EDUCATION TIMES • FEBRUARY 22, 2007

Project fosters a healthier future
By Jillian Bailey

MANY parents struggle to get their children to eat healthy foods at home, especially vegetables. Even UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver met with huge resistance when he famously tried to get some British school children to try new healthy foods.

Fortunately, the children at Black Rock Primary School enjoyed their homework tasting new foods every week including avocado, turnip, squash and eggplant.

Maggie Field, an assistant principal at the school, said there was no resistance to the homework, which was part of a very successful six-week healthy eating and exercise pilot program called Balance… Everyday Life.

“Parents were thrilled to be able to help their children expand their tastebuds and make healthier choices,” she said.

The home food-tasting exercise was just part of the program she asked local personal trainer Fiona Squires to devise and teach in Term 4 last year.

A triathlete and parent at the school, Ms Squires totally committed herself to the program funded from a $1500 Federal Government grant under the healthy school community program and tied to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

“I was determined to make a difference to these children’s lives and families by teaching them to focus on the inside of their bodies,” she said. Judging from positive feedback on the program from the school and parents she has succeeded in her aim.

A highlight of the course was a healthy breakfast where children tucked into wholemeal cereals, concocted their own fruit smoothies and fruit juices and ate wholemeal toast with interesting toppings like honey and kiwifruit.

Maggie Field said it taught children about the importance of breakfast and about the variety of delicious and healthy breakfast foods available.

“Even though this is an affluent area, we were surprised by the number of students who didn’t usually eat breakfast,” she said. The program’s theme centred on asking students the question “what’s in your lunch box?”.

The children drew pictures of their lunch and learnt about how healthy their food choices were. They were also taught that various foods can help promote everyday good health and also prevent diseases like obesity and diabetes.

Encouragingly, the contents of the lunch boxes changed over the course of the six-week program as students and parents became more aware about healthy eating choices.

Children also learned the basics of food packaging and labelling, which they put into practice during visits to the local health food shop and supermarket.

The program also promoted the importance of making physical exercise a habit. It covered many forms of exercising, including stretching, and involved keeping an exercise diary detailing which three physical activities the children had completed each week on their own or with their family.

Assistant principal Sue Leighton- Janse was also very positive about the healthy eating and exercise program. “It made [the students] aware that there are healthier choices out there... and that it is fun and exciting to try new foods”.

One parent said that her three children had benefited substantially from the program. “They are making healthier choices, read labels and even want to help me with the weekly shopping,” she said.

In keeping with the healthy eating program the school is also conducting a healthy organic kids snack foods fundraising program, which is likely to raise around $14,000 this year.