How to Get Free Fresh Fruit and Vegetables for Your Child's School

When you're five years old and your mom is on public assistance, there's a good chance that you aren't getting a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. If mom can get a bag of hamburgers from a fast food restaurant for $6.00, it's not likely that she'll spend that same amount for a bag of apples. But now, through the USDA's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, schools with more than 50% of students on the free or reduced lunch program can receive funds to pay for those students to have fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day. These snacks are not just for disadvantaged kids, but for everyone. The fruit and vegetables must be fresh, not canned, frozen, or dried. No sugar or other additives are allowed. The USDA pays for the purchase of the fruits and vegetables from local farms, as well as the cost of preparing them. To apply for this program, schools simply need to contact the child nutrition division of their state's department of education (see link below).

The goals of the program are:

• To create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices
• To expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience
• To increase children's fruit and vegetable consumption
• To make a difference in children's diets to improve their present and future health

In my state, Hawaii, we will be receiving $1,916,724 this school year for fruit and vegetable snacks. That works out to $50 to $75 per child per school year. So far this year our students have had cantaloupe, carrots with non-fat dip, oranges, and dragonfruit, all from local farms. I know what you're thinking - our kids are picky eaters, they won't even try new fruits and vegetables. Well, peer pressure can be a positive thing, and when children see that all their friends and their teachers are enjoying their fresh snack, they won't want to be left out of the fun.

Earlier this year, one of my former students came to me and said "Teacher, do you remember the present you made me in kindergarten?". A present? That I made? For the life of me, I couldn't remember what present I possibly could have made for him. "No" I said, "what did I make you?" He said, "You called it a 'healthy snack' and it was delicious!". That present I made him was a fruit kebab. All I had done was cut up several types of colorful fruit, given the children skewers (pointy end cut off) and asked them to make a pattern by threading the fruit on the skewer. After the patterns were completed the children ate the fruit. But this young man had said he didn't eat that stuff (fruit) and he wouldn't like it. I just told him to take one bite, it might be his new favorite thing. The fruit he ate was a delectable honeydew melon, something he'd never tasted. He loved it, devoured all of his, and started asking other students for theirs. "I never knew fruit tasted like this!". What was a simple snack to me was a present that he remembered for three years. Who says kids won't eat healthy food - give them a chance, they'll surprise you.