Joshua Reid, Sam Nicholson, Destiny Pout, Matilda Brakenridge, Joe Bentick-McEwen, Jack Gilchrist and Ella Gilchrist.
Getting kids to like fresh fruit and vegetables may sound like an impossible job for many parents, but the Forbes Food Revolution served up their 800th plate of the good stuff last Thursday.
The Real Food Tasting program, run by food ambassador Lucy Pearce and Maree Yapp from Schools as Community Centres (SaCC), is for children aged three to eight years.
Real Food Tasting is a lesson about healthy eating that invites children to try a plate of eight different fruit and vegies with their friends.
“We try to include familiar and not-so-familiar fruit and vegies for the children,” said Lucy. “Every child is encouraged to at least try something new.”
Lucy and Maree have visited every early childhood centre and primary school in Forbes. They have been thrilled by the response, with Kindy to Year 2 teachers embracing the opportunity to encourage children to taste test everything on their plate.
Parents are excited by the program and the difference it has made to their children’s eating habits.
“A mum thanked me for the work Forbes Food Revolution has done,” said Maree. “Her child would not eat fruit before and she was so excited the first time she could pack a banana in her child’s lunchbox! This is what makes us so excited about providing Real Food Tasting to our community”.
Lucy and Maree are grateful to Woolworths Forbes, which donates fresh fruit and vegies to the program each year.
This is the fourth year of the program, and children are starting to recognise the red Forbes Food Revolution shirts and plates of fruit and vegies.
Though the program ended last week, Lucy and Maree are always thinking of new ideas. If you would like to be involved, contact Maree on 6852 3008.
By Rochelle Bright