Eat a rainbow every day

Lake Los Angeles – Vista San Gabriel School – The morning of Tuesday May 24, an assembly was held, class by class, to bring fruit and vegetable tasting and education to the students. Each grade group filed into the multipurpose room to hear Ruben of Antelope Valley Produce introduce well known and not so well-known exotic fruits and vegetables. The District has a grant to provide fresh fruits and vegetables every day to the students along with providing education about fresh produce.

Ruben explained how fruits and vegetables originated and how they come from all parts of the world. He said, “While you are still sleeping, I am in Los Angeles in the earliest dark hours of the day picking up fresh fruits and vegetables to bring to you for your meals today.” Rueben supplies the Antelope Valley School Districts with produce daily.

Tropical fruit, dragon fruit, melons, kumquats, gooseberries, blood oranges, squashes, sugar snap peas and the great horned melon were tasted and approval or not by the students. Kumquats got eeeeyuuuu sour remark while blood orange drew a few surprises at the name, but the taste was approved. When the program concluded, the students were given 5 bagged items of their choice, two veggies and the other three of their choosing to take back to the classroom for eating and discussions.

As they exited the assembly, each student took a printed “MyPlate Pledge” document where they pledged they will eat more fruits and vegetables, try whole grains, rethink their drink, focus on lean protein, slow down on sweets and be active my way. More information on this program can be found on https://www.myplate.gov.

By Shirley Harriman