 5 pounds from eating healthier and I'm stronger, too.

" My mom and I started jogging together. I think I have more energy now. I used to get out of breath, but now I can jog forever," he added.

Wubben's group, which oversees the Homegrown Lunch program, advocates for fresh, nutritious and sustainably produced food. The group has worked with a number of schools in the Madison school district for the last several years, developing special programs and projects that encourage students to learn where their food comes from as well as the impact that good nutrition has on their lives.

The project at Sherman is part of an effort to develop a curriculum that teachers can use - supplemented by food producers from farmers to chefs - to help teach good nutrition to kids who are surrounded by empty-calorie snacks and barraged by advertising for heavily processed foods.

Students at Sherman were a rapt audience as Miller and Ringstrom talked to them about how they were creating a dressing for the freshly grated kohlrabi, carrots and apples.

" Like, how is it going to taste?" asked one skeptical 12-year-old.

" You'll have to see. But I promise, it won't be scary," Ringstrom laughed while Miller whisked together apple cider, honey and olive oil for the salad.

" When we bring something to you, we are really bringing it to you from the farmers who grew it," Miller said.
Then he asked if anyone in the room had lived on a farm, or knew someone who did. A scattering of hands went up.

Miller and Ringstrom are proud participants in a project called Cooking Healthy Options in Wisconsin, or CHOW, that works with the Homegrown Lunch program to introduce fresh, nutritious, locally grown food to children.

There are similar "farm-to-school" programs around the country. Their goals include improving nutrition while helping kids reconnect with the natural world, and providing a stable market for local farmers and food processors.

In addition to Sherman Middle School, Lincoln, Midvale and Falk elementary schools in Madison are also working with the Homegrown Lunch project this year.

Each week, the kitchen for the Willy Street Co-op prepares about 200 pounds of fresh produce so that it's snack-ready for the schools.

" Snacks need to be ready to serve," Wubben said. He said that carrot coins, sweet pepper strips, sweet potato sticks and cherry tomatoes have all been served to the kids with generally positive results. He said they are served "straight up," meaning that they aren't offered with dipping sauces or condiments.

Not every fresh food is a hit, he admitted. It's a process of getting kids used to new things, and it takes some time and exposure. But concerns that kids will not even try fresh vegetables have proved unfounded.

" Elementary students are most open to trying new things. Middle school is a tougher sell, generally, but once they've bought into something, they are really interested," he added. "Part of that may be that they're at an age where they can do some of the preparation themselves," he said.

" Students at Lincoln have had farmers come in to talk with them about their produce, and they've brought in things for the kids to try," Wubben explained.

" Those kids are now pretty adventurous" with what they eat, Wubben said, "because they've seen it before."

A food project at Black Hawk Middle School that is associated with University of Wisconsin-Extension nutritionists and Troy Community Gardens is also ongoing.

Wubben said that his group believes it is important for students to see the links between farm and food and table.

" We were so blessed to have Tory and Eva approach us. They knew about Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch and they were interested in doing classroom work. It was their initiative, but we were set up to help support it," he said.

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